Quartz at St Johns Dumfries
God is Love and we are God’s children
There is no room for fear in Love
We Love because God first Loved us
Love is the key placed within our being beyond time, and when we turn it we are released from the slavery of sin.
There was a wind blowing through the Crichton today. The fallen leaves were rustling, dried by a sunny day and drifting around the contours of the grass.
Our attention was drawn to a dandelion, a last bloom of yellow on the green looking up at the yellow on the blue. There was a rhododendron in bloom as well. We explored the sounds, sights, smells, and textures of the area. With the taste of winter in the wind.
The whole area was buzzing with life, with several events taking place over the weekend. Dog walkers, concert goers and children playing in the leaves. I wondered what patterns are there waiting to be discovered, and what ones do we make ourselves. Or is the process of making a visible pattern an act of recognising, becoming aware of, an unseen reality which reveals and forms itself in and through the process of becoming? Like leaves settling on a landscape in the wind, held by the contours of earth and air pressure.
Sometimes instinct draws us to run through the pile of leaves and enjoy the sensation as they scatter. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of something which leads us to wonder about a deeper meaning. It could be patterns in leaves, or texture in bark, or the particular light cast by a winter sun illuminating that particular moment.
Today we made it to the central cafe before it closed. It too was bustling and as we sat and folded paper angels we continued to chat on the veranda watching the sun set behind a one tonne willow bull. This is Kelton the belted galloway, a woven sculpture wandering around Dumfries and Galloway.
Another work of art has found its resting place at the Crichton. This is a life Totem which has travelled over the sea for COP26. It has become a focus for meaning, discussions and hopefully inspired insight on how to respond to climate change. It is now returning to the earth. This is a planned letting go of the artwork. The material will decompose and return to the soil it came from. This contrasts with the ways in which cultures that obsess with preserving works of art can loose the spiritual significance of it.
Those for whom power is found in this world, fight to retain it. Jesus however has confidence that all who belong to the truth will listen to his voice. Can you hear it in the wind?
The next Quartz Forest Church will be on Sunday December the 19th.
When I am physically illuminating a text with ink, I use pigments like ground up soil, or oak galls and Iron salts. When I am digitally illuminating I use a colour pallet from a photograph of a place. Alison makes paper where the leaves become one with the page, and has a catalogue of colours where fabric has been dyed through using the plants and water where she lives.
This artist uses sound. Here is a short introduction:
We come from dust, we return to dust – but every grain can be where the substance of life finds a home.
In what ways will the potential placed by God within you be revealed? Do you dare to seek out a conversation with the source of everything, and co-create as a child of God?
Read more in the air you breathe and the texts which we have inherited.
There are many words used for Love. Some of them hide the power of the emotion in the everyday, some are kept for special occasions to release the power of a moment.
How many words do you know? (How many unspoken actions!) How many could you add to this video 🙂
We will meet again outside the front door of Crichton church for a 2pm start, (The Crichton, Dumfries DG1 4ZZ) Find it on google maps
Please dress for the weather, and don’t rely on there being any indoor (or any other) facilities available. Once we meet we will walk to an appropriate location depending on the weather and the abilities of those who turn up. If you want us to wait for you, please let us know that you are coming!
So that you know what to expect – a rough order of service will probably include:
| Meeting in Christ’s name and sharing the peace | (We meet in Christs name – whether you consider yourself close friends, or are just curious, all are welcome – we share his peace.) |
A wee trip back to the 60’s ? “He’s everything to me” | Verse 1 In the stars His handiwork I see On the wind He speaks with majesty Tho’ He ruleth over land and sea What is that to me Chorus ‘Til one day I met Him face to face And I felt the wonder of His grace Then I knew that He was more Than just a God who didn’t care That lived away out there And now He walks beside me day by day Ever watching o’er me lest I stray Helping me to find that narrow way He’s ev’rything to me Verse 2 I will celebrate nativity For it has a place in history Sure He came to set His people free What is that to me Repeat Chorus |
| Reading the book | Psalm 29 or John 18:33-37 |
| Reading Creation | We are getting to know the Crichton estate a bit. This is an opportunity to take time to get to know the environment better. For those that appreciate a reading guide, see the response below… |
| Response | The leaves are falling thick, Today we will take the opportunity to explore leaves artistically. Will you paint on a leaf, follow it’s veins and find out more? Or will you make art with leaves? What colours can you find? What shapes will you draw?  This is also a space for people to contribute their own prayers, songs, reflections and stories. So we will listen to each other and the landscape we worship with and decide exactly what we will do. |
| Equipment | Something to sit on, a cup to drink from, gloves and a litter picking bag all might be helpful. Don’t burden yourself too heavily though. The hope is that this week we will wander, and end up at the central cafe before it closes. |
| Closing Prayers | As Jesus taught us … (The Lords Prayer in the version you find familiar) |
| Gloria, gloria – Taize |  |
| If it is very wet this might all happen quite quickly. If it is a lovely afternoon we might take more time. If you need to more defined times to plan around others, allow about an hour. |
There is no need to book, but if you’d like to let us know that you are coming we can keep an eye out for you. If you sign up for the mailing list you’ll find out when the nest one is happening. You can also subscribe to the Quartz weekly newsletter/e-mail.
