Quartz
A spirituality of making The scars on the Ruthwell cross are witness to the troubled relationship Christians have with art. We are physical beings who need a world of sensations, we are also spiritual beings who can sense a realm that is more than simply physical. The Bible is filled with references to God crafting, […]
What time scale measures your life? In an age of 24/7/265 with ultrafast connectivity young people are still searching for rivers and lochs to swim in. This is the time of year to pick brambles from the hedgerows and enjoy the occasional day when the summer lingers. If you want your dream to beTake your […]
Dumfries may seem far removed from the recent rioting in England, but did you know that there have been people delivering far right anti-immigration leaflets through doors in the area? This article in Christianity Today ask some questions about the practice of Churches in the UK sending missionaries abroad. They also highlight some of the […]
What makes you feel at home? Jesus says that there are many rooms in his fathers house, I’m hoping that in some of them I’ll be able to settle down and listen to sludge metal and let the deep peace of the soundscape wash over me. Here is a welcome from the Metal Methodist Church […]
This discussion about drawing was sent in by Alison. https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2021/january/21/tania-kovats-why-i-draw/
If most racists, homophobes, and general bigots are nice people – how do you know you are not one? Privilege blinds us. The good news of Jesus is good news for the downtrodden, despised, and excluded. It is usually bad news for those of us privileged to have done well at school, have good jobs […]
Alison has sent in this reflection from a quiet morning at Elsieshields. Rabbi Yehoshua was once asked “Why did God appear to Moses in such a lowly bush?”The Rabbi answered “Why in a thorn bush? I’ll tell you: To teach there is no place where the Divine Presence is not found, even in a lowly […]
“Light” is used frequently in the Gospels, especially in the good news as told by John. I chose this theme for my final assembly with the Dumfries High School year group I have been chaplain to since they started secondary school during lockdown. As they gather I usually run a video which introduces the theme […]
Today is a big holiday in Norway. It can be (very) roughly translated as Christ speeding heavenward on a rocket. I have been thinking about how when we visit saints caves, or wilderness places, we think of anchorites experiencing remoteness. What if, while Ninian sat by the sea, he was looking at the best way […]
Things can change for the better, and Jesus reveals that change. This post is about prophesy, the gift given for building up the Church. Prophets reveal things, and in the stories when people respond things get better – or at least the calamity that approaches is averted. When the religious authorities (whose role it was […]