These posts are a collection of news, information, and personal reflections. If you could like to contribute, please get in touch
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Christmas Tree Festival
2024 St Johns Christmas tree festival
Have you dropped in to see the Quartz tree yet?
Opening Times
Wednesday 6 December, 7pm – 9pm
Thursday 7, Friday 8 and Saturday 9 December, 10am to 9pm
Sunday 10 December, 1.30pm to 4.00pm
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Angels on Queensbury Square
Quartz Artists have been making an Angel collage, bot online and in person, on Queensbury Square.
The hope is that this will encourage people to send a message to God at this time of year
You can read more about it here:
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Carol Singing
Dumfries Christian Network are organising some carol singing, just turn up and join in!
Saturday the 2nd of December
10 to 12
In the Loreburn Centre
Find out more about the DCN here.
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Letting go
Sent in by Alison, because it made her think of themes from the November Forest Church.
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Everything is Permissible
‘All things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things build up.
1 Corinthians 10: 23 (read more here)
There is a shift in thinking from living bound by law to one where faith provides your rule.
Those who have been brought up Christian often feel frustration as Christmas approaches and the streets fill up with tinsel, and advertisers ramp up the pressure to consume – all with the branding of Christendom.
How should a follower of the way respond?
Everything is permissible. Laugh in the market place with those who love joy, weep with those who mourn. We are free from the need to moralise or preserve the worthless religious practices* of even our recent ancestors. But we must prayerfully consider what choices are most beneficial.
Our faith is not in a set of beliefs and practices. Faith in Jesus is belief that through genuine loving we will build up ourselves and those around us. Transform obstacles into opportunities, and show things in a new light which brings peace, change, growth.
Living a rule to give this constancy is much more demanding than conserving a moral code. The freedom requires each of us to judge ourselves rather than just conform to expectations.
In a place where bibles are banned you can be a hero lawbreaker smuggling holy contraband. Where sectarian or nationalist violence mars the daily life of ordinary people you can transgress religious boundaries to display love like the good Samaritan. In a high street that no longer feels like it is your own, is it time to turn over tables and protest the against the cultural appropriation of Christian symbolism by secular society?
Who would that benefit, who would it build up?
What are people celebrating at Christmas, and why are they choosing to do that online, in their homes, and on the high street but less and less in church buildings?
Is our own house in order, are we truly welcoming of people of all ages, sexuality, and cultures who choose to celebrate significant moment as Church?
What are the rules you set for yourself to make the journey toward Christmas, and the festival itself, spiritually significant? please use the comments!
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Carol Singing
An opportunity to join in with people throughout Dumfries
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Online Reflections
News of this online opportunity came in through our network of contacts.
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Letting Go
A progression of photos sent in by Win as autumn moved into winter.
From posts that make perches for pigeons, to the gold of autumn.
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November Forest Church
A few photos from our time reading creation and reflecting on words from the bible.
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QFC November
Sunday 19th of November
This forest church meetup will be at the Crichton as usual outside the chapel main door at 2pm.
Greeting
We meet in Jesus name, and share his peace. Whether you consider yourself a close friend, or are just curious, all are welcome.
Pause
Take a moment to look around. Be mindful of where you are and when you are. What do you sense in this moment as it connects to all moments, past, present, and future?
Reading from the collection of books.
The SEC lectionary reading is Matthew 25: 14 to 30. The story is called the parable of the talents, or the bags of Gold.
Reading from Creation.
The reading from creation will be autumnal, wintery even. Please dress for the weather and we will walk or sit as suits the day and those who gather.
What does what you sense physically help you know about what you can sense spiritually? What does the nature of creation tell you about the artist creator?
We are in Winter, what has been gathered in that we can treasure, use – what do we need to let go of?
What do you observe that reveals the relationships between humans and landscape, what warnings or encouragement does this inspire for you personally?
Time for Reflection
We will gather to discuss what we have sensed.
Prayers
Jesus you are the light of the world,
A light that no darkness can quench.
Upon your church
Wrestling with the darkness of evil,
battling against doubt,
let your light shine.
Upon the worlds governments
facing gloom and despair
battling against disaster
let your light shine
Upon those who live in the shadows
caught up in sorrow and strife,
struggling against oblivion
let your light shine
David Adam “The Open Gate” Triangle 1994
Blessing
We beg you, Lord, to help and defend us.
Deliver the oppressed.
Pity the insignificant,
Raise the Fallen,
show yourself to the needy,
Heal the sick,
Bring back those of your people who have gone astray,
Feed the hungry,
Lift up the weak,
Take off the prisoners’ chains.
May every nation come to know that you are God alone,
That Jesus is your son, that we are your people, the sheep of your pasture.
St Clement of Rome
Go in Peace, to Love and co-create with God