Pilgrim People Brisbane

18/06/2026

Christian History
The material below has been obtained from CT Newsletters | Christianity Today

June 7, 1099: The First Crusade reached Jerusalem.

June 9, 1549: England's Act of Uniformity, passed by Parliament in January, took effect. The act ordered that religious services be consistent throughout the country, using Thomas Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer.

June 5, 1661: English mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton was admitted as a student to Trinity College, Cambridge. But the ‘greatest scientific genius the world has ever known’ actually spent less of his life studying science than theology, writing 1.3 million words on biblical subjects.

June 8, 1794: French revolutionaries replaced Christianity with a deistic religion honouring a trinity of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. They renamed churches Temples of Reason, and a new calendar announced a 10-Day week and holidays commemorating events of the revolution. The reign of terror followed, with some 1,400 people losing their heads. Napolean recognised the church again in 1804, then proceeded to imprison Pope Pius VII.

June 10, 1860: Wharf Street Congregational Church was opened on the corner of Adelaide and Wharf Streets, Brisbane by the minister, Rev George Wight.

June 14, 1913: King’s College for candidates for the Methodist ministry in Queensland was officially opened at 236 River Terrace, Kangaroo Point, students having been in residence since March 1913. Declining enrolments, due to World War I, led to an agreement that Emmanuel and King’s should be amalgamated – an agreement never acted upon.

June 17, 1917: A Nurses Honour Board was unveiled in St Luke's War Chapel at St Luke’s Church of England in Charlotte Street, Brisbane, in recognition of those who served in World War I. Canon David Garland was resident chaplain at St Luke’s and Director of the Soldiers’ Church of England Help Society. St Luke’s Mission corresponded with servicemen and women at the front. An Anzac Club was opened for returned soldiers and the hall at St Luke’s was used for Sunday teas and dances. The building is now a restaurant.

June 22, 1977: The Uniting Church in Australia was founded on 22

June 1977 when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union of Australia united under the UCA's Basis of Union.

18/06/2026

Sunday, June 21

Pray for
• the poor, the lonely, the despairing, the confused, those in grief
• the Church in the world, that God’s Spirit of hope and life will infuse its people with the knowledge that in Christ, the best is yet to come
• people who live and work for the goodness of this world, who care for people and the planet, who look always for opportunities to make our communities and ways of living full of wholeness and wellbeing
• peace, healing, and restoration in nations and communities affected by violence and injustice
• people engaged in the mission of Everything Suarve
• ourselves to open our eyes and give us the courage to call for change, for a country that rejects cruelty and violence, that puts down its fear, and chooses welcome.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
​This week we pray for: Malawi, Zambia

Malawi has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In 1891 the British established the Central Africa Protectorate, and in 1907 the Nyasaland Protectorate. Pressure for independence developed in the 1940s. In 1953 Nyasaland was joined with Northern and Southern Rhodesia (today's Zambia and Zimbabwe) to form the Central African Federation. After various transitions, Malawi recovered full independence in 1964. Economically, Malawi depends on subsistence agriculture and the export of to***co, tea, and sugar. Malawi is struggling with a high HIV/AIDS infection rate. Christian missions came to Malawi in the 19th century. The Catholic Church is the largest church, followed by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian.

Zambia was settled by Bantu people. In 1890 the British South Africa Company took hold of the territory. In 1911 the British established the protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). The discovery of vast copper deposits led to intensive mining in the Copperbelt, the north-western part of the country. Zambia became independent in 1964 In the period of decolonization and the liberation struggles in Southern Africa, Zambia was one of Africa's leading young nations. The country is facing a high poverty rate, especially in the rural areas, and high rates of HIV/AIDS infection. The churches are strong and have an important place in society. The Catholic Church is the largest church, followed by the United Church of Zambia.

The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) is the largest Protestant denomination in Zambia. Formed in 1965 through the merger of Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Reformed missions, it operates as a united church that serves millions of members nationwide.

Core Focus Areas of the UCZ
Education: The UCZ runs numerous holistic mission schools and operates the UCZ University in Kitwe for theology, clergy training, and education degrees.
Community & Development: The church empowers local congregations and is actively involved in social justice, healthcare, and addressing climate and drought issues in Zambia.

18/06/2026

Notes on the Readings: These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 21 June.

Genesis 21:8-21. Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
Hagar is a bit of an embarrassment; the foreign slave girl, whom Abraham impregnated and who gave birth to his first-born son, Ishmael. From Sarah’s perspective, Hagar and later Ishmael are clearly a problem to be dealt with. Hagar and Ishmael must go. As the oldest son, Ishmael would have been entitled to a double-portion of the inheritance and certainly would have occupied pride of place among Abraham’s sons. As such, Sarah’s focus seems to be on safeguarding Isaac’s power and privilege. Hagar and Ishmael are freed and sent into the wilderness. God continued to care for them. These stories are in Genesis to remind us that God loves the slaves and refugees of our world – the Hagars and the Ishmaels.

