Lancefield & Mt Macedon Ride Report | 23-24 March 2024
CMA Victoria has had a wonderful weekend of riding, camaraderie, socialising, and worship to mark the start of ‘Semana Santa’ – Holy Week – Aussie style. That is to say we ate, made merry, prayed ate some more, enjoyed the countryside, had a devotion, worshipped and had communion at the top of Mt Macedon. It was an awesome 2 days.
Ride to Lancefield
Riding up through granite country to Lancefield with the sun on our backs we passed huge granite boulders emerging out of paddocks and balanced precariously on top of each other. It was a unique and spectacular landscape.
Meeting riders at Lancefield, from different corners of Victoria, we did an afternoon ride to Heathcote, Mia Mia, and back to Lancefield via the Burke and Wills track.
We stayed at Lancefield Guesthouse, a beautiful old brick house with a wide hallway, drawing room, sun room, conservatory, dining room and private gardens at the back. It was large enough to accommodate 14 CMA’ers and also a large group of retired teachers who all studied at university together 50 years ago. It was so good to have everyone under the same roof.
The local pub was 100 metres up the road and we strolled up for dinner. Scoota had his ‘go-to’ chicken parma but we never got his score in comparison to other parmas he’s had.
There were a few moments of hunger control required as some people got their meals 5 minutes ahead of everyone else. But Cam (left) is a master of staying calm and just letting such things wash over him.
After dinner we returned to the Guest House and sat in the drawing room with tea and coffee just chatting and enjoying each other’s company.
Church Raid Sunday
On Sunday morning we had a prayer meeting followed by a Devotion discussing ‘Choices’.
A real highlight of the prayer meeting was to hear Ayub pray in his mother language of Urdu.
In the devotion we looked at:
- the choice made by Brother Lawrence to live humbly in the presence of God,
- the choice made by Moses to suffer the affliction of living with God’s people, rather than enjoying the treasures of Egypt – that choice was the greatest moment of his life,
- and the agonising choice of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to accept God’s will and be crucified for us.
Steve really enjoyed putting this together and he read a letter written to him 53 years ago from his Grandfather about the decisions and choices we make, like Moses, to follow and serve Christ.
After a leisurely and rowdy breakfast we rode away to Mt Macedon Uniting Church to join the congregation in worship. The sermon explored Jesus choice to ride into Jerusalem to face his persecutors and certain death.
The congregation was warm and welcoming, and genuinely pleased to have the CMA visit with them.
David Higgins gave a talk about our CMA Bikes for Pastors program and showed a video featuring our intermediary in Nepal the International Missions group. The Church pledged to make a donation.
Cam Clayton served by doing the readings from Philippians and Mathew.
Alex, Glen and Chris, newcomers to CMA joined us at Mt Macedon for fellowship and service.
After the service
The congregation invited us for morning tea. It was a sumptuous spread of sandwiches, cakes, slices and good company.
Thank you so very much Mt Macedon Uniting Church and Neil Tweddle for making us so welcome.
Walked to the Cross
After Church we rode to the top of Mt Macedon and walked to the Cross.
Beside the symbolic cross we were priveleged to be served communion from Joh and David Harvey.
It has been a hope of a number of CMA Vic riders to one day have communion together. Today was the day, and it was a wonderful experience.
Thanks Joh and David.
Great ride report indeed. The weekend was indeed every bit as good as Steve suggests.
I note that my score for the Parma I had hadn’t been given so I’ll update that here.
1 being poor and 10 being outstanding, I rate the Parma I had a 6.
Looking forward to the next one in Ballarat.