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Edinburgh Reporter

Church servers put through their paces

An Edinburgh church has turned to an unexpected source for help in perfecting its worship: the gym. Altar servers from St Michael and All Saints, a Scottish Episcopal church known for its elaborate, centuries-old Anglo-Catholic liturgy, took part in a specially devised training session on Saturday led by personal trainer Stuart Lane. The workout was designed specifically to meet the physical demands of serving at the altar. The church Rector, the Revd Oliver Brewer-Lennon, said the event is a novel response to a need which is real and genuine. He said: 'The church's liturgy, or form of worship, is intricate, beautiful, and highly choreographed – and that places real physical demands on the servers. They carry heavy objects, genuflect, kneel for extended periods, and move in precise, synchronised patterns. It's physically taxing in a way people often don't realise. 'The idea was sparked half in jest, when someone remarked that serving resembled a kind of liturgical workout. But the joke led to a serious proposal: why not train intentionally for it?' Personal trainer Stuart Lane, who previously worked with Father Oliver as a weightlifting coach came from Glasgow specially to run the event. He lead a one-hour session in the church, and encouraged all those taking part to concentrate on core strength, mobility, balance, and stability with exercises tailored to the movements of sacred ritual. The idea was received warmly by the serving team of fifteen, who bring a serious commitment to their role in the liturgy and are open to new ways of preparing for it. 'I don't know if this makes us innovators or just slightly mad,' said Father Oliver, 'but the aim is genuine. This is about supporting people in what they do for the life of the church – and maybe having a bit of fun along the way.' Like this: Like Related