Is church the last bastion of boredom?

I was listening to Thought for The Day on Radio 4 the other morning. Well, I say listening, as most parents will know, that is something you can do only in an empty house. What I mean is: the radio was on, a religious man was speaking and I caught probably every fourth or fifth word in between shouting at my kids to hurry up. Anyway, the gist of what the man was saying was that it is good to be bored as it frees up the brain, and going to church may well be one of the last places on earth where that is entirely and routinely possible.

I realised this was true. Full disclosure: I semi-regularly trot off to church. A Methodist church. Not because I particularly adhere to the Methodist doctrine – I like a drink and, over Christmas, I delighted in receiving a poker tutorial from my brother-in-law, while drinking (did I mention that I like a drink?).