And it's bye from me

As I write my last blog after 7 1/2 years in the role, it all seems very poignant. How do I  sum up the amazing, fulfilling, growing and blessed time that has been this job? How can I possibly express my thanks to God and those I have worked with for making this such an extraordinary time of my life?

As I reflect on what has happened in the role there are many things that spring to mind and those that have journeyed with me through this blog will know that much has happened. It has been a time when God's gifts of creativity and passion have been able to make differences in people's lives and give practical demonstration to the love and generousity of our God. (Phill is putting together a photo collage on our facebook page).

But nothing is ever one-sided and much more has been received by me than has been given. I have been able to be involved in state-wide projects such as suicide prevention, Murray Darling Basin, mental health and Waste Not Want Not.

Alongside this has been the privilege of being able to travel to amazing places in the state and build relationships with those that live there. It has been an honour to stand beside my friends in these places and help them make some of their dreams for their "place" come true. Or to stand beside them in the tough times and uphold them with practical help and prayer. And of course many of you have contributed generously by getting involved in projects or giving money and praying. It would have been a much poorer time without all your support.

This will be my last regular blog but I am not disappearing entirely. I am just about to start as a volunteer with a group in Sydney that shares my passion about breaking down the barriers between city and county. At this stage we are still calling it "The Great Unnamed Project" (guess what one of the first tasks of the Steering Group will be!) and we are still working out the nuts and bolts of how it will work but when we have some more concrete plans in place I'm sure Phill will give me some space to let you know.

In the meantime Phill is continuing as Rural Chaplain and Jo at Cobar and David at Broken Hill are doing patrol ministry. I'm sure this blog will continue to bring the work of the Uniting Church in the bush to you all.

So it's bye from me. May God shower you with His blessings.

The new year

Christmas Eve 2015 heading out The Heads, Sydney Harbour

After a rocky start I was with Lyn and my son and his family heading out the great harbour of Sydney for NZ and Noumea.  13 days of no driving and no work - just resting, eating and seeing sites like this one (photo on left).  The first time I saw this skyline was in April 1968 as a young lad facing an unknown future. Now, nearly 50 years later, I was seeing it again as I started a holiday on a ship!  The cruise liner was so much bigger than the one I arrived on - 14 floors by lift, let alone what was below us!  I believe rest is very important in our work otherwise you end up unhelpful. 

It was Christmas Eve when we departed.  "How will Santa find us?" was the big question the little ones with us were asking.  But the boat was set up to party! 

Sunset off the Bay of Islands, NZ.



The Christmas Tree was 6 floors high!  

The night sky over the Nyngan district, with promise of rain teasing the 45 night  

I'm now back on land and back to work.  13 days have gone by, with no phone calls and no emails.  I feel refreshed.  Then my phone starts to ring so back in the car and back on the road again. This week we worked with young people and children in the Nyngan and Cobar areas. Catherine and Natasha were going to give a drumming lesson/session.  We ended up in the Uniting Church hall at Nyngan as it was cooler.  Not!  It was 45oC when I got to town at 4:30 pm!! I left the motel at 6 for dinner, and the temp had climbed to 47oC.  According to the weather man, a cool change was promised for the next day but that never came.  High 40s again.

The picture below is of the hall set up for the first drumming session.  75 young people were keen to attend with only 14 drums!  This meant the group would need splitting up, with some doing craft while others learnt drumming.  Then swapping.  We had 53 arrive for the session that day.  The kids had sore hands after drumming for two days(!) but great contact was made with some awesome children and some real princesses.  A good time had by all.

The time with family was great; the trip away was wonderful.  Seeing New Zealand and how green it is.  It was interesting to learn the story of the places we visited - like all have so much more than what they show you. As I travel this great area of Australia, being allowed to share in the back story of places, in the stories that children share, the truth is always close.  Unfortunately most see only the resistant. I was taken by a young man of around 10-11 looking after his sister who is 3. It was so wonderful watching him give his place to her over and over again.  Such love. Such was my first week helping out making connections.

