It will soon be festival season in Reading as we prepare for huge numbers of young people descending upon the town for fun, sun and top music acts.
Summer festivals can add vibrancy to our villages, towns and cities as well as an extra stream of human diversity to our everyday landscapes, even if for just a short period of time.
The diversity we experience in our encounters with one another often speak to me of the diversity of the all-inclusive God.
This understanding of God might be best illustrated in the present day in the multi-coloured Pride flags scattered around our high streets, places of worship and shop windows.
As an Inclusive Church Reading Minster is looking forward to the Reading Pride festival in September, in which we will offer a welcome to all through hospitality, an Open Table service and just joining in with the joy of this festival.
The title for Reading Pride is ‘Love Unites’ and what better words to inspire us as people of faith seeking out the diverse and all-inclusive God on our doorstep this summertime.
Come and join us – all are welcome.
The Revd Sonya J Wratten, Vicar of Reading Minster, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Reading
