Happy are those … who delight in God’s law … They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither. (Psalm 1:1, 3)
The air becomes moist under the bridge, the sound of the traffic on the road above more muted as you near the creek’s edge. Spring fed, this creek never runs dry, it never stops. In spring each year, it bursts its banks, spilling over into the low lying paddocks and regenerating bush on either side. Yet in the height of summer, at this the ‘centre’ of Cudgee, it is a constant stream.
It winds and twists its way through the landscape, seemingly without thought, yet certain, clear and sustaining. Only in Cudgee is it called the ‘Cudgee Creek’ (meaning ‘beautiful place’ in the local language).
Down in the moist air, beside the constant stream, the trees grow tall, shading the earth and creating a tunnel like atmosphere. At this place I’m reminded of Psalm 1, that we are called to locate ourselves like trees beside everlasting streams. Constant and restoring sources of life. This creek, these waterways, have sustained life here for millennia.
The dog loves it here, too. She bounds in after the thrown stick, always seeking to retrieve, thankful and enlivened by the coolness of the water and the shade of the trees.
The creek goes under the bridge that takes people in and out of Cudgee. The kids pass over it to and from school, often stopping to play. It is not a spectacular place. It’s not on the World Heritage List. But it is constant, lifegiving and sustaining and it calls us back again and again. Ω
What is this? Lent is the 40 days, excluding Sundays, before Easter. Traditionally it is a time of reflection and pilgrimage. To help you on this journey, Sanctuary has put together daily stories and images from people in the congregation which are focused on God in this place. Why this theme? Read this! #Lent2023. Our Spiritual Geography © Sanctuary, 2023. Sanctuary is based on Peek Whurrong country. Full acknowledgement of country here.
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