Spring Harvest Day 4

What a fantastic day to be at Spring Harvest. Although we missed it – due to another late night last night - there was a sunrise service on Minehead beach this morning at 7.30 a.m. (a little after sunrise actually) with Spring Harvesters and a number of the churches in the town of Minehead. Sara and I went along to the Big Top for 10 a.m. to listen to Danielle Strickland again – what an inspiring woman and so amazing that she has packed so much into her life already. We learned something of her life in Vancouver living close to the red light district and the problems of the east side there (drugs, crime, homelessness, prostitution). After our usual mid-morning coffee with Maxime and the others in the Blue Skies resort apartments, we returned to the Big Top to listen to Jeff Lucas and Ruth Dearnley. Their inspirational talks from yesterday were further re-inforced by their equally, if not better, presentations today. I also learned how to play the credit card like a Jew’s Harp (well I guess I can definitely say that I will be returning from Spring Harvest with a new talent!). Lunch was a Cornish pasty following which Mary and I spent an hour in the Splash having a great time swimming in the “tidal” river and also experiencing the Master Blaster boat/slide ride. We only did it once as there was quite a queue to use it. After a cup of tea I joined Klynn in the Leadership Masterclass where we heard some amazing testimony from Yvonne Richmond, a canon at Coventry Cathedral who has been working with the homeless and drug addicts, whose husband died only one month after last year’s Spring Harvest. Despite all her adversities, especially battling with the Anglican Church to convert her non-stipendiary ministry to stipendiary and being turned down, and fighting with financial despair, bereavement, and the politics of the Church of England, she showed us the grace which so many of us long for and find so hard to find even in lesser troubles. Sara cooked us all an excellent roast chicken dinner and after dropping the children at their respective clubs, we went into the Big top where Danielle was preaching again. Wow, such a powerful message tonight making us feel giddy and wishing we could find the answer to what we are here to do. In writing these blogs, I see how much more my time and life could be enriched it I can just find what I am being called to do. Certainly, an extension of the house groups is an important start. We gave some money to the work of a new mission to ensure that the younger generation throughout the world get the teachings and support they need to discover and practice their faith. The evening ended up with us all in Maxime’s for cheese, biscuits and wine – right up until midnight. These evening sessions are so important as this is the time we can discuss what we have heard and consider what we, as a church, can do to carry forward the message. I felt a great feeling of warmth and contentment tonight and very close indeed to Sara who so changed my life thirteen years ago.