Quartz
Why is it a familiar experience for many that when Jesus is brought into a chat the conversation often stops? It is true that in the stories of the early church, and the gospel themselves, Jesus is not always welcomed by the people he talks to. However he was also followed by crowds into hills, […]
When I say grace before or after eating and am being thankful for having food to eat. More than this, as well, I am pausing to be thankful that food has flavour, and as human beings we are able to sense this and delight in the experience. Followers of the Way can describe this as […]
Forest Church to start the year! Time is a funny thing. To what extent do we experience it, and to what extent do we create systems to manage our experience of it? There are many calendars which could be used to track the beginning of the new year. Julian or Gregorian? Church festivals, or community, […]
Tuesday the 13th of January is a day to remember the life and witness of St Kentigern. Also known as Mungo, his two names are a good introduction to his story. Kentigern is a princely name. A path he could have chosen to follow as the son of a princess. It might mean something like […]
Quartz has a WhatsApp group where members share “Glimmers” moments when they recognise the presence of God in their daily lives. This can be a picture, or text, and it helps us keep in touch even when we are not in the same place for a while. When we share pictures though, are we simply […]
The cosmos is pregnant. It’s a secret hidden in plain sight. Don’t you sense the pangs and frustration? The glimmers of joy? Come with me if you want to live…
How long does it take to unlearn a cultural inheritance that dominates you? The Israelites spent decades in the wilderness, and only a few of the original adult generation who left Egypt entered the promised land. This is often understood as a punishment, but what else was going on? (Joshua chapter 5 vs 1-8) Wilderness […]
It was a bit of a dreich day when we gathered, but that didn’t dampen proceedings. We practiced looking at the trees, and we read from the bible. As the day was colder than usual this gathering was a bit more active than the contemplative speculation we often default to! Is the a dry wit […]
(Forest Church in October will meet at 2pm on the 19th) I’ve posted about Hildegard before, and the healing power of the green. As we are moving into a time of year where trees prepare for winter we will see all the other colours in their leaves. Perhaps a walk in the woods would be […]
I took time out to travel west recently. It has been over 10 years since I have last been to a conference/retreat with others who are interested in Forest Church type things. Many of the projects Quartz has been running flowed from that. Here is a video of my journey! For those interested in finding […]