The Outback Historian's Gallery '24

 It was no accident that Joseph and Mary journeyed to their ancestral home in Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. For a thousand years that obscure country village had nurtured the most powerful family story in history – one that was far from perfect. Nevertheless, God’s design from the beginning was to bring blessing through families and at the end of history to bring all His children home. As my own family gathers for Christmas, I’m deeply grateful for what’s been handed down to us.
 
As the Outback Historian, I’m wrapping up the year with snatches of stories I’ve tried to make visible and some glimpses behind-the-scenes with friends who’ve loaned their gifts. I’m convinced that the face of Jesus will emerge as we work hard to bring to light remarkable stories of innovative Australian men and women of faith.

My Story Shed in Dubbo hosted the crew of storytellers from Outback Patrol who fly long miles to make the stories of Jesus live for kids scattered through the back country. A bright bunch of college-level students from Cornerstone’s Bendigo Immersive program made a story-workshop stopover. Michael Wortley joined me to start planning the pilgrimage route from Sydney to the heart of Australia near Alice Springs. A team is preparing to film for section one in February.
 
Nathanael Edwards filmed dramatist Bethany Simons telling stories for children living with trauma and those facing dementia for Global Recordings Network. (Link) Over the past few months eight young tradies have come there, eagerly absorbing the genius of God’s Big Picture that they somehow missed in their younger years. Seventy Pacific Hills teachers joined me on-line to explore how teaching methods of our Australian Aboriginals compare with the extraordinary Hebrew storytellers who kept the biblical narrative alive.
 
The open road took me to Maclean on the North Coast of NSW to help with staff and students develop a dialogue between the story of the Yaegl people and that of the Scottish Presbyterian refugees who came looking for a home. I revisited with site designer Rick Bardsley-Smith to work with Principal Brett Sharrock devising biblical storytelling pilgrimage on campus that will engage the children in actively learning God’s Big Picture.
 
In Morpeth, I tracked the way William Arnott harnessed his biscuit business to the task of making the kindness of Jesus tangible in Newcastle. I found Gunnedah on the Breeza Plains was home to the fascinating stories of poetess Dorothea Mackellar (I Love a Sunburnt Country) and the indigenous warrior of Australian author Ion Idriess’ book ‘The Red Chief’.
 
In Ironbark and Yeoval I explored Banjo Patterson’s spiritual journey and Henry Lawson’s in Bourke. It was good to reintroduce the unknown Rev Frank Boreham - Australia’s most published, 20th century storyteller.  A series of short treks to Nathanael Edwards’ sound studio in Narromine got Tell Me Another recorded as an Audible book, due in the new year.
 
At Dural in Sydney, I spent a day teaching Storytelling to the students and staff of Pacific On-line School. In Dubbo and Bourke, I got alongside indigenous elders Riverbank Frank Doolan and Phil Sullivan to articulate their Christian-framed versions of local history.
 
Cornerstone Community   In Bendigo, I was present to close the chapter of the earthly life of Laurie Macintosh who taught me fifty years ago to be hungry for truth and ignited the story of the resurrected Jesus in my soul. The leadership has agreed to seed-fund the first stage of a Pilgrimage I’m developing and the on-line Story-telling Training site. I see these as an ongoing tribute to my mate and mentor Laurie. Award winning musician Colin Buchanan summed up the impact Laurie had on he and his wife Robyn (and us all) when they were at Pera Bore in 1988. "He taught us to ‘Let your natural life be spiritual and your spiritual life be natural.'"

I hope that the story of Jesus' birth will have fresh meaning for you  at the close of this year,
Paul