I spent the
Bank Holiday weekend where I have usually spent it for some years now, at
Greenbelt. This is a Christian festival held at the Cheltenham Racecourse. Its
flavour is a bit like the Edinburgh Festival – loads of choices, something for
everybody. You never come away feeling there was nothing there for you. You come
away regretting some of the things you had to miss because they clashed with
something else you didn’t want to miss, or because (especially at my age) you
just didn’t have the energy for it all.
Because
last year the rain caused serious problems, this year’s attendance was slightly
down, at only(!) 17,000. Greenbelt draws all kinds of people, from over 80s to
babies, but the balance is mostly towards the younger end. Most people camp in
tents, some bring their caravans, but I
am among the “softies” who prefer to stay in a comfortable hotel.
There is
nothing regimented or dogmatic about Greenbelt. It is a free festival of the
spirit. There is music of all kinds – rock, Gospel, folk, old-fashioned hymns,
classical. There are plays, films, art exhibitions and shops. There are talks on
a wide range of subjects, and an opportunity to experience worship in many
different styles – Catholic ritual, meditation, Iona, Taizé, a Quaker meeting, a Goth
Eucharist – you name it!
This year
we even had a taste of the Sunday Assembly, the so-called “atheist church” that
was recently started in London and is rapidly catching on elsewhere. It is a
blend of communal singing and talk encouraging people to “live better, help
often, and wonder more”, but with no obligation to believe in God. I doubt
whether any other Christian festival would give a platform to this organisation.
Nor do I know of any other Christian festival in which the presence of gay and
lesbian people, and events catering for them, is welcomed and accepted as part
of the rich tapestry of Christian life.
Among the
things I attended were: a talk by a bishop on the “emerging Church”; a talk by a
historian on the significance of the Chartists, with samples of their hymns; a
mentally challenging lecture on radical theology, and a symposium on the same
theme; a forthright appeal for the full acceptance of same-sex relationships by
the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral; the above mentioned Sunday Assembly; a
few musical performances, and a concert with the amazing jazz musician Courtney
Pine.
The central
event is the Sunday morning Communion, held in the open air. The vast
congregation gathers in small groups sitting on the ground, with groundsheets
and umbrellas just in case! I joined a group of about ten people from my former
church in Leytonstone, and had a very happy time with them. The atmosphere was
festive, and after praying, singing, hearing a challenging message, and sharing
bread and wine we were invited if we wished to stay and
dance.
Perhaps
next year we can arrange for a group from St David’s to be there. I would highly
recommend it.
Ray Vincent