An alternate reading for this Sunday is Jeremiah 20:7-13

Psalm 86:1-10, 16,17. Supplication for Help against Enemies. A Prayer of David.
Psalmists turn to God knowing they are vulnerable, but also deeply trusting – knowing that God is gracious, patient and steadfast in love. We come to God not because life is simple, but because God welcomes us: our fears, our griefs, our hopes. God hears the cries of all people – First Nations, migrants, refugees, and those pushed to the margins.

An alternate psalm for this Sunday is Psalm 69:7-10, 16-18

Romans 6:1b-11. Dying and Rising with Christ
The passage for this Sunday is a continuation of the discussions on the implications of the gospel for the gentiles. We know we can live new lives, sanctified through Christ, living righteously. The mark of this new life begins with baptism. Why does Paul connect baptism with sin, or to be more specific, how does baptism represent our death to sin? Two moments help us see more clearly the connection between baptism and the forgiveness of sins: Jesus’s baptism and Pentecost. With John the Baptist, we hear that baptism is associated with the confession of sins and the coming of the Holy Spirit. John came ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. Later, in Acts, at Pentecost, after Peter’s sermon and the people ask him what to do next, he advises
them, ‘Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven’.

Matthew 10:24-39. Whom to Fear. Not Peace, but a Sword Fear. Is there any more pervasive or powerful motivating force in human experience? From the moment we are born, we learn to fear the world around us, certainly to fear the stranger, sometimes to fear even those who are closest to us. Jesus recognises that fear will also cause the failure of discipleship. Jesus’ disciples courageously leave the security of their homes and families to follow him as they proclaim the advent of God’s reign, but they, too, will know and ultimately bow before the power of fear.

‘Do not fear’ is the dominant, recurrent message in verses 24-31. But first Jesus offers a warning: whatever fate awaits teachers or masters also awaits their disciples and slaves. Verses 32-39 again encourage disciples to remain firm in their commitment to Jesus and their mission, even when that mission generates inevitable conflicts, even within their families.

Verse 34 is crucial: Jesus has called his disciples to be peacemakers.
So Jesus is teaching that we need:
• to recognise the human power of fear
• to be aware of the conflict and division that the gospel inevitably produces
• to develop a deep understanding and conviction that God is always present in mercy and compassion.

18/06/2026

Sunday, June 21 2026

HYMNS
“The God of Abraham praise”, to the tune Leoni,
“God when human bonds are broken”, to the tune Omni Die, and
“Help us accept each other” to the tune Runnymede.

CHORAL MUSIC: The Pilgrim Singers directed by Adele Nisbet will sing the following anthems:
“Teach me O Lord thy ways” by Thomas Arnold, and
“Love divine, all loves excelling” by Howard Goodall.

ORGAN VOLUNTARIES will be played by Dr Steven Nisbet on the fantastic three-manual 40-stop Allen G330 digital organ.

The Organ Prelude starts at 2.25pm with the following pieces:
“Meditation No. 2” by Sarah Watts, and
Variation on “This is my Father’s world” by Emma Lou Diemer.

The Organ Postlude will be:
March on “All creatures of our God and King” by June Nixon.
None of these voluntaries are recorded on my YouTube channel so I am providing a link to my arrangement of some African-American spirituals called ‘Spirituals with a Swing’. It is available for viewing now. Just click on this link. https://youtu.be/Q1F6w8_kWKI
​
REFRESHMENTS & FELLOWSHIP: Pilgrim Services are always followed by a time of fellowship over a delicious afternoon tea in the Merthyr Road Uniting Church courtyard.

VENUE: Pilgrim People Brisbane meet at Merthyr Road Uniting Church, New Farm, Brisbane.

This is my arrangement of a medley of four Spirituals - There is a ...

13/06/2026

Christian History
The material below has been obtained from CT Newsletters | Christianity Today

May 31, 1578: Italian archaeologist Antonio Bosio discovered the Christian catacombs in Rome. Some had mistaken them for places of refuge or worship, but Christians used them mainly as burial chambers.

June 3, 1647: The Puritan British Parliament banned Christmas and other holidays.

June 6, 1654: Christina, Queen of Sweden, abdicated her throne and joined the Roman Catholic church. She spent the rest of her life engaged in religious thought (though she twice attempted to resume the crown).

