QuartzAs Quartz Forest Church we are spending a year exploring the Chrichton Estate in Dumfries. For many of us, even though we live in Dumfries, the grounds around the university are not a familiar place. We started in autumn, and are seeing signs of spring now. We have also been meeting some of the other […]
In the Quartz lent group we have been thinking about the wilderness and testing our experiences. Where are you on this diagram though? Or perhaps more importantly, where would you like to be ? As we near the end of our lenten journey it is time to consider where we are going next.
Here is a handy wee craft activity. How to make a finger labyrinth We have been making large scale versions using rope for a good few years now. We also have a pottery table top version Alison brought back from Spain. https://wordsmithcrafts.co.uk/Labyrinth2015.html Hopefully, this summer, we will be able to use this to provide people […]
We held the March Forest Church meeting at Allanton Peace Sanctuary. This was part of one of the eight seasonal festivals they are planning for this year. These festivals recognise the changing seasons in what is sometimes called the wheel of the year. We had a particular focus on peace in Ukraine and Russia, but […]
Forest Church 20/3/2022 It is our custom to meet as Forest Church on the third Sunday in the Month. We have chosen to meet on the Crichton estate for a whole year, so that we can get to know it and experience the changes in the seasons. However, this particular Sunday we have chosen to […]
What do you dare to dream, but doubt the wisdom of trying? What are the wild dreams of your youth? Perhaps you remember with nostalgia the idea of becoming a rock star, or going on pilgrimage to proclaim the Word of God on street corners. It is said that vertigo is both/and the fear of […]
“I, by my works, will show you my Faith…” The act of making art can visualise some very complicated emotions. Art in public can be an action that ‘moves’ many people. If you are a dancer, then dancing can be protest as well as performance, and we who are crafters have folded angels. We can […]
Have a read of the introduction to this song and video. Then as you sit back and enjoy it, contemplate the many possible real life stories that have formed this experience. What does “release for captives” mean? What invisible chains bind our minds, inherited, unexamined, frustrating the potential God has placed within creation? What crazy […]
I can scarcely imagine what it must be like to have your country invaded and your home subjected to rocket attacks. How can you work when it is too dangerous to leave your house? How can you buy food when you can’t work? I will have sat round a campfire, after a days work, singing […]
If anyone else is stuck with their mind frozen trying to make sense of the war – Here are some steps based on how being involved in this installation helped me. Step 1 Is recognising all the souls caught up in this – however they got there. Step 2 Is recognising the outrage you may […]