Lent and 'surviving consumerism'

As we begin Lent, I'm pondering some of the things I heard at the Christian Ecology Link conference last Saturday. Titled 'End of the Age of Thorns: Surviving Consumerism', this was an inspiring event that included worship, workshops and talks, focused on consumerism and the environment.

The first speaker was Peter Owen Jones, vicar and TV presenter, who gave a challenging and radical talk calling for 'a new environmental model of Christianity' based on communion, not stewardship.

He suggested that we use festivals as a way of 'synchronising our lives with the life of the planet' and pointed out that, because it encourages abstinence, 'Lent is one of the most important counter-cultural festivals we have'.

Interestingly, the main speaker in the afternoon also talked about festivals as a powerful way forward. Tim Cooper, Professor of Sustainable Design and Consumption at Nottingham Trent University, spoke on 'green economics'. In a discussion of sustainable consumerism, he said that 'Christians should be distinctive by their shopping baskets' - and asked why, according to the latest academic research, that is not usually the case.

He finished by inviting a discussion on the role of festivals. How can we redeem Lent, Christmas, the Sabbath, Harvest? Should we propose banning hot cross buns before Lent; refuse to go Christmas shopping before Advent; re-engage opposition to Sunday trading; celebrate a sustainable Harvest? (We're struggling in our own church to find a way of celebrating Harvest that actually connects us to the real harvest, so this was an encouraging sign.)

It was a day of prophetic voices and one that I will continue thinking about as I go through Lent this year.

The CEL website now has a report of the event, including Tim Cooper's presentations, and (to come) the text of Peter Owen Jones' talk.