Every vicar should be here

That was the view of one of the trainees at the Three Counties Show. The only excuse they would allow was if officiating at a wedding prevented coming to the Show. Otherwise, all the clergy should be there because there was so much that was so important happening!
Or at least, that was what one trainees thought. They were clergy, lay readers and diocesan workers who were given an introduction to some of the issues currently facing agriculture. They had a morning being taken round the livestock lines and introduced to rural organisations, accompanied by a farmer so they were getting it "straight from the horses mouth."
They heard about EID, SFP, bTB... They met with the NFU, CLA, FCN. Behind all those TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) were very real issues affecting the quality of life for many people.
As well as sending trainees about and about, the church had a hospitality tent to offer refreshment and an oasis of calm in a hectic show. We had visitors from as far north as Fife and as far south as Australia.
We also had people out and about in the showground. In that role I had fascinating conversations about the ethics of Genetically Modified crops, in-vitro fertilization, Global warming,soil conversation, regulation, ... The list seems almost endless.
It was a good, but exhausting, weekend.

What's the gospel for Reggie Perrin?

I loved the first version of Reggie Perrin with Leonard Rossiter. The new version with Martin Clunes is, in my view, equally good. Both have encapsulated the pressures of modern living. Both are disturbingly accurate portrayals of contemporary society - even if now the Rossiter version is dated. It reflected life when it was made.

The programmes have raised, for me, the question of what the Church and Christian faith have to offer for the countless Reggie Perrins at work today. What would happen to Reggie if he ventured through the door of his local church?

Would he be told that coming to church would give him what his leaflet wielding "counsellor" at work can't? Would it help, or would it just add another source of pressure, of things that he should do to his already hopelessly overfull diary?

Would he be signed up an a Christian Basics/Alpha/Emmaus/... course? But in his process driven world would being processed in this way make any difference?

What Reggie needs is a community in which he can behave like a unique human being and be treated like one. Wouldn't it be good if churches could provide that!