I do enjoy a Ringers’ Service and they are becoming rarer and rarer occurrences amongst our local ringers. When I first started ringing, our association was divided into 4 geographical sections and each branch held a quarterly meeting. This allowed for lots of services and teas. COVID put the mockers on all that activity, and the moribund branches were eventually put out of their misery last year. Now we have an annual NDA-wide AGM and therefore an annual Ringers’ Service and tea. I feel this to be a loss, but the number of people who, like me, value this opportunity to reaffirm why we bother to turn up to ring on a Sunday morning, and therefore why we bother to practise, is shrinking. The “ch” word is unfashionable amongst many ringers, who seem to view ringing as merely an intellectual, fun and sociable activity, which it undoubtedly is. However, I am unable to ignore the significance of bells ringing people to worship. We may ring for the Millenium, ring for the anniversary of the armistice, ring for the King, ring to remember D-Day and ring for any number of other local and national events but, whisper it softly, how many of us actually ring for The Church?
A Ringers’ Service still does have significance for some ringers, although only 5% of our members managed to turn up this week to experience it. Admittedly, quite a few would have been busy ringing for weddings on a sunny, May, Saturday afternoon. For 2 or 3 of the congregation it was a first exposure and I hope they remember it as well as I remember the first time I heard the Ringers’ Charge. To be commanded to go forth and “…wherever you may ring let the music of your bells proclaim the Gospel…sound your rounds and changes to the glory of the Lord and know that at all times you exercise your art only to serve God” made, and still makes, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Despite not being a member of the Church of England and not being a regular church-goer for decades, it struck a deep chord with me. Was this the reason why I had been drawn to learn to ring? It does sound rather grandiose, and if I have been “chosen” in some sense, why didn’t God do it a bit sooner when my brain and body were both more able to take advantage of the opportunity? God moves in mysterious ways, perhaps an initial interest in honouring a great uncle who died in The Dardanelles in 1915, had morphed into something else?
This idea was reflected in the sermon, which was given by a ringing vicar. They are invariably the best sort because they speak directly ringer to ringer, and Aaron and his cloak of gold bells and pomegranates is only mentioned as an in-joke. The reading was from St John, ch. 15 “ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit….” and the sermon built on this theme. As ringers, we have been chosen and we have a more important role to play than merely ringing our tower bells. How many ringers would agree with that and if they did agree, would they publicly confess to it? Did I choose to learn to ring, or was I in some sense chosen? And if I was chosen, then do I have a wider responsibility than learning to strike a method neatly?
Earlier verses use the metaphor of a vine, branches and bearing fruit, and so we ringers were urged to respect our vine (I am guessing the Association) and to see ourselves as part of something greater than individual branches (read towers). If we want to keep the vine healthy then we must pay attention to all the parts of it, which may mean visiting the branches up the road and helping them out, rather than just fussing about the health of our own particular twig (our own ringing). We were also reminded that, if we accept that we have been called, then perhaps something more is expected of us than turning up for practice and to ring for a service on a Sunday. What more could we offer? How else could we support the vine? Thereby setting us all up to volunteer for roles at the AGM that followed the service, having been sweetened by some rather nice tea and cake.
It was certainly thought-provoking, although there was no rush to take on extra responsibilities by any members. The catch is, the 5% who turned up and listened to the sermon, ate the cake and attended the meeting are the 5% who do a lot of the work anyway. It is how to reach the rest of the twigs that needs careful thought.
The Accidental Ringer 