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Merry Christmas
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Spooling Stories
A gallery of reflections on Decembers Forest Church gathering.
We gathered outside the Crichton chapel and watched the weather. I was a little wet and windy, but the rain mostly held off for our service. We remembered the solstice while we gathered, and perhaps the brooding pause between rain emphasised taking time to stand still.
Our plan for the service and the readings can be read here:
December Forest Church 2023
At least the texts can be! Here are some photos to help give you a feel of what the day was like.
To help us respond to the readings we used stands of cloth to store our experiences on wooden spools. Some people collected things, others rubbed the stains onto cloth and experimented with texture and colours.
A wide range of reflections were offered. These ranged from sensory experiences of the moment (which are beyond my ability to translate into words) to insights gained from studying the natural order.
The thought recorded above was inspired by looking at the growth near tree trunks as the light reached sections of the ground usually overshadowed by leaves.
Some formed these into stories that marked the moment and helped them prepare for the week ahead. For one participant standing still at this time presented a junction and a choice. On the one hand there was decay and rotting things, and in the other signs of evergreen life even in winter. They could then choose the path they would take.
So where was Jesus in all of this? Well, walking with us emotionally of course, providing peace and comfort. Also present creating and sustaining the landscape we walk in, through new life as well as time for things to return to mulch. The Gospel of John talks of the light entering the world if you can recognise it. Perhaps seeing with the light of Jesus and recognising all the things described above is part of the process of finding Jesus through looking.
What do you think?
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Quality
If you were omnicompetent, understood everything and held the expanse of time like a lump of clay in your hand – how would you handle creating everything?
Or scale it down to something as simple as a trip to your ancestral home. Would an unexpected pregnancy, room booking failure, and the univited arrival of a crowd of sheepherders look like a failure or something planned?
John Drane uses the phrase “McDonaldization” to question our expectations of being Church. To what extent have the modern cultural values of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control influenced our expectations of what Church should look like?
To put it another way, to what extent have our expectations in turning up to a service affected our experience of the quality of the moment. Do we expect to turn up regularly to a well ordered quality experience of familiar words and actions in a gathering that doesn’t make the building look messy or too empty. If these expectations are not met how does that affect our experience of sensing a special quality of gathering as Church?
Do we think of the messy, unpolished, entry of Jesus into the world where he only escapes death at the hands of Herod due to angelic intervention and a relaxed policy on refugees by Egypt as a near disaster – or something planned by God in the same breath as Eden? (Please read Romans chapter 18 ) How has the tendency towards McDonalization in culture influenced the ways in which we do Church.
This post doesn’t offer answers, but hopefully it will encourage questions.
What quality can events like washing dishes with a friend, a session with guitar on a beach, a discussion in a cafe, a mega church display in las Vegas or a trad. service in a victorian building all share, and how do we learn to sense it?
Marking a trail
Following up on interest about Forest Church at the Christmas Tree Festival we will be meeting as usual 2pm on the 3rd Sunday outside the Crichton chapel.
We will meet in Christs name, read (text and natural environment), pray and worship. We will also explore the readings and our life experiences by spooling a story.
This creative response is inspired by the work of Hannah Lamb – read more about her here.
Peace
All are welcome to meet in Christ’s name and share his peace. Whether you consider yourself a close friend, or are simply curious, all are welcome.
Prayer
Christ of the seven directions is with me
Christ above me to uplift me
Christ beneath me me to support me
Christ before me to guide me
Christ behind me to protect mec
Christ on my left to meet me
Christ on my right to greet me
Christ within me to strengthen me.
Reading from the bible
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.[e] 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who[f] is close to the Father’s heart,[g] who has made him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but he confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”[h] 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ”
as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why, then, are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah,[i] nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Reading from creation and response (story spools)
Discussion
Blessing
In the full tide of the day and in its ebbing
In the rising of the sun and in its setting
The might God be with you
The loving God protect you
The holy God guide you
And the blessing of God the Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore, Amen
Sharing food and drink
(at Simon and Kate’s this month)
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Christmas Tree Festival
2024 St Johns Christmas tree festival
Have you dropped in to see the Quartz tree yet?
Opening Times
Wednesday 6 December, 7pm – 9pm
Thursday 7, Friday 8 and Saturday 9 December, 10am to 9pm
Sunday 10 December, 1.30pm to 4.00pm
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Angels on Queensbury Square
Quartz Artists have been making an Angel collage, bot online and in person, on Queensbury Square.
The hope is that this will encourage people to send a message to God at this time of year
You can read more about it here:
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Carol Singing
Dumfries Christian Network are organising some carol singing, just turn up and join in!
Saturday the 2nd of December
10 to 12
In the Loreburn Centre
Find out more about the DCN here.
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Letting go
Sent in by Alison, because it made her think of themes from the November Forest Church.
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Carol Singing
An opportunity to join in with people throughout Dumfries
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Online Reflections
News of this online opportunity came in through our network of contacts.