"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."
John Charles Ryle
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Marcus L Loane, London James Charles, 1983
JC Ryle (1816-1900) what's the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool. The book states that his great love as a lad was cricket and that he played first class cricket both as a batsman and bowler. He studied at Oxford and captain the university cricket team for three years. In the 1836 varsity match he took 10 wickets. The biography states that “his love for cricket never left him and it still gives him pleasure and old age to watch the fortunes of his alma mater”. That said when he was ordained into the Anglican ministry he stopped playing.
He said that “cricket had been of great value to him for it had done much to develop his latent gifts of leadership”. His spiritual life was slow to develop how does the book quotes him “I certainly never said my prayers or read a word of my Bible from the time I was 7 until I was 21”. The book adds that when he committed himself to Christ” billiards and dancing which had claimed so much of his time were cast aside”.
I found nothing in the book which gives any insight into the relationship between sport and faith or why he ceased to play cricket.