Have a go at our next caption competition (above). Send entries by email only to captioncompetition@churchtimes.co.uk by 9 a.m., Monday 5 May.
We invite readers’ ideas for photos: please provide a credit and confirm that those pictured are happy for the photo to be used.
Here is the winning entry for the previous competition:
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Now we will stand to sing “Fight the good fight with all thy might” — please join in with the actions (Mary Hawkins)
A SELECTION of entries for this week’s competition:
“Muscular Christianity is alive and kicking” (Bill de Quick); “Churchgoing can be an uplifting experience” (John Saxbee); “I call this one the anti-Oxford Movement: it takes you from very high to very low, very quickly” (Stanley Kupp); “We have an extraordinarily aggressive outreach programme here at St Martin’s” (Brendan Butter); “In order to fight spiritual battles, sometimes it became necessary to have a practice run!” (Fiona Drinkell); “It’s all right, Vicar, we’ve checked with the diocese and he’s got all the necessary safeguarding paperwork” (Richard Hough); “I call this one ‘The Ordinand’. It makes you wonder for a moment if you’ve made a terrible mistake, then it all ends with you lying face-down on the floor” (Christopher Prune); “Salvation: lifting a heavyweight off your shoulders” (Michael Doe).
“After a painful throw, the referee reminded the wrestler about not taking the Lord’s name in vain” (Philip Lickley); “In the spirit of David, every giant meets his match on the mat!” (Rachel Wilkinson); “WWE = Worship, Wrestling, and Evangelism” (John Davies); “We’ve wrestled till dawn, and now you tell me that your name is Jacob!” (Mary Cookson); “Whoever lost had to be the deanery-synod rep” (Brian Stevenson); “The Vicar had warned the best man to make sure he brought the ring” (Philip Belben); “When the treasurer said ‘We are wrestling with a need to raise church funds,’ few realised what he actually meant” (Mark Parry); “If you don’t pay your parish share. . .” (Chris Coupe).
“The Genesis 32.24 re-enactment seemed to be going well. Barry was worried about getting to 32.36” (Mike Peatman); “The congregation of St Knockabout’s was experimenting with a new way of sharing the Peace” (Michael Foster); “That will teach you not to steal the altar takings” (Alan Culley); “Jacob at Bethel is a play that brings a Bible message to many outside the Church” (Don Manley); “Flying Headbutt v. Flying Buttress” (Chaz Griffiths); “Church-hall bookings were suspended after the congregation misunderstood the Vicar when he said that ‘Jacob wrestled with God’ in his most recent sermon” (Scott Humm); “The annual stipend negotiations were getting harder every year” (Ken Wilkinson); “So that’s what happens at the Crown Nominations Commission” (David Hill); “Unflappable you may be, Mr Dean, but it was rash to claim that you are not easily thrown” (Martin Kettle).
As ever, the winner receives a prize of Fairtrade chocolate, courtesy of Divine Chocolate.
divinechocolate.com