Greenbelt 2023

‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Greenbelt, happy birthday to you!’.

These were the words we sang at the beginning of a talk by John Bell at Greenbelt, an annual Christian festival of ‘artistry, activism and belief’ that is now 50 years old. John Bell, who is a well-known hymn writer and member of the Iona Community, talked about sin – or more specifically how a fixation on sin in our worship is bad theology, bad psychology and demeans our being. It was an encouraging start to the August bank holiday weekend and a festival that my husband and I have been attending for the past 20 years; first taking three small children in tow, then three teenage children, now just the two of us, and one small tent. The festival meets in the beautiful, landscaped grounds of Boughton House, a grand country house near Kettering in Northamptonshire, with a lake and mature trees, lit cheerfully with coloured lights in the evening.

Greenbelt never fails to inspire me, as it offers a joyful vision of a hopeful and progressive Christian faith, welcoming all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality, disability, or background.

It is a vibrant and creative experience, that manages to be both fun and very serious. It is always committed to the common good and building God’s kingdom here on earth. The programme was many and varied, with talks, discussions, music, worship, singing, crafts and activities for children and young people.

There is never time to do all the things I’d like to at Greenbelt, and sometimes tough choices must be made. Do I go to listen to Gordon Brown talk about how, as Christians, we have a moral duty to address rising poverty? Or should I go to the panel discussion that advocates for a reduction in car use? In the end, I opted for the latter and learnt about all the reasons why it is so hard to wean ourselves off the use of the car, and how we have become ‘car brained’. Cambridge is now the country’s leading city for walking and cycling and gives us hope that change is possible.

Talk highlights

In the talks there was a particular focus this year on the climate crisis, the anti-poverty movement and the ethics of artificial intelligence. Some highlights for me included a talk by Ann Pettifor, a political economist, who argued passionately about the problems we face because of unregulated credit in the global financial system. ‘Our system is based entirely on usury’ she said. ‘We need an eleventh commandment: thou shalt not commit usury. It’s in Leviticus, but we forget this.’

I also joined some HeartEdge gatherings and networked with other church leaders. HeartEdge has come out of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, and supports the broad church to innovate, grow and be at the heart of their communities. Revd Sam Wells confidently assured us that God gives the church everything it needs to grow, and that Jesus takes on scarcity and transforms it into abundance.

Christian Aid is a longstanding partner of Greenbelt. This year it was promoting a ‘Loss and Damage Campaign’, calling on the most polluting companies and countries to pay for the damage we have caused to the communities experiencing the worst effects of the climate crisis. I picked up information to share back in the parish.

‘Do robots have souls?’ This was one of the intriguing questions raised at a panel discussion looking at the dystopian prophecies regarding the arrival of AI. ‘Humans don’t have the power to give a soul, only God can do that,’ said Eve Poole, writer about ethics and leadership.

The music of Greenbelt

There was also time to relax and listen to music. I especially enjoyed sitting in the sunshine listening to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn on the main stage: veteran musician, Christian and social activist. Arthritis made his guitar playing more difficult, but he had adapted his music to make it easier on his ageing fingers, and he got enthusiastic applause.

The big outdoor communion service on Sunday morning explored the themes of thanks, sharing and giving, and many children were involved it its delivery. There was an imaginative collective prayer idea involving coloured flowers, that I made a mental note to duplicate at the Good Shepherd all-age at some point!

At the end of the weekend there was the hard physical slog, taking down the tent and humping everything back to the car. But it had all been worth it – despite going without a shower and the horror of the portaloo. On the journey home, my husband John and I shared all the blessings we had received during this anniversary birthday weekend and agreed that Greenbelt will sustain us for another year and that we are glad, age 50, it still exists.