Please send a message to introduce yourself, – and let us know what interests you in particular!
There is an awful lot going on under the surface.
It takes time to become aware of it. If your awareness is raised by one instance though, you become aware of an issue for a moment. Small as a mustard seed. Take time out to recognise the moments and your understanding deepens.
A life of prayer is made up of many moments, and can become a whole new way of relating to the world you live in. A new way of seeing, which leads to new ways of being.
It all starts with taking time out to become aware.
More info here:
https://www.mothersunion.org/projects/16-days-activism-against-gender-based-violence
Alison will be leading our CLC meeting on Monday the 15th of November at 7.30
She will use the text from 1 Samuel 1: 4-20 as a focus and we will have paper and pens etc. to respond as we listen to some music.
She also suggests that the canticle for Sunday from 1 Samuel 2: 1-10 might be inspirational.
Just a reminder that this is not homework!
Come as you are and enjoy this time with others. Your response could also be simply to take the opportunity to share your prayer experiences (moments of #SensingSpirituality) from throughout the week with like minded people.
The general format for the evening will be roughly
Prayer
Reading – 1 Samuel 1: 4-20
Response – an invitation to draw your word or letter
Small sharing group time
Not a new technique for ironing hems in place!
This will be a creative worship event in St Johns exploring Candlemas and symbols. Not sure what Candlemas is or what will this event will look like?
No bother. More information will follow as we work it out. It is likely to involve things like candlemaking, and exploration of ritual to bring light into your life. There will be opportunities to use your head to think and discuss complex issues, as well as to explore with your heart and your hands to work things out as you go. #SensingSpirituality will flow through the evening as we use visual arts, music and draw on the tradition we have received to make things new.
This event will happen on Sunday evening in the St Johns building, the Fifth Sunday in January, which is the 30th. Hopefully it will help you get through the last few months of winter…
To give you an idea of what this means, here is the way we adapted the “sending out” to encourage people to go in peace at a similar event in 2010
And here is an overview of some of the content and planning.
This Christmas Quartz is creating a large scale installation in the roof of St. Johns Church Building.
In the run up to Christmas, we are going to fill the ceiling with a rainbow of Angels. Each one can be a response to Covid, a way to mark a memory, and a prayer carried in a message to God. Each Sunday in Advent we will add more Angels, and they will stay up throughout the Christmas season.
Interesting things are also being planned for Candlemas.
We are going to make the Angels using origami. They will be all the colours of the rainbow. For those who would like to participate but are worried about their origami skills we will have people to help you. We will also have Origami angles made you can write on, and shiny silver and gold angels ready cut out so that everyone can make this project sparkle.
Just as in the past when we have installed “Stars of Hope” and Pentecost flames in the building, we invite the whole community to be involved. We will produce an info pack with folding instructions and guidance on how to make this process a mindful moment. The Church will be open during services so people can see the canopy take shape, of course, and also at other times which will be advertised on this site and elsewhere.
To whet your appetite, here is a gallery of images of other Angel artwork and canopies around the UK and beyond.
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 18: 10
One of the reasons to set up this website, and move away from the facebook page Quartz has had since 2013, is Doomscrolling. The technology underlying social media is cutting edge. The long term effects are barely understood by the people using it, and ultimately whilst they exist because they provide a public service they fund this by “mining” human behaviour and selling the information gathered.
Sites like facebook will personalise the images and attention grabbers they are using to maintain your attention as long as possible. They will use AI technology to calculate a profile of you based on your reactions. There are artists exploring the ways in which this can ” emphasises the subliminal consequences of such controlled information … “Uncontested bias and racism can be deliberately or carelessly embedded in or perpetuated through algorithmic systems, big data and artificial intelligence (AI).”
On a more immediate level for an informed opinion about the effects of “Doomscrolling” have a look at this short feature (From a company wanting to sell their services)
So, by having a less catchy home online for Quartz we hope to provide a place where people can read, relax and create community without needing to engage with facebook etc. Of course, we will still have a presence on several social media platforms, hopefully providing a nudge to people to stop doomscrolling, tune in to the meta reality of God and practice #SensingSpirituality.