Endings and New Beginnings - Sue recounts her experiences at the Riverina Presbytery Retreat - Galong – June 2014.

The End of the Retreat with Communion, in all senses of the word, showed that we had all learned a   lot about New Beginnings. 

The view over the gardens at Galong, looking east.

Set in beautiful Galong, a place designed to refresh the soul, the retreat ran over 3 days for Lay Preachers in the Riverina. The weather was cold and wet and windy outside but we were warm and dry and well fed inside. Each day was a blend of study, discussion, singing, prayer, creativity, Tai Chi, nourishing food and free time.

Musicians, Darren Wright and Jeff Flynn.

Many arrived in need of a break on Monday; some because they were planning to go to new places of ministry, others having begun in new places and some continuing in the same old place but looking to be refreshed and keep going. Most left refreshed and renewed on Thursday.

                     

Ministry of any kind is not for the faint hearted. Many things can impact on us to make us less effective in our ministry. One of these -dealing with loss and grief of any kind -Brian Brown, focused on and walked us through, over the 3 days.

The gathering at morning tea and discussion time.

By recognising the areas in our lives that are causing us grief and feelings of loss, we can name them and work through them, towards new beginnings. To carry them along and let these issues pile up we can exhaust ourselves.

                    

Together we looked at how God the Father in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New, was constantly calling people to new beginnings.

By looking closely at how He did this we had a lot to learn about this process in our own lives, how God challenges us to a life lived to the full and how He supports us on the way, how He has provided a model in the Psalms, the Lament, which names our loss or pain. 

God is reflected in our beautiful surroundings.

Once named in front of God our disappointments and hurts are handed over to Him to deal with. We can then walk on more freely to begin again.

Given time to write our own laments , Larraine Hoffman produced this one,based on her experiences in ministry. It reflects the common experience of us in the grief about the changes in our churches but ends with the hope that God will provide an answer and new life as He has done many times in the past."

Riverina Rural Lament:

Listen to my words, O God and hear my sighs

I am worn out, O Lord, have pity on me,

Give me strength; I am completely exhausted

How long will you wait to help us?

You never know where the new life will come from!
 Hillston bible study group old and new members.

Our numbers continue to dwindle and our

congregation is getting older,

Our loved ones have moved away, and our     

young ones are indifferent

Where do we go from here Lord?

I am gripped by fear and trembling

What is in our future?

How can we find a clear path to follow?

Who is there to lead?

Give praise to the Lord

For He hears our cry for help

The Lord protects his people

The Lord will save his people and bless them.

                                                Larraine Hoffmann

Our communion meal.

                      

Larraine's Lament and our theme song from the retreat,Galilee Song, summarise our time together,as did the closeness of our fellowship as we broke bread together.

 Sue Chapman                  

       
  



Galilee Song

Galilee at dawn

We are reminded in our daily life of Jesus' presence with us.
The cross glows in the evening sky above a busy street
 in Port Macquarie.

Deep with in my heart I feel

Voices whispering to me,

Words that I can’t understand,

Meanings I can’t clearly hear,

Lest I leave myself behind,

Calling me to walk into

Evening shadows one more time!

Refrain: So I leave my boats behind,

Leave them on familiar shores,

Set my heart upon the deep,

Follow you again my Lord!

2. In my memories I know

How you send familiar rains,

Falling gently on my days

Dancing patterns on my pain,

And I need to learn once more,

In the fortress of my mind,

To believe in falling rain

As I travel deserts dry!  
                                  
3.As I gaze into the night,               
Down the future of my years,

I’m not sure I want to walk

Past horizons that I know.         

But I feel my spirit called

Like a stirring deep within

Restless,’til I live again

Beyond the fears that close me in.

(Frank Anderson msc & ChevalierMusic)