Pilgrim People Brisbane

Pilgrim People Brisbane Pilgrim People Brisbane is a welcoming, inclusive, supportive, community-minded & ecumenical congregation.

Each Sunday afternoon we meet to celebrate & explore our Christian faith with dignified liturgy, meaningful language, & fine choral & organ music. Mission:
​As Pilgrim People within the Uniting Church in Australia, we seek to be a visible and diverse presence of Christ in the world living lives shaped by Jesus; embodying the tradition of sacred rituals; employing our customs and gifts of language,

music and art when gathering together; and offering love, care, and encouragement to all those whom we encounter on this journey. In living out the traditions of the Uniting Church, we also strive for distinction and relevance in liturgy, preaching, and music to inspire and nurture our people. On our journey, we seek renewal and recreation for ourselves, for the whole of humanity and the physical world.

21/08/2026

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

August 14, 1314: At age 82, Spaniard, Raymon Llull sailed again to Tunis to evangelise Islamic countries.

August 11, 1872: Composer Lowell Mason died in New Jersey. He was a prolific writer of church music, with over fifteen hundred sacred compositions to his credit. His popular tunes included those to which are sung ‘Nearer, my God, to thee’, ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’, and ‘Blest be the tie that binds’.

August 8, 1878: Rev Dr John Dunmore Lang, a Scottish-born Australian Presbyterian minister, writer, historian, politician and activist, died in Sydney, aged 79. He was the first prominent advocate of an independent Australian nation and of Australian republicanism. His funeral, on 10 August, was "one of the largest that has taken place in the Australian colonies" – a funeral procession over a mile in length, led by 500 Chinese, with perhaps 70,000 people lining the streets. His wife died in 1888, and the last of his children in 1934. There were no grandchildren.

August 10, 1886: Joseph M Scriven died by drowning. A Plymouth Brethren hymnwriter, he was the author of the hymn ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’. Because he was plagued by failing health, a meagre income, and prolonged depression, his friends suspect his death may have been su***de. He had spent his life performing menial work for the underprivileged and destitute. A man of frequent misfortune, his plans for marriage had twice been destroyed by tragedy: in Ireland, a bride-to-be drowned the evening before their wedding; in Canada, a second fiancée fell ill and died suddenly before their scheduled wedding.

August 14, 1901: Clara Maass, a Lutheran nurse, allowed herself to be bitten by a mosquito to test a theory about Yellow Fever. She contracted the disease and died ten days later.

August 14, 1904: St Luke’s Church of England at 18 Charlotte Street, Brisbane was opened and dedicated by the Venerable Arthur Evan David, Archdeacon of Brisbane. The church served as a temporary cathedral between the demolition in 1904 of St John’s Pro-Cathedral in William Street and the opening of St John’s Cathedral in Ann Street, in 1910. It was then used as intended, as the head quarters of the Anglican Church Mission. No longer needed for church purposes, the church was converted to a restaurant in 1979.

August 9, 1914: St Brigid’s Church, 78 Musgrave Road, Red Hill in Brisbane was dedicated and opened. It was designed by Robin Dods. The opening ceremony was a significant occasion in the life of the Catholic community, attended by Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel Mannix and presided over by Archbishop of Brisbane James Duhig. For Duhig, who was to become renowned as a prolific builder of churches and schools, St Brigid's was an auspicious beginning.

August 14, 1941: Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German concentration camp at Auschwitz, Poland.
August 9, 1962: Archbishop Sir Reginald Charles Halse KBE CMG, Archbishop of Brisbane, died in Brisbane, at the age of 81. He was educated at St Paul’s School, London and Brasenose College, Oxford and ordained in 1906. Before emigrating to Australia he served in England at Poplar and then Blackwall. On arrival at Townsville, Halse became the founding headmaster of All Souls, Charters Towers. In 1943, Archbishop Halse succeeded Archbishop
Wand as archbishop of Brisbane and was enthroned at St John’s Cathedral. His large diocese had been disrupted by World War II, was short of clergy and was encumbered by debt stemming from the Depression. Archbishop Halse was noted for his pioneering of the ecumenical movement, his spirit of tolerance and his encouragement of younger people from whom he drew strength and ideas. Large crowds lined the streets as his funeral procession moved to St Matthew’s Cemetery, Sherwood, a testimony to the community’s affection for him.

