Quartz
Yesterday was the autumn equinox. Day and night balance each other. It is celebrated in many ways. Some of these are flourishings from Christendom, some look for earlier roots and others might just be instinctive urges to drink something special and warming. At the contemporary service in St John’s we built a machine. The processes […]
When words run out. Can we pray in colours? If God is Love, and we are Loves children, then when we are caught up in moments of immersion in beauty and the experience of Love are we praying? The sunset over an ocean. A moment of noticing the character of light on the leaves of […]
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 […]