Brands Snatched from the Burning

A lack-lustre Pouring Out of Beakers this morning, if I'm honest. I think we were suffering a bit from last night's Pre-Pentecostal Earth Celebration - in which Hafnir used that wonderful Caliban's Dream song from the Olympics to give us a wonderful vision of a new heaven and new earth, as the nations come together waving sheaves of golden corn.

I was musing on whether "The spirit of the earth" could be interpreted as the Holy Spirit - and whether this was compatible with a Logos theology that would see the Word as the underlying reason of the Universe, with the Spirit as the gift to the Church specifically. Which meant that I didn't notice when his theme changed to the awful, hellish punishment to be poured out on a world that drives SUVs to kids' football games while the oceans boil and the moon is turned to blood.

Then I realised that Hafnir was dancing around with his hat on fire, throwing flash-paper around the place and swishing petrol about shouting "this is the blood of Mother Earth, which we spill at our peril."

Yes, you do spill petrol at your peril. Especially when your hat is on fire.

As we dragged choking Beaker Folk and stray badgers out of the Moot House, I had a sense of regret and yet relief. I'd been really looking forward to "Comedy with Russell and Jo", our Spring Harvest-style stand-up after the worship. Still, at least we managed to rescue both our famous guests.