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#SensingSpirituality Easter2024 Forest Church pilgrimage

Easter 2024 Mini-pilgrimage

This Easter Quartz explored the spiritual landscape near St Johns. Seven of us, and a dog, from within St Johns and the wider community visited Lincluden Abbey, and the 12 Apostles stone circle. The day was set up to allow people to drop in for activities and to travel by car, or on foot. Some […]

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Arts Febreflection Fresh Expressions

Transcendence

There is a much quoted insight gained by Jeremiah when he watched a potter working away making clay pots. This can be encountered in many ways. For a moment though, imagine what it is like to be the clay on a potters wheel. Your centre is hardly moving at all, but travelling outwards the speed […]

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2021 Review Creative Worship Fresh Expressions

A Typical 3 Months

What does a typical 3 Months in Quartz look like? This is a bit like asking what typical weather is like in a Scottish day. There will be a recognisable constant of four seasons, and at certain times of the year it is more probable that one will dominate the others. It is quite likely […]

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Creative Worship Fresh Expressions Lent

Kingdom or Earworm?

A busker sets up on the high street. Some people nod and keep walking, some pause to listen, some start dancing. Still more record and share on their phones, or go home and find some piping. Others find some string and a box, or spoons, or even click on a digital tip jar. The music […]

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Febreflection

#Febreflection

8 Finally, beloved,[a] whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about[b] these things. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204%3A8&version=NRSVACE During the month of Februrary, Quartz encourages you to take time out for reflection each day. Set yourself a […]

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Creative Worship Thought of the Day

Beyond analogy

We live in a beautiful and fascinating world. Experiments with Tin But what has this to do with analogy or creative worship? If we allow ourselves time to experience wonder, and put into practice the belief that God is generous, then we can train ourselves to notice the goodness in everything. This video uses timelapse […]

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Fresh Expressions Thought of the Day

Gardening

The spiritual practice of gardening. For some the step forward will be the experience of working with their hands, growing things, and encountering a primitive world to balance a lifestyle of technology and 24/7/365 artificial light. By relinquishing their acknowledged position of dominance they can restore the relationship. For others it will be access to […]

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prayers

This too, is prayer.

We ran an interweave called “This too is prayer” a while ago. We explored how everyday actions communicate the relationships which form us and our relationship with God. This prayer reminded me to be mindful of the meaning that can be found in the moment of preparing to leave the house, or enter a crowd. […]

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2ndSunday

Artwork

The thoughts, dreaming and poetry from last months creative worship. Clicking this link will take you to a page with all the blog posts about 2nd Sunday creative worship events.

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Outerweave

Outerweave in leaves?

Art is part responding to the invisible urges of the moment, and part trudging through debris to carve out a new furrow. Each artist has their own methods, but for me I relish the importance of wildness in the way I work. I expect, and look out for, moments and find that this is rewarded […]