Day Two

They always say that you should pace yourself through the programme, and over the years I’ve become quite selective about what I go to and what I don’t attend. Usually we go to the Bible exposition in the morning and then spend the rest of the day doing other things, dipping into the occasional seminar if we want. In truth, there’s little that is new about the programme, so it becomes easier to pick and choose.  

This morning’s Bible reading was thorough and thoughtful. There was one massive assumption made about the authorship of Isaiah that probably passed unnoticed by many, and to be honest didn’t alter the importance of what was being said. Is it wrong to have my theological head on? I don’t think so. And I’m not criticising the speaker, you can’t cover every stream of theological thinking every time.

I’ve now moved into an open area to do a little work rather than sit in the chalet. I have yet to decide whether I’ll go into the Big Top again tonight or not.

The odd thing about Spring Harvest is the diversity of people. It’s a nice reminder that not everyone in church is “middle-class”. It’s probably a more realistic expression of what the church should look like. To one side, there’s a family sitting eating lunch, to the other a young woman rolling her own cigarettes (I trust she will go outside to smoke it). In the background there are competing worship CD’s playing.

At times my view of church can become so sanitised. I get myself surrounded by nice people who do nice things and behaviour nicely. It would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this is normal, but it isn’t. The cigarette rolling twenty-something may have a more vibrant spiritual life than the man with the pleasant smile holding the door open for the lady with the pushchair. Thank goodness Jesus loved all sinners.