August 10, 2021: The last Australian census, held on the night of 10 August 2021, revealed the diversity of religious affiliation has increased across the Australian population. Christianity remains the most common religion with 43.9% of the population identifying as Christian, a decrease from 52.1% in the 2016 Census. The top 5 religions outside Christianity are Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism. The religion question is voluntary in the Census, yet there was an increase in the proportion of people answering the question, from 91% in 2016 to 93% in 2021.

21/08/2026

Inheritance. Passing it on 200 Years of Progressive / Evolving Christianity. A Conversation for the Ages. 17-18th of October 2026

In our weekly newsletters lately, mention has been made to the Inheritance conference to be held at The Lakes College, North Lakes on the weekend of 17/18 October.

Brochures are still available on the table at the church entrance. The conference presents an opportunity for us to learn and better understand how the world-altering legacy of Jesus of Nazareth can inform and inspire us in the 21st century. Reference has been made already to Rev Dr Lorraine Parkinson and Rev Dr Philip Hughes AM both of whom will be speaking on the Saturday morning. On the Sunday morning, Rev Rex A E Hunt, MSc (Hons) will be the speaker. He was ordained in 1972 as a Presbyterian minister and joined the Uniting Church at union in 1977. His last placement was in Canberra, ACT - Canberra being Australia's capital city, centre of national political life. He served in several parish/congregation appointments - one such settlement was in Hobart (Tasmania), at Scots Church/Royal Hobart Hospital UCA Chaplain, during the Port Arthur Massacre - as well as, for nine years, the National Director of Communications with The Assembly, Uniting Church in Australia. He was a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International for services to the community in 2004. Rex Hunt is recognized as a leader in Australia’s progressive religious movement. His interests include liturgies, prayers and evolving theology. He was born in Horsham, Victoria and now lives in retirement on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

More in coming weeks ..................................
Noel Adsett

Minibus transport available for ‘Inheritance’ event

Merthyr Road Church Council has agreed to support provision of minibus transport for people attending the “Inheritance” progressive Christianity conference at The Lakes College, North Lakes, on October 17-18. This event is supported by our Merthyr Explorers group. Return MaxiTaxis will be available from/to MRUCA for $10/day, departing the church at 8:15 am, returning 5:45 pm. Seats are limited, so book a place through the church office. Conference brochures are on the welcome table with a QR code for bookings. $80/day or $130 both. An early-bird discount till August 31.

Walk in the Spirit FundraiserDear Pilgrim People FriendsOn Monday 5th October 2026, I plan to walk with others around Ul...
21/08/2026

Walk in the Spirit Fundraiser

Dear Pilgrim People Friends

On Monday 5th October 2026, I plan to walk with others around Uluru in support of a fund-raising venture by DorcasACTS, a charity founded to provide emergency financial support to people in crisis anywhere in Australia. DorcasACTS, short for Aspley Caring Through Service, is a charitable ministry of the Aspley Uniting Church in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is entirely volunteer-run, and all donations go directly to people in need, ensuring that 100% of funds raised are used for immediate support.

The organization focuses on helping individuals and families in need – people facing natural disasters, personal crises, or sudden hardship, including fire, drought, flood, domestic violence, hunger, elder abuse, and homelessness.

Dorcas was a person named in the Book of Acts in the New Testament. She lived in Joppa and did many good things and many acts of kindness in her community. Joppa is now Jaffa, a coastal part of Tel Aviv. The walk around Uluru, a distance of 11km, is called the Walk in the Spirit 2026 (WITS). I have registered as a WITS Walker. Each walker helps make this fundraiser a success by setting a personal donation target and inviting others to sponsor their walk. My target is $5,000. The purpose of my letter is to ask you, please, to consider contributing towards my goal. Any amount helps and would be much appreciated.

Here is a simple guide for donating:
1. Go to Spiritwalker website https://spiritwalker.org.au/fundraising to donate to Noel Adsett and follow the prompts on how to donate. (Please remember to insert my name in the box – “Who is this donation for?”)
2. The system (Humanitix) will automatically send you an email with the title: “Order for WITSWALK26 Donation” containing order details/receipt.

Thank you for considering my request. I am 90 but quite able and willing to support this good cause which is conducted by a competent and trustworthy Board of Management.

