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Arts Creative Worship Fresh Expressions Mission Thought of the Day

Creative Worship

In the 1980’s and 90’s something called “Alternative Worship” emerged. What happened, where did the explosion of creative energy lead, how many of the communities are still recognisable and what are the people who were involved doing now? As a start, here are some links to introduce readers who may be unfamilar with the concept. […]

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2021 Review Fresh Expressions

Blacksmithing

Quartz is a partnership between Wordsmithcrafts and St John’s church. What is Wordsmithcrafts though, and why would it form a partnership with a church? The tagline of Wordsmithcrafts is that it helps people learn about their past, so that they can understand their present, and create better futures. Over the years it has become a […]

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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. https://vimeo.com/410546889 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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2021 Review Fresh Expressions

Sensing

(Click the box above to view a glideshow) It is difficult to describe what this service looked like. It would have been unfamiliar to many, but contains very familiar themes. The slide show above is of a presentation that was projected onto a screen. Masking tape was used to trace out a diagram of senses […]

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creation Creative Worship Thought of the Day

Micro Management

Do you make God in your image, or allow yourself to be made in the image of God? Mowing lawns may seem far off from the worship of idols. However, people put a lot of effort into maintaining standards. Even now many seek the return to normality and call the privileged consumption culture we live […]

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2021 Review Fresh Expressions Thought of the Day

Pioneering

What does pioneering look like? Perhaps some of you are thinking about the wild west. Cutting blazes on trees to mark a path through the Appalachian forests? Or Royal Naval officers blundering foolhardy into unmapped landscapes determined to preserve their Englishness through custom and dress, even if it meant frostbite and cannibalism. Books like Kepharts […]

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Creative Worship Thought of the Day

Life under lockdown

News of this came to me through the MORPHE arts network. One of their members has their work featured and developed as part of this commision. What has lockdown been like for you? What language could help you communicate this?

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Thought of the Day

Glen 21

Online and in person. For many years lots of people have been working passionately to make a space and opportunity for young people in the Scottish Episcopal Church to gather. While they are there they can worship together, experiment, study, learn and lead each other further into the ongoing experience of being Church. Follow the […]

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2021 Review Creative Worship Fresh Expressions

A Typical 3 Months

What does a typical 3 Months in Quartz look like? This is a bit like asking what typical weather is like in a Scottish day. There will be a recognisable constant of four seasons, and at certain times of the year it is more probable that one will dominate the others. It is quite likely […]

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Fresh Expressions Mission

Time to Reflect

There is a flow between thinking and doing. It is good to plan ahead, but sometimes you just need to get stuck in and get on with it. This was the approach we took with Quartz. The time has come now to sit back and reflect on what has happened, remember why we started out […]