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#SensingSpirituality Thought of the Day Youth

Light

“Light” is used frequently in the Gospels, especially in the good news as told by John. I chose this theme for my final assembly with the Dumfries High School year group I have been chaplain to since they started secondary school during lockdown. As they gather I usually run a video which introduces the theme […]

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Arts Creative Worship

Building Church Creativity

Sharing experiences of God in creation and creating A way to encourage creativity in people is to create an environment where it is normal to express yourself creatively. This might seem like a simple statement, but how many people stop making art after bad experiences in childhood, or as adults don’t feel that their creativity […]

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Forest Church

QFC May 19.05.24

After a busy weekend it was a pleasure to slow down and relax in the beautiful environment of the Crichton. This was complemented by refreshments and conversation. We have been exploring the Crichton estate for several years now but every time we return the green, the growth and the subtle changes inspire. Perhaps that is […]

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Creative Worship

Glorious things

I met Diana Greenfield over 10 years ago, at a conference where I first learned about the “Forest Church” name. It was a delight to hear this interview with her, and so here is the opportunity for you to listen as well. https://www.gloriousthingspodcast.com/podcast/episode/25a9760d/30-fairy-goth-vicar She is building the Church creatively and holding spaces open for discussions.

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climate change Thought of the Day

Sea Change

Things can change for the better, and Jesus reveals that change. This post is about prophesy, the gift given for building up the Church. Prophets reveal things, and in the stories when people respond things get better – or at least the calamity that approaches is averted. When the religious authorities (whose role it was […]

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Community Mission Thought of the Day

Neighbours

Would it upset you to know that there are people living peacefully in Dumfries, having come here to find sanctuary, who are in fear of being detained by representitives of the UK government and deported to Africa? Does this sound like the sort of country you want to live in, or a good way to […]

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Forest Church Thought of the Day

Greenthinking

Rethinking how we think… Jesus talks about being “born again” – but what does that mean, Particularly for those who have grown up in a culturally Christian culture. Have some sympathy for the teachers of the law when he walked the earth, because they most often really couldn’t see what Jesus was on about. There […]

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#SensingMeaningfulness Easter2024 Forest Church

Easter Sunday 2024

Fish on coals by the water Inspired by the story of Jesus meeting his disciples on the beach we meet up by the river and eat together on Easter Sunday. We practice #SensingMeaningfulness and reflect on the experiences of Lent leading to Easter Sunday. We started by simply walking out along the river bank after […]

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#SensingSpirituality Creative Worship CW resources Thought of the Day

Ikigai

Where do you find value and joy in life? Christians sometimes talk of being “born again” or “Metanoia” moments. The examples used of this are often ones where a persons life is caught up in extreme behaviour. It was, however, when someone so concerned about preserving his good reputation that he chose to visit Jesus […]

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#SensingSpirituality creation Forest Church

Conversations

At the CLC meeting last night we watched “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” as a group. We had a short chat about the experience afterwards, but there was a lot to take in. Themes of #SensingChallenge and wealth vs poverty were particularly relevant to the season of Lent we are in. The emphasis on meeting God […]