Queensland: The First Seven Days
Day Two: We spend half a day with the leaders of The Abbey Community. They have their cloistered residence, a school, public church with a window of St. Hilda, educational museum and a farm. We talked about 'The Great Emergence' and explored how Villages of God may emerge. Judy was asked to be a supportive friend.
Day Three: To Buderim. Historical Sites expert Meredith Walker took us along the old Aboriginal routes to a site below Beerwah, their sacred mother mountain. I give an evening talk at St. Mark's Church on 'St. Hilda - spirituality in a hard place'. Some want to take this further; we close with St. Hilda Evening Prayer.
Day Four: Anzac Day Parade at Buderim. I guess ten thousand turned up; veterans, schools, organisations, military horses, vintage cars and bands - even, a recent development, aboriginal contingents and a Turkish group. The Turks destroyed Australians at Gallipoli, but in 1934 the Turks' new leader Ataturk said to the grieving Australian mothers: 'Wipe away your tears ... your sons are now our sons as well.' It ended with an open air service at which some fifty organisations laid wreaths. Some of us met for lunch with Aboriginal and other visitors at The Green House (see tomorrow), and other visitors came to tea.
Day Five: Preach three times on 'St. Hilda: Merciful Mother and Reconciler'. The vicar's grandfather was a Bishop of Whitby where Hilda had her monastic village. Afternoon Healing the Land service at The Green House. The Jones' extended family, Pentecostal prophets who run a café church in one of Heather Johnston's properties were among the guests. Heather, in her CA&H habit, took me on a tour of properties where marginalised people live and work, and of places where healing the land is practiced.
Day Six: Travel to Gympie, the Gold Town built on ridges, with Rev. Andrew Cooper who trained as a monk and believes in monastic village churches. A half day with local churches on Celtic Spirituality and prayer. A sell-out of the new book.
Day Seven: Talk to Gympie Mothers Union and lead a Celtic service. Share in a meditation group followed by conversation over a potluck supper. I have nicknamed this Gold Town church The Generous Churcn. I was even driven to a doctor to get eye drops. Both the charge for the doctor consultation and the charge for the eye drops was paid for by the church which also gave a donation, transported me and gave me a holiday. Gympie Anglicans are Golden!
What about the Sabbath? Now there are two days off at Rainbow Beach. Whoopee!.