Donations over $2 are tax-deductable.

Noel

21/08/2026

Sunday, August 16
Pray for –
• Timor Children’s Foundation seeking to help empower future leaders of Timor Leste by providing opportunities for children and youth through education and improvement of health and wellbeing
• people who are in physical, emotional, mental or spiritual pain
• places in the world where conflict and violence are rife
• ourselves that we might live out our faith in joy and thanksgiving for all God’s gifts
• people suffering from effects of earthquake in Indonesia and fire in Germany.

Blessed are the persecuted.
For all who suffer for the sake of righteousness,
grant perseverance and trust in your coming kingdom,
where swords are beaten into ploughshares,
tears are wiped away, and love wins over hatred and fear.
Through Christ our Lord, the Prince of Peace,
make us instruments of your peace
in our wounded world. Amen.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
This week we pray for: Liberia, Sierra Leone

Liberia was founded in the early 19th century by the American Colonization Society, for liberated slaves returning from the USA. During the 1930s, it was discovered that slavery continued in Liberia, leading to a new American-Liberian government. It was overthrown in 1980 in a bloody coup, which brought into
power a corrupt regime. From 1989 to 2003 Liberia was devastated by civil war. A transitional government was formed in 2003, for a period of two years, and a UN mission put in place. Liberia's economy was mainly based on the production and export of timber and rubber, and farming. In 2005, recovery was slow, and the security situation remained difficult. The main Protestant churches in Liberia are the Methodists, the Lutherans, and the Baptists. There are also some large Pentecostal and indigenous churches. The churches have played an important role in peace and rehabilitation, through the Liberian Council of Churches.

Sierra Leone. After the civil war, which ended officially in 2002, the churches, although a minority, have played an important role in healing, peace, and rehabilitation.

21/08/2026

These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 23 August.
​
Exodus 1:8-22: The Israelites Are Oppressed
Exodus 2:1-10: Birth and Youth of Moses This week’s passage is divided into two distinct sections. The first part gives an account about how the favoured family of Jacob became an oppressed subgroup within Pharoah’s empire. The second part (2:1-10) tells the circumstances surrounding the birth and early childhood of Moses. These two sections contrast each other. Look at some of the word choices in the first part: powerful, war, enemies, taskmasters,
oppress, forced-labour, dread, ruthless, bitter, hard service. The Israelites populate quickly to the point of posing as a potential threat to the Egyptians. Consequently, the Egyptian king enslaves the Israelite people. When initial rounds of oppression do not work, the Egyptians become crueller in their oppression, calling for the ex*****on of all Hebrew boys. The new king of Egypt did not know Joseph and the legacy of provision that he brought to the land. So he feared the potential uprising of the Israelite people. The passage does not include a single hint of any rebellious spirit in the Israelites, yet this fear became the driving force to a series of escalating oppressive policies, even to the point of planned genocide which led to the baby Moses being hidden.

Psalm 124. Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance. A Song of Ascents. Of David. Psalm 124 is a song of thanksgiving and trust in God. It reminds people that they survived hard times only because God protected them from their enemies. King David wrote this song to teach his nation that human strength can fail, but God saves his people from danger. The last 2 lines of this psalm are very familiar:
‘Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth’.

Romans 12:1-8. The New Life in Christ God shows great mercy to people. Because of God’s mercy, people should give their whole lives to serve God actively, instead of offering dead animal sacrifices. Believers need to resist worldly pressures, trends, and values, and instead let God renew how they think, enabling them to figure out what God really wants. People should judge themselves with honest humility rather than thinking too highly of themselves.

Matthew 16:13-20. Peter’s Declaration about Jesus Jesus asks the disciples who others think he is. The disciples answer that some people say that he is John the Baptist; others declare that he is Elijah; and still others claim that Jesus is Jeremiah or another prophet. In other words, people don’t agree. The disciples are silent. With the exception of Simon Peter, they don’t seem to have an opinion of their own. Peter emerges as spokesperson for the Twelve: ‘You are the Messiah, the son of the living God’. Jesus blesses Simon Peter. How we identify Jesus should be based on personal encounters with God, informed by our readings of the sacred text and in our conversations with others. How we identify Jesus should be grounded in a lifelong conversation with God enabling us to adjust what we think we know. Our denomination, our church, our pastors, our mothers or fathers, our siblings, our Sunday school teachers and others will have their opinions, but in the end we have to decide for ourselves in conversation with God how we will identify Jesus.