The bitter/sweet of moving

Darcy and I on the Lachlan River

As some of you have now gathered just before Christmas I moved back to Bathurst to my home here. I was finding it very hard to be so far from my family, especially my two gorgeous grandchildren.

Even though I was excited about coming to Bathurst the leaving was very hard. After 7 ½ years in Hillston I have many things to be thankful for. In a place with only 1000 people it is not all that difficult to know a significant number of the residents. Walking into any of the shops or banks you are greeted by name and sometimes it can take a long while to grab a few groceries as you stop and chat lots.

As well as knowing lots of people superficially I also made many good friends whom I miss a lot. Luckily phone communications are quite cheap these days, and I love having a skype “cuppa” with other friends.

Unfortunately I had to leave my dog Darcy in Hillston as I was unsure of my work circumstances here in Bathurst. However, he is with Jenny and Joe and they love him to bits so I know he will be well cherished and looked after.

And the other great loss is the Lachlan River and kayaking with good friends. Still looking for a good place to go here.

On the other hand I love being near my family here. It’s been a long time since the boys and my daughter-in-law could just drop in for a chat. Sarah and her family are only 3 hours away and I’m seeing more of them also.

The Uniting Church here has been very welcoming with invitations to meals and including me in things. As you can imagine it is a much bigger congregation with a number of multicultural members which is lovely. I’m slowly learning a few names. There are some other things in Bathurst not available in Hillston and tonight I am going to join a choir, which I am very much looking forward to.

As my work is changing with a big emphasis on linking city and country Bathurst is a good mid-way point, but I’ll write more on this in another blog.

So it has been a bitter/sweet move but I think we are so blessed that wherever we go there are others of God’s family with open welcoming arms.

Gather them in from the Highways and Byways

Barney Rumble and his son-in-law, Patrick Seage, who does all the cooking

In small rural communities people who have no one to share Christmas with are often gathered up by others and invited to have a meal. But what happens in the larger towns like Bathurst? This year I went to help at the Community Christmas Lunch. This remarkable lunch celebrated it's 25th anniversary this Christmas. Barney and his family have been organising it since the beginning.

Volunteers come from all sorts of places to help. Prior to the lunch there was a flurry of activity wrapping presents and laying tables for 200 people. Bon Bons, lollies and small treasures made the tables look lovely.

Guests started arriving from 11am for lunch at 12.30pm. As there were lots of helpers this gave me time to sit and talk to people. I was struck by the range of people who attended. I had assumed that it would be all single people who didn't have anywhere else to be, but this was not the case at all. There certainly were people who are probably struggling financially, but there were also families and couples.

One family I spoke to I got the impression that they didn't really know how to do Christmas for themselves because as children their parents had always taken them to a community lunch.

Kids getting their presents from Santa

Another couple lived nearby and had been coming ever since the lunch moved to the Hope Church across the road. They went to their kids for breakfast and then came to the community lunch.

I must say I had a great day and met lots of people, some who are members of the local Uniting Church, and it was a lovely way to start building relationships here in Bathurst.

If you would like to read more about the lunch you can see the local newspaper article by clicking here.

Barney briefing the volunteers at the beginning of the day

I hope you all had good Christmases and New Years as we celebrated the extraordinary gift of God's Son.

Julie

Happy Christmas to all our followers

I stopped for a break and strolled around a conservation area - in the middle was this shelter shed and seeing it made me think of the Nativity scenes you may have seen in shops and people's homes at this time of the year.  I was on my last road trip for the year, heading for a small school's presentation night in Nyngan.  It was a great night. They talked of the work from the camp that was run in Nyngan with the Uniting Church's help, linking the private schools and growing and helping the community. I returned to my motel after the break and worked out that, for tomorrow's run to Walgett (which was just up the road from Nyngan by 3 3/4 hrs!), I would need an early start, even allowing for stops along the way. I had a tag along friend with me for this trip - someone to talk to, to point out different trees etc.  This was great fun plus good yarns about the school and setting up work for next year.

