Every Thursday evening, I drive from choir practice to swim training, and in so many ways experience a massive gear change.
They couldn’t be two more different activities, and two more different groups of people. Yet, reflecting spiritually, there are some thought-provoking similarities and connections between them. I first joined the choir because I wanted to have regular contact with people outside church. It’s a community choir with a very low bar for musical ability. I am in the minority, being male and under 50, but, being an Anglican, I am used to that. I would also challenge anyone to have a better success rate at inviting non-Christian friends to a Christmas Carol service. I invite the choir to sing every year, and they come, and they bring their families and friends to watch.
Our local leisure complex has long offered a swimming session called ‘Masters’. It would more accurately be called improvers, but there are some excellent swimmers who attend. A qualified coach leads the session, and swimmers are put into lanes according to ability. It is brutal, but the feeling of being able to swim well is wonderful.
Four myths about contending for truth in the CofE
For evangelicals in the Church of England, and especially those in full-time ministry, “contending for the faith” has become a …