Forget the Superbowl, the Olympics and the World Cup. There's a new sport in town. And it's happening in your town... Church Bell-ringing!
According to a lively debate going on in their in-house magazine – Ringing World – some campanologists think their pastime should officially be declared a sport.
According to research by The Churches Conservation Trust and YMCAfit, bell ringing, "had a range of benefits, from improved agility and reaction time to muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness."
So, in honour of the latest sporting craze, here are five more church based activities that might one day be classified as sports...
1) Running after small children who are making noise.
You know the ones. The ones who wriggle free from your control just at the quietest moment of the service. And then they charge off and find the loudest toy. And play with it. Loudly. And then they drop it. Right on your foot. The very least you deserve is a medal at the end of this performance...
2) Marathon prayer sessions.
So, you've made it through the early morning prayer meeting – well done. But are you fit enough for the half-night of prayer? How about a full night of prayer? In fact, how about 40 days in the desert with no food and the added temptation of the devil?? That'll sort the wheat from the chaff...
3) Sprinting to church.
You've had a long week and you'd really like a lie-in this Sunday morning. So you start playing chicken with your alarm clock... You live 15 minutes walk from church so, if the service starts at 10, you only need to leave the house at 9.56-ish. Cos it never starts on time. And you can always jog. Or sprint. And there's that shortcut through the field. And, oops. You forgot you were on the welcome rota this week.
4) Handshaking.
During the Peace in the service, at the door with the minister after the service, when you meet someone new over coffee, when you see someone you know, when you see someone you think you know... What is it with Christians and shaking hands?? We are Olympic standard handshakers. And huggers, for that matter...
5) Chair stacking.
You've done away with those dusty old pews and now you have a gleaming new set of chairs to go with your 'flexible worship space.' Great, but now someone has to move them. They need to be cleared away for the toddlers' group but back in place for the mid-week communion, but out of the way for the youth group but back in place for that marriage course, but cleared away again for the barn dance.... Meh, better call it a sport or just get the interns to do it...
