Guest Enough, in one of the earlier Monty Python sketches (here), a bedroom-furniture salesman put his head in a bag at any mention of the word "mattress". The remedy was for all available shop assistants and customers to stand in a tea-chest and loudly sing "Jerusalem."

Unfortunately the sketch showed the remedy to be effective. Once enough people could be mustered to sing from the tea-chest, Salesman Lambert would remove the bag from his head. I say "unfortunately" because I assume it was this success that spawned prayer chains.

Like many - maybe all - Mudcatters, I hope Spaw goes on to enjoy many years of rude good health. But maybe Praise could tell us how many prayers God likes to hear in a case like this, before he will consider direct intervention?

I find the concept offensive. Any god who is responsive to such a numbers game should be treated with contempt, rather than be fawned upon by craven loons grovelling around on bended knee. (I trust that will help keep them feeling smug and self-righteous *G*)