May 31, 1701: Alexander Cruden, whose biblical concordance is still the standard for the King James Version, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. Prone to erratic behaviour, he worked on the concordance between mental breakdowns.

June 1, 1843: Isabella Baumfree, having received a vision of God telling her to "travel up an' down the land showin' the people their sins an' bein' a sign unto them," left New York and changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She became one of the most famous abolitionists and women's rights lecturers in American history.

May 29, 1874: English essayist, poet, and writer GK Chesterton was born in London. The 181kg man was occasionally absent-minded, but brilliant. He loved paradoxes and used them often in his writing. Poet TS Eliot credited him with doing "more than any man in his time … to maintain the existence of the [Christian] minority in the modern world.“

June 6, 1883: The dedication service of St Andrew’s Church of England, South Brisbane, was held on Wednesday 6 June. His Lordship Bishop Hale and Archdeacon Glennie were amongst the clergy who attended. Madame Mallalieu and Mr Willmore presided at the two American organs. The chancel was filled to overflowing by the various city choirs and the church was packed by over 500 persons. The building is a rare example of a substantial stone gothic-style church in Brisbane and is known for its fine stained glass windows and architectural significance. The design was by Italian-born Australian architect Andrea Giovanni Stombuco.

June 4, 1948: The Far East Broadcasting Company, based in the Philippines and broadcasting across Asia, went on-air with the staff singing ‘All hail the power of Jesu’s name’.

June 4, 1988: Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls KCVO OBE (1906 – 1988), a prominent Aboriginal Australian from the Yorta Yorta people, died. He was a professional athlete, Churches of Christ pastor, and a pioneering campaigner for reconciliation. Nicholls was the first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted in 1972 (he was subsequently appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1977). He was also the first—and as of 2025 the only—Indigenous Australian to be appointed to vice-regal office, serving as Governor of South Australia from December 1976 until his resignation on 30 April 1977 due to poor health.

June 5, 1954: Cromwell College at the University of Queensland opened its doors. The first residential college established on the St Lucia campus, it was conceived in 1950 by a group of Christian leaders from the Congregational Churches of Queensland. Its founding Principal was Rev G Lindsay Lockley.

13/06/2026

Sunday, June 14
Pray for
• scientists, doctors, and researchers who dedicate their minds and hearts to ending the suffering caused by cancer. Grant them wisdom beyond measure, insight that breaks through barriers, and perseverance when the path feels long.
• parents and grandparents, carers and companions, neighbours and friends, those who quietly carry responsibility for others each day
• people facing times of change and transition, not knowing what lies ahead – approaching retirement, beginning a new relationship, preparing to move home, beginning a new job, applying for a new job, summoning courage for a lonely decision
• the people of Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Armenia, Egypt, Israel, and every other place torn by political and religious violence

Prayer by Rev Enock de Assis

Dear God, our journey through life is long and hard. We cannot make this trip alone; we must walk together on the journey.
You promised to send us a helper, your Spirit. Help us to see your
Spirit in those you send to journey with us.
In the refugee family, seeking safety form violence, let us see your Spirit.
In the migrant worker, bringing food to our tables, let us see your Spirit.
In the asylum-seeker, seeking justice for his or her family, let us see your Spirit.
In the trafficked child, seeking liberation from his or her oppression, let us see your Spirit.
In the unaccompanied child, traveling in a dangerous world, let us see your Spirit.
Teach us to recognize that as we walk with each other, you are present.
Teach us to welcome not only the stranger in our midst, but the gifts they bring as well: the invitation to conversion, communion, and solidarity.
This is the help you have sent: we are not alone.
We are together on the journey, and for this we give you thanks.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
This week we pray for: Botswana, Zimbabwe

Protestantism is a significant force in Botswana. The United Congregational Church is the major denomination. Seventh Day Adventists are the second largest denomination.
Zimbabwe. Bantu groups settled the region several thousands of years ago.
The Great Zimbabwe ruins attest to the existence of a powerful kingdom in the mediaeval era. In the 19th century the British established colonial control, in spite of uprisings. Southern Rhodesia became a settlement of white farmers who resisted African majority rule when in 1964 neighbouring Zambia and Malawi became independent. The white farmers declared unilateral independence in 1965.
After sixteeen years of war, the African people of Zimbabwe recovered their independence in 1980. The WCC supported the liberation movements with grants from its Programme to Combat Racism Special Fund. Since the late 1990s President Mugabe's rule of the country has become increasingly authoritarian. Most of the white farms were nationalised, but redistribution has not benefited the poor African peasants.
Elections have been rigged and the opposition harassed. The economy, based on agriculture and once one of the strongest of Africa, has seriously deteriorated. The churches have an important place in Zimbabwe's society. Many have supported the liberation struggle. Some of the independent churches in Zimbabwe are very large, e.g. the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (Pentecostal) and the Zion churches.

