Category: Forest Church

Sunday the 21st of November

Post author By admin
Post date 18/11/2021
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Walking into prayer

The Third Quartz Forest Church Meeting

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:

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!

Sign up?

creation Forest Church

Forest church No.2

Here are some photos from today’s Forest Church meeting.

Our words to send to COP26

More photos and a write up to follow.

Forest Church Fresh Expressions

Sunday the 31st

Post author By admin
Post date 30/10/2021
1 Comment on Sunday the 31st

Forest Church No.2 (Halloween/Samhain)

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

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.)
Some Taize chanting Ubi Caritas followed by Bless the Lord my soul	Ubi Caritas on YouTube (please follow the links to find the tunes we will use)
Reading the Gospel	John 12: 20 – 26 “... I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life …“
Reading Creation	It is Winter! The chapter from creation we will read today is about letting go of things. What do you need to let go of and burn? What do you need to let go of and plant in hope? We will take some time to look for signs of change in ourselves and our environment. What can we sense physically and spiritually? We will have some games and activites as suggestions for “reading guides”
Response	If the weather permits, we will sit round a fire to share our response to what we have read. If this is likely to lead to hypothermia we will do this in the Central cafe on the campus. We hope to make a collaborative art response to link to the COP26 conference in Glasgow. This is a space for people to contribute their own prayers, songs, reflections and stories though, 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.
Snack	As there is still a plague in Dumfries. Please bring your own food and drink, and we can share the time together while we eat and respond
Closing Prayers	As Jesus taught us … (The Lords Prayer in the version you find familiar)
A wee song, *Go in Peace*	Go In Peace – Sam Baker Go in peace, Go in kindness. Go in love, Go in faith. Leave the day, The day behind us. Day is done Go in grace Let us go, Into the dark Not afraid, Not alone. Let us hope, By some good pleasure. Safely to Arrive at home. Let us hope, By some good pleasure. Safely to Arrive at home Learn it here

	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 plan around others though allow about an hour.

Please send a message to introduce yourself, – and let us know what interests you in particular!

Sign up?

Add your name to the list and we will e-mail you when we are planning Forest Church things!Select list(s): Newsletter mailing list Forest Church

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Creative Worship Forest Church Fresh Expressions

Ready for Winter?

Forest Church meeting, 2pm Chrichton Church Dumfries, Sunday the 31st

The significance of this time has been recognised by humans from a time before writing. As Autumn moves towards winter the plants in the northern hemisphere start to die back. Harvests have been gathered in, and the Cailleach prepares to wash her plaid in the Corryvreckan ready to spread it over Scotland until Brìghde returns with the Sun.

The last few years have been difficult and strange for many people. Winter gives us time to gather in communities. To sit round fires with friends and strangers and search out god waiting to be discovered in their faces and stories (it has been written that some who practice hospitality have unknowingly entertained angels).

How do we react to adversity, the experience of suffering and even death?

Of the peril of the holy bishop Cólman moccu Sailni in the sea near Rathlin island: Likewise, another day, while St Columba was in his mother church, he suddenly smiled and called out: “Cólman mac Beognai has set sail to come here, and is now in great danger in the surging tides of the whirlpool of Corryvreckan. Sitting in the prow, he lifts up his hands to heaven and blesses the turbulent, terrible seas. Yet the Lord terrifies him in this way, not so that the ship in which he sits should be overwhelmed and wrecked by the waves, but rather to rouse him to pray more fervently that he may sail through the peril and reach us here.”
Adomnan – Life of Columba C8th AD (penguin translation)

There is a hope that keeps us going. We can grow larger, so that the hard edged grief which rattles around inside our being seems to become smaller and hurts less. Bitter things can be laid in the ground and left to die, while new things grow.

We will meet on Sunday the 31st of October to read the “Book of Creation”. To reflect on the hope the “God with us and who saves” brings and to help each other find safe passage through the winter and the changes which the season brings. More details will be published soon – please use the comments to communicate the sorts of things you would like to explore! or e-mail them to Quartz if you prefer.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from when we brought something of the outside into St Johns to have a picnic with our ancestors.

Images from the 2014 “Eve of the Living Dead” All Souls Interweave

Forest Church Fresh Expressions

Forest Church Planting

Sunday the 26th of September, 4 to 5pm (Forest Church No. 1)

Well, it isn’t the season for planting really, but we are finally getting round to testing out some Forest Church ideas.

Meet at the Crichton church, (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.

