Categories
AngelCanopy Creative Worship Forest Church Mission

Quantum of Solace

There is a story told of an estate owner. He managed his land by letting it out to tenants. Each one held a plot, and they had freedom to develop it as they saw fit. The story doesn’t say how much help each of them got in establishing themselves, but other stories let us assume […]

Categories
AngelCanopy Arts Creative Worship

Canopy of Angels Update

This video clip has been made for the Sunday before Christmas. The canopy is almost complete – and just waits for a star to appear for Christmas day. Angels have been contributed by individuals and groups throughout Dumfries, as well as the community of St John’s. They have been folded in homes, cafes, coffee shops […]

Categories
Creative Worship

Networking

This Angel flew in from Fife. You can take part in the #canopyofangels by sending folded paper to St Johns, in person when the building is open, or online…

Categories
AngelCanopy Arts Community Creative Worship

St John’s Canopies pt. 2

On several occasions we have used stars. This post combines work from several installations and settings. We adapted our approach for each setting to work appropriately with the setting. In a general sense we used the craft of making paper stars as a way to help participants reflect on “Wishes” and work out which of […]

Categories
AngelCanopy Arts Creative Worship Thought of the Day

St John’s Canopies

We are folding a Canopy of Angels this Christmas. We are doing this to invite people to mark moments from the past couple of years, and to mark this moment in time entering Christmas 2021. All are welcome to join in, and by working together our personal thoughts can be carried up as part of […]

Categories
Creative Worship Forest Church Thought of the Day

Ingredients

When I am physically illuminating a text with ink, I use pigments like ground up soil, or oak galls and Iron salts. When I am digitally illuminating I use a colour pallet from a photograph of a place. Alison makes paper where the leaves become one with the page, and has a catalogue of colours […]

Categories
AngelCanopy Arts Creative Worship

Advent Angels

This Christmas Quartz is creating a large scale installation in the roof of St. Johns Church Building. In the run up to Christmas, we are going to fill the ceiling with a rainbow of Angels. Each one can be a response to Covid, a way to mark a memory, and a prayer carried in a […]

Categories
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 […]

Categories
creation Creative Worship Thought of the Day

Dust to Dust or Light to Light?

What is your relationship with your environment? Or perhaps a better place to start is to reflect on how you perceive your relationship with all that is around and within you. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by the absence of the things we hope for. It can seem like a struggle to animate lifeless dust, […]

Categories
2021 Review Creative Worship Fresh Expressions

The Year Ahead

The summer in Scotland is nearing harvest and autumn. I can see apples ripening on the trees outside my window, and that always reminds me that I need to plan ahead if I want to be able to do more than clear them from my drive into compost! There has been a lot of reflection […]