Kel checking out a tree - just loves it but a bit hot in the low 40's!

The School Presentation held in local hall cool .

This year has been a busy one, a year of connections affirming the need for our ministry. I am finding great acceptances from the community-based services eg "Hi Rev Phill. Can you come to such and such a day?"  I even got a Christmas card mailed to me that had been hand written.  I'm proud of the work of all of our Chaplains -  I hear "Pst David did this" or "Rev Jo and Lou called in".  Julie's work with the mental health handbook and the joint School Camp that the Uniting Church ran is held in high regard.  Our work is based on Matthew 25 "For as much as you do for them, you do for me".  I have been building connections with churches who are looking to do missions through giving, and with community to find those in need.  As I slow down for a holiday and to reunite with loved ones it will be good to see them in person, as  these school Celebration nights have replaced those event I miss for my own Grand children in Sydney.  Our ministry covers vast areas - at meetings we share the area we cover and people ask "how can you connect to those you only see for short periods of time?"  I feel God works on after we have left a place, and of course before we get somewhere too.  How do they know God loves them?  We come to their event, letting them know that we've come to see them, to participate and to help.

Hot pool with hoops at Burren Junction  

We do not put those we meet "through hoops" and thankfully admin is the same  - there is a process but it works well allowing quick responses to calls for help.  Also we don't use "hoops" for those we build community with - a word from the Holy Spirit leads us which, so many times, leads us to be in the right place at the right time.  Everywhere I go Jesus opens up conversations.

The sandstone caves between Narrabri and Coona in the Pilliga - lots of Gods art and help from those who first walked this area 1000's years ago

The caves again reminded me of that First Christmas - was it a shed or a cave?  But it also reminds me the colour of an Australian Christmas - the sandstone grays to pink grooves; cracks hanging together. That's what God call us to do, to be shaped by him; different colours hanging in and on but falling is a new start . Allow time for God to shape you, guide you, and allow yourself to be.  Sit and enjoy the Christ child and allow him to fill you with a sense of joy, hope, love and peace.

Thanks to all who support our work in prayer, and in other ways.  From Julie, Jo, Lou, David and me. And to you for reading!  A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

The way back

On the Saturday of my last trip, I attended the Riverina Presbytery meeting in Finley.  Part of the day was going through the great work of the committee, which included reading their reports, and discussion about other aspects of the running of this presbytery.  We then had a light lunch which was provided by the good folk of Finley. I had helped with some of the prep work the night before in the kitchen - I was given the washing up to do.  In the afternoon we had the Grand Launch of the "Faith In a Basin Future", a project about sustaining vital and resilient communities in the southern Murray-Darling Basin for future generations.  This has grown out of the Murray-Daring Basin Group that has been meeting over the last couple of years - running forums and tours - but also joining with a number of like-minded groups such as Uniting and Catholic Earthcare.  There is an Advisory Group that have been working hard to get this multi-linked project up, aimed at young people between the ages of 16-35.  They call themselves "Community Action Teams" (CATS).  I'll put a contact link at the end of the blog so you can read for yourself . The sad part of the day was when the battery died on my camera which meant I ended up getting some videos but only one photo.  I'll try to borrow photos for this blog, from someone who was there.

Using my phone to search, I found a place to drink from  - a well on the side of the road near the Black Stump

The old phone is not working all that well but I did get to take a few shots here.  However if I had known what was happening up the road I would have kept going!  I arrived in Hillston for a picnic on the lawn under a tree. It was Julie's last day at church as she was getting ready to move to the inner suburbs of Bathurst.  I went into town and picked up some coffee and food for myself, then joined the crew in the shade of the trees.

Hillston manse 



The road from Hillston to Cobar - a picture say's it all! On and on it goes.