13/08/2026

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

August 4 1536: William Tyndale was strangled and burned at Vilvoorde Castle (not far from Brussels) for his Protestant views and efforts to translate the Bible into English.

August 10, 1815: Samuel Leigh arrived in Sydney on the H**e. He was Australia’s first Methodist missionary.

August 3, 1858: Maltbie D Babcock, an American Presbyterian clergyman was born. His pastoral work centred around Maryland and New York, but he is better remembered today as author of the well-known hymn, ‘This is my Father’s world’.

August 4, 1892: British poet laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson died. He spoke of his Christian faith in his poems.
From In memoriam.
Strong Son of God, immortal Love,
Whom we, that have not seen thy face,
By faith, and faith alone, embrace,
Believing where we cannot prove.

August 6, 1866: John Mason Neale, English Anglican priest and hymnwriter, died. Two of his best-known hymns are the Christmas carols ‘Good Christian men, rejoice’ and ‘Good King Wenceslaus’.

August 3, 1897: Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott, English hymnwriter died. ‘Thou didst leave thy throne’ is her best-known hymn.

August 3, 1944: Lutheran theologian and N**i martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in a letter from prison: 'The Church must not underestimate the importance of human example; it is not abstract argument, but example, that gives its word emphasis and power.’

August 3, 1959: English author CS Lewis wrote in a letter: 'When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.’

August 6, 2016: A Comfort women statue was unveiled in Sydney despite ongoing tensions. The Statue of Peace at Ashfield Uniting Church in Sydney, erected by the Korean community, commemorates ‘Comfort Women’ forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military in World War II. Its installation sparked controversy. A racial discrimination complaint by a Japanese group alleged it caused division but the church defended it as a memorial to suffering. The minister at Ashfield Uniting Church, Rev Bill Crews stated he would not remove it, emphasising it honored the victims' pain.

13/08/2026

Sunday, August 16
Pray for –
• God’s care and comfort for all who face illness, pain or even death
• God’s power and love to overwhelm the chaos of nations at war
• firefighters, and all affected by the wildfires in British Columbia, Canada
• those suffering after the earthquake in Colombia
• in this Homelessness Week, the staff and volunteers in organisations around Australia who work tirelessly to bring shelter, meals and support
• in this Exhibition Week, the work of farmers, agricultural scientists, operators providing transport, fertilizers, seeds, machinery.

“Blessed are the persecuted.”
For all who suffer for the sake of righteousness,
grant perseverance and trust in your coming kingdom,
where swords are beaten into ploughshares,
tears are wiped away, and love wins
over hatred and fear.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
This week we pray for: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger Watering camels at Guelta d'Archei Lake, Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso is situated in the Sahel, south of the Sahara desert. At the close of the 19th century, it became a French colony, called Upper Volta. The country gained its independence in 1960 and received its African name during military coups in the 1980s. Over 90 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture, mostly subsistence farming and nomadic herding. One of the main threats to the economy is recurrent drought. Cotton is the main export. Islam was introduced to the area during the 18th century, and Christianity came with colonisation. Today over half of all Christians are Catholics. The largest Protestant churches are Assemblies of God (Pentecostal, 800,000 members). The capital is Ouagadougou

Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger! The capital of Chad is N'Djamena. Muslims in Chad make up 58.4% of the population. Christianity arrived in Chad with the French. Among the Chadian population 35% profess to be Christian.

Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is amongst the poorest countries in the world. Its capital is Bamako. If you’ve ever been told to go to Timbuktu – it’s in Mali. It’s an ancient city, located just north of the Niger River. Founded around 1100 CE, it grew famous as a rich trading post for gold and salt and a major centre of Islamic learning.

Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Western Sahara to the north and northwest. Its capital is Nouakchott. Niger, considered one of the least-developed nations in the world is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its capital is Niamey. More than 98% of the population practise Islam.

13/08/2026

These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 16 August.

Genesis 45:1-15. Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers Genesis 45 is the climax of the Joseph story. All the dramatic irony of the story — the details that readers know but Joseph’s brothers did not, especially Joseph’s true identity — build to this moment, when Joseph makes himself known to his family. Over the course of Genesis 37-44, Joseph’s deeply held feelings have not stopped him from testing and otherwise manipulating his brothers. Once powerless at the bottom of a pit, outnumbered by brothers who hated him, Joseph now gets to decide who will live and who will die.