We are going to meet up and test out some ideas to explore what a “Forest Church” might look like.

A rough order of service will probably include:

Meeting in Christ’s name and sharing the peace	(Everyone who is willing to explore what this means is welcome, of course)
Some Taize chanting Ubi Caritas Bless the Lord my soul	Ubi Caritas on YouTube
Reading the Gospel	Mark 9:38 – 50
Reading Creation	Autumn is here, the season is one of change and letting the old rest gracefully to allow room for new growth. We will take some time to look for signs of change in ourselves and our environment. What can we sense physically and spiritually?
Response	Space for people to contribute their own prayers, songs, reflections and stories.
Closing Prayers	As Jesus taught us … (in the version you find familiar)
A wee song, *Go in Peace*	Go In Peace – Sam Baker Go in peace, Go in kindness. Go in love, Go in faith. Leave the day, The day behind us. Day is done Go in grace Let us go, Into the dark Not afraid, Not alone. Let us hope, By some good pleasure. Safely to Arrive at home. Let us hope, By some good pleasure. Safely to Arrive at home Learn it here
Snack	As there is still a plague in Dumfries. Please bring your own food and drink, and we can share the time together.

Forest Church Thought of the Day

Summer

Post author By admin
Post date 07/08/2021
1 Comment on Summer

We can’t control time, but we can change our awareness of it.

climate change Forest Church Fresh Expressions

Forest Church

Post author By admin
Post date 29/07/2021
4 Comments on Forest Church

Around 2018 as a group we read “Forest Church” a Field Guide to a Spiritual Connection with Nature . Some of the idea and principles within the book are part of regular Quartz activities – for example the #SensingSpirituality walks and have been for a long time. Some of you may remember the 2017 Summer Interweave – “Interweave Outdoors”

We have never really made a consistent effort to test out the idea of “Forest Church” though. One of the things this would involve would be to work through, experiment with (and think about) how to be an outdoor Church, rather than just to take our usual church activities outside.

What happens when the nights draw in and the weather turns bad? Do we need hymn books, and how would the recited formal liturgy of the Scottish Episcopal Church help or hinder in an environment where multiple pieces of paper will blow away in the wind? Can we read the creators message in creation in combination with scripture …

Here is a video of one example of forest church. There are many more, and each is adapted to the local environment and community who live within it.

Would you, or people you know, be interested in exploring this further? Follow the link to the Field Guide to find out more. When the season of summer holidays are over we will hopefully be able to gather together and make some plans

As a quick introduction, this description is taken from the Forest Church Facebook group:

FOREST CHURCH
“Forest Church” is the name taken by loosely gathered groups of like-minded people who are not formally connected to any denomination (although the core team of each group will normally have members of one of the recognised Christian denominations). They are people who wish to engage with the way in which God reveals God’s self in the natural world.
The meetings use poetic and open language to provide a safe and welcoming place for those of any faith or none who appreciate the spirituality of ‘The Green’.Each group has its own flavour and range of gatherings. Examples vary from meditative walks, workshops on naturalist subjects to more formalised rituals.
For some groups the latter tend to draw on the shape of Pagan rituals which have evolved to inhabit the outdoor space although the language often expresses the presence of Christ within the context of the Trinity, whilst also allowing for the fullness of gender expressed within God.
Story and the historical myths of the land are celebrated and valued alongside scripture, thus allowing each Forest Church to be centred in its own location.Many of those who attend do so because worshipping within the stone walls of a church provides them with little or no connection with God.
Forest Church recognises this and therefore meets outside to celebrate the possibilities of our understanding of panentheistic (God-in-all-things and All-things-in-God) engagement and relationship.We recognise that many of those who have left the church departed because of poor treatment by Christians or because of a severe lack of space for spiritual exploration, not because of the person of Jesus.
One aspect of Forest Church is therefore to provide a space for re-engagement with the person of Christ amongst other spiritual seekers, trusting God that a relationship mediated through the Holy Spirit, by whatever name the Spirit is known to the individual, may be holy and transformative.
Our part in Missio Dei (‘The Mission of God’) is relationship and respect: friendship with no ulterior motive, and an openness and willingness to journey together as valued friends who learn from each other and honour the different paths we may tread. We count ourselves as spiritual explorers in the Christian tradition making creative use of liturgy that expresses this belief.
From the Facebook group for anyone interested in Forest Church. A place to share news, ideas and exercises. For more information and to list your group visit: http://www.mysticchrist.co.uk/forest_church

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.