The Twitter intro says it all: ‘Engaged with culture,
inspired by the arts, sustained by faith, we aspire to be an open, generous
community’
Established for over 40 years Greenbelt has a real sense
of community – people meet up at the festival and maintain contact all year round.
I went alone but wasn’t on my own; I met
up with friends from Sheffield and beyond and shared experiences along the way.
Everywhere you went there were people willing to engage in conversation and freindly greetings.
Like Latitude, it is much more than a music festival with
poetry, performing arts, discussion and debate on offer across the various site
venues. Unlike Latitude, it is propelled by recognition of ‘the other’ with a
strong emphasis on Christianity but representatives of other faiths and belief
systems alongside. (It was actually more ‘Christian’ than I had expected)
Greenbelt moved to its present home, Boughton House Kettering
two years ago and this was clearly a wrench for some. The general view I heard
was that this had been a good move as the picturesque grounds add something to
the sense of awe that pervades the festival in sunshine and rain (we had both)
MY GREENBELT
I knew from others (and experience of other events) that
you must beware festival fatigue. I therefore took a conscious decision to
focus on events that resonated with my theme of spirituality in popular
culture. It’s only when I returned home that I had a sense of all that I had
missed in the other parts of the festival but there just isn’t enough time to
do everything! And having decided to merge with a trip to Fusion (see earlier
blog) I had to keep focussed. So perhaps I’ll go again in the future maybe even
for a day to catch some other strands of the numerous experiences on offer.
So I saw Madeline Bunting on Mindfulness (see earlier),
Dave Andrews on the Jihad of Jesus (how Christians and Muslims can share their
understanding of who Jesus is), Making Faces theatre group on 11 things to do
before I die, Joanna Jepson (Chaplain to fashion industry) on that industry’s
power, Paula Gooder on Seeing God in the Everyday, Kate Bottley – Gogglebox Vicar
on media, Steve Chalke on Being human. Other snippets throughout the weekend
such as a debate on Christians in politics, fire show, the right to offend and
much more besides.
Music acts included Josephine, Duke Special, Speak
Brother, Worry Dolls, Martyn Joseph, Iain Archer, Danni Nicholls, Sam Brooks and
the Unthanks. There was a folk/country theme in many acts with soul, indie and
pop as well. Not all songs were faith based by any means but there were
positive words about love and hope to be
found as well as strong messages about social justice and equality.
Sunday morning was communion celebrated by two women Bishops (including +Libby)
and led by members of two rural religious communities. The theme was about
relationships between humans and all creation and the importance of seeing the created
order as part of God’s purposes and not a commodity to be used by humankind.
Good spirit present but a shame that there wasn’t much contemporary music (and
in some cases language)
GREENBELT WORLDVIEW
Arts, faith, culture as it says. There was a strong
leaning towards social justice with talks about migrant/refugee issues, ISIS,
austerity, poverty, politics. Also a very present green thread in the ethical
outlets, presentations and the presence of forest church. I had a brief chat
with someone about this movement but unfortunately didn’t have much time to
explore. My conversation picked up a fascinating Gaia/ Pagan/Christian
connection.
Christian Aid. Embrace, Liveability and many other relief,
support and educational charities were present in the well-resourced exhibition
centre ‘G-Source’ and this was matched by a comprehensively stocked bookshop.
(I resisted!)
The communion service summed up the worldview very well
by focussing on the fact that we are all connected as humans, as people of
faith and as the created.
GOD AT GREENBELT
Yes of course!
From the sessions I attended and casual conversations, my
sense is that those at Greenbelt were very much alive to the reality of God
existing outside the church! I have commented on Madeline Bunting’s dissatisfaction
with organised religion and her incredulity that compassion can be found within Christianity. But this was a theme I encountered elsewhere. Dave Andrews suggested
that Christianity had got in the way of people finding Jesus (he never wanted
to found a religion), Steve Chalke contrasted the fruits of spirit with the
dominant Greek world view which was more about power than love – yet that is
often where the church is today. Paula Gooder challenged her audience to recognise
God at work wherever God’s characteristics are seen at work (in love, bringing
new life, hope etc.) Finding God in the unexpected (where have I seen that
before?)
Setting this alongside some of my reading and other festival
reflections, it affirms for me the importance of church connecting with culture
and offering an alternative to the negative narrative of judgementalism,
bigotry, homophobia, misogyny and abuse that often populates the media and
seeps into current thinking. Greenbelt and so many other places of living faith
demonstrate that this is just not the universal case!
I am sure that many Greenbelters are regular church
member (I certainly bumped into a number) but from brief chats around the site,
my sense is that others are more on the fringes, maybe those dissatisfied with
traditional church who are part of other Jesus/God centred movements or even
those who rely on this annual event for their primary spiritual input.
Greenbelt certainly strives (and succeeds) to equip people of faith in their
daily lives but I guess it doesn’t set out to be a para church!
FINALLY
I feel that that I shall continue to draw on the resources
of Greenbelt for some time in a way that perhaps I am not doing for the other festivals.
I realise that when I read back much of what
I have written (and even more of what’s in my mind) it comes out a being very
negative about the Church. Yet this beautiful creation is the Bride of Christ.
Greenbelt is the church! New shoots of Christian community are the church! I
have a role (roles) in the church! We need to break out of institutionalised thinking!
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