Psalm 133. The Blessedness of Unity Psalm 133 is a Song of Ascents–a song for going up to a high place. For the Jewish people in ancient times, that high place was the Temple in the city of Jerusalem. The Jewish people sang Psalm 133 to express their joy in coming together for worship at the Temple, where God promised to meet them. The Psalm, though short, is ambitious: it calls all people to worship God.

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32. Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final Paul poses the question bluntly in Romans 11:1: ‘Has God rejected his people?’
The equally blunt answer is ‘No’. Paul doesn’t develop much of an argument in response to the question. It’s pretty simple for him. God cannot have rejected the people ‘whom he foreknew’, simply because ‘the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable’. As a result, Paul can confidently claim that ‘all Israel will be saved’ and will experience ‘full inclusion’ in God’s salvation. We can’t pretend to know all the answers, and we often make things worse by trying to explain things. But we can–we must–trust that God will be merciful.

Matthew 15:21-28. The Canaanite Woman’s Faith Jesus has entered into Tyre and Sidon where the Canaanite woman instantly greets him. This Canaanite woman — an unclean, outsider — demonstrates that she has a better grasp of Jesus’ identity than the disciples do at this point. This woman hails Jesus as the Son of David, begs his mercy, and entreats his power over a demon that has ‘severely’ possessed her daughter. How is it that this woman has more insight into Jesus’ identity? She is, after all, an unclean outsider, remembered as an old enemy of Israel. Twice, he explained to her that his mission is first to the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’. The woman knelt before him: treating Jesus in this manner is in keeping with her earlier declaration of Jesus as the Son of David. She accepts the status of a family’s dog by claiming that even the dog enjoys crumbs from the table. She just wants a crumb, recognising that even a crumb is powerful enough to defeat the demon that has possessed her daughter. Jesus praises her faith.

06/08/2026

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

July 29, 1030: King Olaf of Norway died. He used cruelty to force Baptisms.

July 30, 1547: John Knox was captured by the French. He had become the chaplain of the killers of Cardinal Beaton of St Andrews. When the French captured their castle, he was sentenced to 19 gruelling months chained as a slave on a French galley ship. Eventually he escaped the galleys to become a leader of the Scottish Reformation.

July 30, 1750: The body of Johann Sebastian Bach, musical director and singing master of the St Thomas School at Leipzig, was laid to rest in an unmarked grave at the churchyard of St John’s. He had died two days earlier.

August 1, 1834: British Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 took effect.

July 29, 1836: The Church Act was granted assent, on behalf of the Crown, by Governor Bourke following approval by the Legislation Council in New South Wales. The Church Act 1836 authorised the disbursement of funds from colonial revenue in New South Wales to erect places of worship and support ministers for the Church of England, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian denominations, marking a shift from Anglican exclusivity to proportional state aid based on adherents. The idea was to subsidise clerical salaries and church construction equally across these groups.

July 31, 1889: Death of Horatius Bonar, 81, Scottish preacher and author of the hymn, ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’.

August 4, 1904: The Aurukun Mission (then known as Archer River Mission) was established for the Presbyterian Church of Australia by Rev Arthur and Mrs Mary Richter, two Moravian missionaries and managed under the provisions of the Queensland Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of O***m Act 1897. Aboriginal people were relocated from a large surrounding area, many against their will, to the mission settlement.

August 2, 1942: Edith Stein was seized at her convent in the Netherlands by the S.S. and taken to a concentration camp. A Jewish-Catholic philosopher, she had rejected an opportunity to escape to Switzerland because she refused to abandon her sister who could not obtain a visa. She died in Auschwitz.

August 6, 1945: Hiroshima Memorial Day. Two nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945 killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of people, and their effects are still being felt today.

July 29, 1974: Fifteen hundred people crowded the sanctuary of the Episcopal Church in Philadelphia to witness the illegitimate ‘ordination’ of eleven women in defiance of Episcopalian policy. However, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church did approve the ordination of women a few years later.

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52 Merthyr Road, New Farm
Brisbane, QLD
4005

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2:30pm - 4:30pm

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