Tag: Sprituality

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Arts Fresh Expressions Ignation Spirituality Outerweave

Wordsketching

Quartz has been using Haiku this weekend as part of the Wordsmith Crafts CiC setup at Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts trail.

The following is taken from notes written by Kate, who has been leading this activity.

A selection of Haiku



We have been giving people a space to stop. The whole of Kirkcudbright becomes a walking trail and on Friday we had a couple of chairs to rest in which were appreciated.

I have experienced people being surprised by what they have achieved, that they have come up with such a profound haiku. One lady took ages,  told me lots about her life and the struggles she faced. She was in tears when she finished her poem, and it was a lovely poem for her sons.

Another experience I have enjoyed was asking children if they know what haiku were and wathcing their parents being really impressed that their child knows all about them.


We have a bowl full of words on cardboard strips. Having words provided means that people encountered words they weren’t expecting. One lady was ambushed by the word forgiveness- we had a brief conversation about it but I suspect more thinking and heart-searching happened after she left.

In addition, giving people the opportunity to write their own words allowed one girl to ignore all the rules and simply state “My name is Bee”. One man wrote a lovely poem about someone special in his life. Young twins who hadn’t learned to read yet enjoyed picking up words they liked the look of, and then the adults watching re-ordered them, #SensingMeaningfulness.

Saturday was wet and windy to start so there were no haiku for the first few hours, but some lovely ones arrived with the sunshine later on. It was great to see parents and children working together  – parents were happy to help without taking over or changing things that they thought weren’t quite right.


During the morning haiku hiatus, the finger labyrinth we also have on the table, being made of glazed pottery and therefore much more waterproof, came into it’s own. Some had seen one before, but many learned to use one for the first time. I had a great half-conversation with a lady who was trying to get her son to do it as he had had a difficult day and she thought it would help him.

Not everyone felt able to stop for long, but we had many brief conversations about laying burdens down safely and picking them up in a different mindset. I felt able to say that I speak to Jesus in the middle.

The labyrinth of chairs we set up in St Johns, linking activity inside the building with activities like this in the wider community.

More to follow! Sunday and Monday still to go.

As well as the Quartz area Wordsmith Crafts has a workshop where people can become 5 or 10 minute apprentices and learn to make copper armbands. This is a hands on encounter with millennia old skills. Conversations about value, time, and our relationships with the people who have contributed to making the Scotland we know today.

There is also a shop area where artists associated with WSC can exhibit and sell their work. This helps support the artists, and fund the installation at the trail – any surplus will be directed to helping people access the full resources of their Heritage through other projects.

Just some Iron Age folk discussing heritage, in between customers.
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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 at which your substance moves increases. If you were standing, spinning and stretched out your arms they would fly at a dizzying speed. It would feel like every atom of your being had an urge to fly off into space.

(Please read the artists description as well as watching the film)

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2021 Review Arts Creative Worship

Reflection in the Nith

Just over year ago I spent a while reflecting by the river Nith.

By the end of the year the reflection had spread onto the land.

And then into the high street.

And, of course, this involved a fair bit of experimentation in and around my workshop.

And even some board games.

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Creative Worship Lent prayers

Knowing Jesus

Sunrise on distant hills

Lent – 2021 Quartz Lent group

How can we help each other journey to Easter in these strange times?

Collectively, and in our households.

You are invited to join our Lent study group from the 17th of February to Sunday the 4th of April. We will use the “Knowing Jesus” material available online from the Jesuits in Scotland. This starts on Ash Wednesday, but our first meeting is on the Sunday.

We will be meeting as Quartz too! Every Sunday between 3 and 4 PM. This will be online at first, but if Covid precautions allow we will meet outdoors as well.

During our retreat you are invited to pray and reflect over the man Jesus as you see him in the Scriptures and allow Him to reveal God to you.

Trust what you see will be what you need to grow deeper into knowing, loving and serving God and those around you.

… more on their website

Their page has daily prayer based on a Scripture, pictures and music. You can sign up to be sent a reminder and access their guidance with ways of praying. They also have groups you could choose to join in with.

BBC radio4 are linking their Sunday Worship and Daily Worship to programmes to this course as well, under the title of “Pathways to God”

When we meet on the Sundays, we will discuss what we have learned – whether you have had the opportunity to take time to reflect daily, or if you just manage to make it to a group meeting when you can. As worshiping in and with the natural environment is important for the way Quartz practices #SensingSpirituality if you want to contribute photos, comments, or other media to the discussion each week then we will work out ways to make that possible.