Category: Creative Worship

Art and Crafts 2022

A Quartz Outerweave at Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail

Alison helping people weave their thoughts. — Thought becomes a woven banner.

We will be #SensingSpirituality in Kirkcudbright during the last weekend of July 2022. The trail is open from 11am to 5pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. You can find more info here

We were last there in 2017, and are looking forward to returning. This year we will have three main activities to help people use art and crafts to become aware of, explore and express the invisible things which make humans more than just their physical elements.

The theme for the trail this year is “Cats” in memory of one of the trails founders. We have taken this and then approached it through a poem called “Pangur Ban” The poem compares a monks search for meanings in texts to the quest of his pet cat trying to catch mice.

We will invite people to practice #SensingSpirituality in general and #SensingMystery and #SensingMeaningfuless in particular. Here are a couple of examples of how we do this.

Haiku

Either writing freestyle, or by arranging from a selection of words people will be encouraged to reflect on their environment and make an observation. Traditionally this type of poetry is 17 syllables in a 5,7,5 pattern. The poems will be fleeting glimpses of meaningfulness, but they can be photographed and then tagged #SensingSpirituality to be found online as long as the internet lasts…

Weaving

Continuing our practice of collaborative artwork, individuals can record their reflections on ribbons of cloth or paper. These are then woven into a tapestry using a warp weighted loom. Fragments of thoughts will be visible in the final banner, but each is anonymous as part of the whole.

Interested?

Come along and see for yourself what we are up to! Quartz takes the challenge of leaving our spiritual comfort zone to find “The face of God in friend and stranger” seriously. We will be setting up in Kirkcudbright to learn as well as help. We contribute from our own traditions and the experience of walking the paths we have made, and we hope to receive from the discussions this inspires. If you would like to get involved in helping do this, then talk with us and we can work out how to help each other.

Studio and Cluaran

As well as the Quartz project being on display, we are inviting people to glimpse a travelling version of the Wordsmith Crafts Studio . We will have a workshop set up where we will be experimenting with Iron Age crafts. Making rings and broaches. Some of these will be replicas, some “in the style of” and some will be contemporary creations.

We run 10 and 20 minute craft workshops. In these people can drop in and make something, and then take it away with them. We provide the skills and learning for free, but anything made in the workshop has a value and a trade needs to be made in order to take things away!

We will also have a shop front where the artists involved with Wordsmith Crafts can exhibit and sell their work.

Oh, and there will be stories too…

An insight into what Wordsmith Crafts does as well as Quartz!

Tags #SensingMeaningfulness, #SensingSpirituality, Arts, Visual arts

Arts Creative Worship

Pentecost

Post author By admin
Post date 04/06/2022
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50 days after Jesus returned from the grave his followers were gathered together, still afraid that the religious and legal types would continue to place “the greater good” of the nation over the value of individual lives.

Then something wonderful happened.

The stories of the acts of the apostles contain many amazing moments. Some of them may stretch our ability to believe. Perhaps, though, one of the most difficult things for us to imagine around two thousand years later is how the ordinary everyday lives of people began to be affected in almost invisible ways.

Building on individual and group experiences where Jesus met with his friends a community began to develop. Like yeast rising in dough making bread easier to eat, or salt bringing out the flavour in food, the presence and awareness of the Holy Spirit is felt throughout the community.

What does this feel like? Can you imagine what it would be like to be part of a massive outpouring of love within a commonwealth of friends. Not driven for a greater good or cultists sacrificing to win the favour of, or bring back the presence of an alien being – but a community of friends who know the mind of their saviour. The god who is with us, and in the coffee and biscuits we share when we meet each other.

This section of text is where the words on the bunting come from.

Now we see like looking in a mirror, but one day it will be as obvious as the answer to a riddle.

Creative Worship Forest Church Interweave

Help needed!

Post author By admin
Post date 20/05/2022
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This Sunday, the 22nd of May, we will be ‘refurbishing’ some fig trees.

Not actual trees, they have their own built in regenerative processes. These are trees that were made for the All Age/informal service back when it used to meet in the hall. They were used to create a ‘grove’ meditative space on good friday as well.

Now they are being refurbished to help create a forest labyrinth for “Bearfest”. As part of the Quartz contribution, we will be bringing a taster of what we do outdoors into the St Johns building. Visitors will be guided to encounter the wild – where bears still live – and reflect on their relationship with it.

All materials and instructions will be provided. This is a meditative activity, thinking about all the good things trees give us.

For contemplative inspiration you could read “The king of the trees”

To understand the extract in context as a warning to those who choose less than adequate leaders without thinking through the consequences read the whole story in Judges!

Arts Creative Worship Thought of the Day

Happy Easter!

Have you decorated any eggs this year?

With supermarkets and global supply chains it is easy to forget that for thousands of years eggs were only available when the sun returned and daylight hours lengthened.

As well as looking like the stone which could be rolled away from the tomb for Jesus to walk out, these eggs are a symbol of potential ready to be revealed.

Do you expect that which comes out of an egg to look like an egg though? Continuity of identity is a mysterious thing. The egg shares something in it’s nature with the chicken that is before and after it, but it is healthy and normal for even one particular animal to change dramatically. All followers of Christ’s way share something – can we embrace diversity and remain in unity, continue in a sense of shared identity?

