OON 0908:OON 0608.qxd.qxd - Wollombi Valley Online

Spiritual Diary
Community news for Wollombi and surrounding districts
Issue 302 - Our Own News - September 2008
In February 2007 the BBC program “Songs of Praise” went to the small village of Wreay in Cumbria. The Parish Church, St Mary’s,
(look at the website http://www.stmaryswreay.org/index.html) was facing a huge repair bill of £50,000. Aled Jones interviewed
writer and broadcaster Eric Robson. I thought that what he had to say was very interesting and encouraging for small rural village
communities in Australia. He starts off talking about the roof.
“The biggest problem is that the stone slabs on the roof were originally pegged with wooden pegs and those wooden pegs have
given way. Some of them have slipped letting water in. Some have fallen off altogether. So unfortunately its going to cost £50,000.
It’s nothing in terms of amounts that can be spent on great Cathedrals, but a huge amount for a small Cumbrian Village.
I first came across this place ….. I was brought up in Carlisle, 5 miles away and I suppose we came out here on weekends, on bike
rides and trips out with Mum and Dad.
Now I regard this rather as an Ecclesiastical Crossword. The symbolism, the conceits … it’s just wonderful really, a really hopeful
building because, although they’ve got all the nasty bits, the bats and dragons and nasties hiding in corners, overwhelmingly it’s a
church of redemption, resurrection and new light.”
And this I found was the really interesting comment……..
“There’s a danger of saying that the congregation is not very big these days. It will cost a lot to put the roof back on. Why bother?
And yet for all sorts of reasons, all sort of different layers of interest, this place is important. It’s at the heart of the community.
That’s the most important thing of all. Rural communities that rely on agriculture are under a lot of pressure and having
somewhere which actually embodies the Christian message and the soul of the place ….. It’ll make the community survive.”
In March this year all of the repairs were completed and the church is once again open to the public.
When we look at small rural villages and towns in Australia we are often overwhelmed by the futility of dreaming about their
future. However, so often throughout the world, churches, synagogues, temples and mosques focus the heart and spirituality of
small rural communities. It is important to retain them. It is important to do all we can to ensure that they are symbols of hope
for the future of humanity and the world.
Graham Jackson
Lynn Wall (DipRM, DipCM)
Wollombi Massage & Health Service
Remedial Massage, Chinese Massage
Deep Tissue Muscle & Acupressure Therapy
Hot Stone Massage, Workcover
Australian Bush Flower Therapy
Petrea King Graduate
for "Cancer Massage & More"
Phone 02 4998 3277 Mobile 0417 651372
Email: lynnywall@bigpond.com
Massage details - http://www.wollombimassage.com
Mimaranda Horticulture & Pool Services
greg kelso
landscaping horticulture lawn care
pool maintenance
www.mimaranda.com.au
4998 8015 info@mimaranda.com.au
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