JourneyOnline
Rev Yvonne McRostie reflects upon her recent appointment as Presbytery Minister for The Downs Presbytery and what she hopes to achieve.
Sometimes there is no explanation as to why things happen the way they do. I have come to appreciate the absurdity of life. I thought I would never move from the suburbs of the city.
And then there’s this saying, “You can take the girl of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl”. I’ve been wondering about this lately—is that really true? I hope not because so far I’m blending in well. I think maybe I was a country girl all along. Yes, there are adjustments (it takes longer to get places) but honestly so far I got the best end of this deal. The space, the beauty of creation, even the harshness of dry land revealing the resilience and the hospitality of the people in the midst of hard times can only be described as Godly. It’s there in the city too—of course—around every corner in the hustle and bustle (and traffic) of life.
So here I am, I arrived with everything practically I need to begin a new chapter. I have the hat, the SUV (with built-in Satelite Navigation, safety and support features), local and remote phone coverage and the support of the experienced people of this area (more, I must say, than Jesus commanded his disciples to take with them). These things are great but more importantly is my conviction and belief that God is with me, that God is with us, Emmanuel.
Emmanuel, born of Mary after a very different long journey (with no satellite navigation or safety features) to be the light of the world full of truth and grace, “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). This is the best message—absurd, unbelievable as it is—we can live and be this truth for the world—grace upon grace is received by all.
I am excited to finally be here and I look forward to getting to know this region and the people. I am grateful to God for the people who have guided and mentored me over the years and who continue to pray for me and with me … God truly does provide all we need.
Rev Yvonne McRostie
Rev Yvonne McRostie is the Presbytery Minister for the Presbytery of The Downs. Prior to her appointment, she held a number of ministerial placements, most recently as minister of the word at St Paul’s Uniting Church, Stafford and as Presbytery Chair for Moreton Rivers Presbytery. Yvonne has written previous JourneyOnline articles, including a reflection on International Women’s Day and What has been your experience in leadership in the Uniting Church.