12/06/2026

These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 14 June.

Genesis 18:1-15. A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah
Three strangers arrive. Hospitality customs were a vital part of the culture of the ancient near east. The people followed these customs as formal, even sacred, codes of conduct. While Abraham makes the invitation to the strangers, he does very little of the work to provide for them. Sarah is instructed to make cake for them and a servant is instructed to prepare meat. Abraham is told that his wife will have a child, despite her age. After helping to prepare the food for the guests, Sarah does not get to enjoy the meal. The conversation between Abraham and the visitors directly concerns Sarah and her well-being. The story raises a question: ‘Whom do we leave on the margins when we make decisions that directly affect others’ lives?’ Too often, the privileged few leave the marginalised out of the conversations, assuming that they know what is best for them. How different would it be if all were included in the decision-making.

Psalm 116. Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness
The psalm opens with the genuine profession ‘I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications’. It is the heartfelt response of one who is overcome by God’s mercy towards him, mercy which has fostered in him not just gratitude but a deeper feeling of love. The psalmist had been in the grip of death; his life, was finished. But having heard his cry, the Lord saved him. As with all psalms of thanksgiving, the connection here between God’s saving act and the psalmist’s gratitude is significant.

Romans 5:1-8. Results of Justification
In the previous chapter, Paul talked of Abraham’s hope and develops the concept in chapter 5. For Paul, hope isn’t wishful thinking, but absolute certainty about the future because it is grounded in God’s faithfulness to keep promises. That is what God will do for the believer in Christ who is secure in what God has done.

Matthew 9:35-10:8. The Harvest Is Great, the Labourers Few. The Twelve Apostles
Jesus gives the Twelve clear instructions, then sends them forth to do his works and proclaim his message. Once sent, however, they are on their own. They must assess the responses of the cities; they must determine whether to stay or to move along. The 12 apostles are named – an interesting collection - the ‘first’ apostle Peter will deny the Lord three times and the last apostle Judas will betray him to death, while two apostles in between held opposite positions on the Roman occupation. Tax collector Matthew worked for the Romans, while Simon the zealot worked against them. But these assorted apostles are entrusted with Jesus’ work of proclamation and healing.
Psalm 100 is an alternate psalm for this Sunday.

Jim Taylor (a Canadian writer) has written a paraphrase of psalm 100. It is a psalm of unbridled joy and it seemed to Jim that no one expressed that kind of unselfconscious joy the way children do.

Leap and dance with joy--
The showers have ended, the sun has come out again.
Splash through the puddles!
Roll in the grass!
Let laughter rise in the air like flights of sparrows!
This is God's world!
God made it, God made us--and it is good!
We spoil it if we stare at it through sour faces.
God set us free to frolic, to gambol, to celebrate the gift of life.
So dance your way down the garden;
scatter rose-petals with every step.
With every breath, enjoy the goodness of God!
From the beginning of time, God has poured out love;
God will continue loving until time grinds to a close.

12/06/2026

Sunday, June 14 2026

HYMNS
“Praise with joy the great creator”, to the tune Praise my Soul,
“We have a gospel to proclaim”, to the tune Fulda, and
“Will you come and follow me” – The Summons.

CHORAL MUSIC: The Pilgrim Singers directed by assistant conductor Tim Smetham will sing the following anthems:
“Day by day” by Martin How, and
“Christ has no body but yours” by David Ogden.

ORGAN VOLUNTARIES will be played by guest organist Brian Wood on the three-manual Allen G330 digital organ. Brian is the organist at St Luke’s Anglican Church, Ekibin.

The Organ Prelude starts at 2.25pm with the following pieces:
“Wir Glauber all’ an einen Gott” (We all believe in one true God). By J. S. Bach. Video link https://youtu.be/j1fPMHPedYQ
Prelude on “Herr Gott, dich liven alle wir” (Old 100th) by Johann Walther.

The Organ Postlude will be:
“Divertissement” (Gigue) by Gordon Young.
One of these voluntaries is recorded on Steven’s YouTube channel and are available for viewing now. Just click on the link.

REFRESHMENTS & FELLOWSHIP: Pilgrim Services are always followed by a time of fellowship over a delicious afternoon tea in the Merthyr Road Uniting Church courtyard.

VENUE: Pilgrim People Brisbane meet at Merthyr Road Uniting Church, New Farm, Brisbane.

This is sometimes referred to as the Giant Fugue