Enjoy the day – and eggs if you are eating them – whatever style you have them in. We will be meeting on the beech opposite Lincluden abbey if you would like to join us

Creative Worship Forest Church Fresh Expressions Lent 2022 Outerweave

Easter Sunday

Post author By admin
Post date 15/04/2022
1 Comment on Easter Sunday

As the culmination of our Lent journey we invite you to join us to cook fish by the water, and meet the risen Christ.

This is the start of a journey as well as the end of one. We have chosen this place to meet partly because of the connection some of the group have with Lincluden Abbey, and also out of sensitivity to the preservation of information buried in the soil. This means that we are meeting on the other side of the river where our fire will not disturb the scheduled monument.

To what extent did the disciples know what to expect when they left those times they met Jesus on a beach and ate fish with him? They would have many memories to fall back one – several of which involved eating bread and fish! But also the filling of their hunger for #SensingSpirituality . They had seen the dead raised back to life, blind people able to see, and also the quickening of downtrodden women and slaves in ways which humbled the authorities (and scared them) .

They had walked through towns and villages doing these things. Feeling the good news flow through their fingers.

When we meet we remember the history of what has happened. Reenact the events to re-member abstract thought in physical experience – both smokey taste and spiritual reality. We also have the opportunity to prepare for and dream up our path for the coming year.

All are welcome!

17th April – Easter Sunday BBQ – meet outside St Johns at 2pm to walk along the riverside to a beach opposite Lincluden Abbey – or 2.45 meet at the Nunholm car park. (Bring things to BBQ) We will have fire.

Tags #Creative Worship, #ForestChurch

Community Creative Worship Thought of the Day

Labyrinth craft

Here is a handy wee craft activity.

How to make a finger labyrinth

We have been making large scale versions using rope for a good few years now. We also have a pottery table top version Alison brought back from Spain.

https://wordsmithcrafts.co.uk/Labyrinth2015.html

Hopefully, this summer, we will be able to use this to provide people with the opportunity to “Let go, Love, Liberate” in their every day lives.

Arts Creative Worship Fresh Expressions

Hear me, Smith of the Heavens

Post author By Simon Lidwell
Post date 25/03/2022
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This beauty has been created by a band called Árstíðir

It’s title is “Heyr himna smiður” Which can be translated as “Hear me Smith of the Heavens”. More info on it can be found here.

I’m posting it here in order to use it as part of a discussion about pioneer ministry on Saturday. In some moments I am reminded that if humans were silent the stones would sing the good news of their creation – smithing.

Listening to this is one of those moments.

Angel Cloud Arts Creative Worship prayers

Folding a prayer

If anyone else is stuck with their mind frozen trying to make sense of the war – Here are some steps based on how being involved in this installation helped me.

Step 1

Is recognising all the souls caught up in this – however they got there.

Step 2

Is recognising the outrage you may feel that this is taking place. Or perhaps the courage shown in a story, or the horror in something you have seen.

Step 3

Is to fold, and while you fold be mindful of what is happening.

Some, like me, might choose to carry the emotions to God in prayer, to ask why? Or to ask the Holy Spirit to hover round their souls. Or use written prayers or speak as inspired. I know others will have their own ways, and for some even the thought of religion will be a distraction. These steps are an offering from my art, not instructions I’m trying to impose.

Hopefully the installation communicates and is accessible to most people with integrity, whatever their politics or beliefs.

Step 4

Having taken time out to reflect, hopefully you will be in a better place to choose how to act positively, or refrain from reacting negatively. The folded Angels are a visualisation of the process.

Repeat as required…Please copy the idea if you are inspired, send angels to add to our installation if that will help you. Talk to those you trust, and help each other by listening. Look out for other artistic responses…

UkraineAngelsFoldingx Download

View A cloud of Angels Installation

Creative Worship Ignation Spirituality Lent Lent 2022

Quartz Lent 7/3/22

The next Quartz lent meeting will be one of contemplative reflection. This basically means that people can talk, and be actively listened too, but it isn’t a time for critical bible study or deep rational analysis.

This balances up the other Lent meetings where we will by exploring set questions and discussion to work out answers.

Alison is bringing something to guide our reflections. She will start with the boutique image pictured in this post, and Psalm 42

Psalm 42 – NIV version at Bible Gateway

She has chosen this because of its contrasts between desolation and consolation, past and present.

We will meet in St Johns Church (The choir/green room) at 7.30 pm on Monday the 7th of March

Creative Worship Ignation Spirituality prayers

CLC Monday the 7th of Feb

Post author By admin
Post date 08/02/2022
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Yesterday evening the Quartz Christian Life Community met up. We discussed what was going on in our lives, and spent time listening to God.

To us do this Andy had chosen a reading, prepared some prayers, and provided a reflection/response activity.

The passage chosen was Isaiah ch.6 vs 1-8 . The prayers were inspired by the legacy of Celtic spirituality and our response was to freehand doodle a continuous line whilst reading the prayers and see what happened. This was done on acetate, so Andy could then attach them as panels onto the backlit cupboard door we had used as a visual focus. This meant that we could view what we had drawn as a collaborative ‘stained glass window’.

Kate was inspired to send a link to this Ian White song

https://open.spotify.com/track/20iEMaFw7bBQ77tNoQmaDx?si=b8Raf-hyRryLqXnXfBHIPQ&utm_source=copy-link

We closed with a time for open prayer, and left refreshed and with confidence to face the days ahead.

What other responses were there? We will wait and see.