JourneyOnline
Redcliffe UC minister Rev Peter Armstrong has been talking a lot lately about church being outside a building.
One of the Redcliffe congregation who has been taking God outside the churchyard is Geoff Maskelyne, who recently conducted a service for the Ulysses Motorcycle Club Memorial Day.
The Ulysses Club for older motorcyclists is dedicated to those over 50, although anyone over 40 years can join as a junior member. The inaugural Memorial Day was held at the ‘Spit’ at Somerset Dam to celebrate the lives of Ulysses members who had “ridden on”. Nineteen Ulysses Clubs the South East Queensland attended and the day was mirrored nationally. The plot, donated to the club by the Brisbane Water Board, will act as a permanent Ulysses Memorial Garden.
Mr Maskelyne has been riding motorbikes for 55 years and has been a member of Ulysses for around six years.
“I have always been fairly sensitive about cloistered Christianity,” said Mr Maskelyne. “I prefer to be out where the rubber hits the road.”
After working for 38 years at the organisation that became Drug Arm and ten years in Queensland Corrective Services as an agent of Drug Arm, Mr Maskelyne said his work made him see other perspectives of becoming involved in a congregation.
“Work made me appreciate that there are a lot of Christian communities that make some people feel out of place.
“It was an intentional thing in joining Ulysses as a Christian, to be a Christian where I was at. Not to be a loudmouth, just a presence.”
The Ulysses Club, Redcliffe branch, has quite a presence in their community. They have adopted Rothcoe Blue Care as a focal point. Each year they do a Christmas run to raise money for Blue Care and attend the annual fete to give free motorbike rides.
Mr Maskelyne has a matter-of-fact approach. The memorial day was much larger than any of the organisers had expected and he was glad to be a small part of an important day.
“I did what I was asked and I felt it was a success.”
Photo : Geoff Maskelyne ready to hit the road with the Ulysses Motorcycle Club. Photo by Mardi Lumsden