I hit Cobar ready for a quiet night with Jo and Lou but there was a big night for Paris on in the town's main park and Jo led the prayers for that city.  I know I have a friendship with Jo but it was wonderful and moving.  I was introduced to the Mayor who is a lovely lady.

 

     

Above is phone shots of the candle light service at Cobar.  Well done Jo!  Outside services are always hard with people spread throughout the park grounds.  I caught up with David and Julie the next day, as well as Jo and Lou.  Good conversation, looking at a number of issues relevant to all our work.

Last Sunday evening the Uniting Church in Narrabri hosted a combined church service, which was well-attended.  I was asked to speak on my work as Rural Chaplain and I can thankfully say that no-one fell asleep during my message!  Shalom Phill Matthews

Faith in a Basin Future project: FBF project Manager nbarber@unitingcarenswact.org.au 

Ridge To Bridge

I left on Wednesday to meet a "voice on the end of the phone" at Lightning Ridge an honest-sounding voice that spoke of pain in the heart for the loss of a space for her but mostly, for her children. I called her after speaking to one of the workers I connect with, in that region.  We arranged to meet, so that I could give her some funds to help her as, after 2 years of drought, they needed somewhere not awesome but a nice space in which to live life. and a nibble for "no ears" (a Roo with no ears that visits become a friend)

The Ridge looks good - green growth by the road and groundcover growing in among the trees.  Water lay around.  My question to someone was "How are you doing?"  The response I got was "I tell my son to pray for rain every day." A deep breath, then he asked "Why? The clouds come so close but no rain falls." I said "That must be hard."  I told him that we need to keep on asking "How long Lord?"  Don't forget them as they ask of You in Your name for how long is too long?

I went to Dubbo, helping out some small schools and setting up a way forward for some end of year activities.  I had a meeting and quick chat with various people about life currently on the farm.  Rain damaged the current crop, and some had to leave it in the ground full of weeds while others got some off, though they're not sure what it's worth.

Down the road I phoned a friend - it's always good to keep alert and take your mind off the fact that you only had one coffee (should have stopped at the Golden Arches!).   I rang a friend they where an hour up the road and waited on ya B.H and Margret. No coffee nice bacon roll B.H had one too must be ok . yarning time to go sleep, so I spent the night in Narrandera and after coffee the next morning, drove down south  to Ned Kelly country.  I had morning tea by the lake which was very nice.  On I went to Finley but no-one was home so took at trip to Mulwala to see the bridge.  Last time I was here I was driving a MDB in 2014.  I crossed the bridge and the weir, then back over the bridge again but heading out saw a yellow sign so, not wanting to waste the chance, I stopped in "that other State" then came back into NSW(!)  I was then stopped  by traffic, the likes I have never seen in NSW!  A passport check to leave the State? No, it turned out to be a major police RBT and drug testing operation due to some Event that was being held there.  20 mins sitting in the queue (hoping my last coffee was safe!) when a friendly police person of the male kind asked me to blow one long breath (long winded sermons crossed my mind but this was not the time for jokes so I stopped myself from making a comment!). "Well, I think you're going to answer no if I ask about drugs on board" the policeman grinned.  I said "I only have a couple of prescription ones" so he said "Have a good one" and waved me on.  So I drove back into NSW and up the road, to be at Finley for the meeting tomorrow .

Lake Mulwala

Bridge in NSW alongside Victorian border 

Finley Lake 

Finley Museum

Well I'm still on the road with places to go.  I've been home to see family in Campbelltown, Dubbo, Bourke and Coonamble and still have Cobar and somewhere else to go to yet.  Life is moving forward even though there's not always good news around the world.  If we pray for things to change, for rain to fall, peace to come; if we love even when it is hard and seek a way to live our faith (not shape our faith to fit our way) then someone will see and try it too.  And so on 'till Thy Kingdom come. Shalom.