Church to festival
15 Jul 2005
A carnival of Christianity Theo Hobson, Saturday July 09 2005, The Guardian newspaper.
On the Greenbelt site here, and the Guardian here.
I don’t buy the analysis of institutions, that they are inherently and intrinsically bad, or that it’s possible to move beyond them (all the festivals qouted are institutional with a hierarchy and structure and power and politics of some sort), but I love festivals, and it’s a great article.
I think we need to stop doing so many conferences and have more festivals, to allow more participation, and involvement. And the idea of church as festival, is very engaging.
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Comment by erickeck
3.24 pm on 15 Jul 2005
i like the language that the festival implies, cool idea
Comment by Gary
8.33 am on 16 Jul 2005
Festivals form part of my earliest memories of the formation of my faith. There used to be one down in dorset called ‘Kingston Music Festival’ (a mini Greenbelt basically)and I have many fond memories there until it closed down.
If given the choice of a festival or a teaching week like say *cough spring harvest then it would be festival every time, but thats my roots I guess.
Comment by matybigfro
12.50 pm on 18 Jul 2005
Having been a good evang/charis christian I’ve been to my fair share of conferences/festivals and they often they can get very draining.
I remember reading a set of blog’s drawing out the similiarities between soul survivor (big christian youth confrence style festival)and disney land. And from and early age I got used to the summer time spiritual dose up mentality in which you turn up to the confrence for your yearly refilling of the holy spirit where you’ll fall down at least twice cry at least once and maybe if your lucky get the shakes come away feeling you can change the world/stay puure/and see revival and within a week be smoking, drinking and swearing with the mates that don’t know your a christian yet.
I think festivals may offer a more grounded and real experience than the escapism of confrence’s . Festivals which recognise the evil’s and fallen ness of the world surronding us but demonstrate the kingdom of God breaking through in creativety, Joy, music and gladness and light i think would be exciting.
To steal an idea from the “tallskinnykiwi” let’s “Take the party to their houses” So our own christian festivals are great but, what about taking a easter celibration to Hyde park, or your park or the high street. I guees that really would mean the kingdom of God breaking in.
Comment by Tractor Girl
7.32 pm on 18 Jul 2005
It’s an interesting one. As somebody who tends to spend much of the summer festivating I know that the church and festie culture have (in theory) much in common, particularly concepts of community, openess, enjoyment and acceptance.
Also it should be remembered that each festie tends to have a unique characteristic and they are organic events, constantly changing as required to survive and remain healthy.
Perhaps rather than using festies as a model to try replace the mainstream we should actually think about how we can develop these values within the church & what we can learn about how to be open to change from the festie culture.
I mean it’s not like we know nothing about it; Greenbelt being more part of the traditional festie curcuit than a “Christian” thing has the very values I’m talking about and over the years has developed as it has changed site and adapted to changes in culture and technology.
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