Pilgrim People Brisbane

13/10/2026

This coming Sunday, 18th October 2026 at 2.30pm, Pilgrim People Brisbane will be holding their service at Merthyr Road Uniting Church, New Farm, Brisbane, celebrating the 21st Sunday after Pentecost.

PREACHER: Our guest preacher this Sunday will be Rev Jenny Busch. Her sermon will be based on two of the lectionary readings for the day – the Epistle, 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10, and the Gospel, Matthew 22: 15-22 (regarding the paying of taxes to Caesar).

MUSIC is a feature of Pilgrim services with enthusiastic hymn singing by the congregation, glorious anthems by the Pilgrim Singers, conducted this Sunday by Tim Smetham, and wonderful organ music.

HYMNS: This week the hymns will be:
• “Come, sing together, friends” (Words by Elixabeth Smith) to the tune Carlisle,
• “Take my gifts” (Words by Shirley Murray) to the tune Austria, and
• “Brother, sister, let me serve you”, to the tune Servant Song.

CHORAL MUSIC: The Pilgrim Singers, conducted by Tim Smetham, will sing the following anthems:
• “There is a longing” by Anne Quigley (1955-) and
• “The Call of Wisdom” by Will Todd (1970-).

ORGAN VOLUNTARIES: The 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:
• St Anthony Chorale” by Josef Haydn (1732-1809) Video link https://youtu.be/D9CzPboUcMs and
• Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)

The Organ Postlude will be:
• Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke (1674-1707) Video link https://youtu.be/309rYxuvX6k
The organ videos are available for viewing on Steven’s YouTube channel now. Just click on the links above.

REFRESHMENTS & FELLOWSHIP: Pilgrim Services are followed by a time of fellowship over a delicious afternoon tea in the MRUC courtyard.

VENUE: Pilgrim People Brisbane meet at Merthyr Road Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Road, New Farm, Brisbane.

This is the iconic and well-known piece by Jeremiah Clarke.

07/10/2026

Service on Sunday, October 4

04/10/2026

Photos from our service on Sunday, September 27. Interview with Mr Darrel Steer.

03/10/2026

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

September 23, 1387: One of the most extravagant medieval English feasts ever recorded was held for Richard II and John of Gaunt in London, including 14 salted oxen, 120 sheep, 1,200 pigeons, and 11,000 eggs.

September 25, 1837: Francis Howard Greenway, an architect from Bristol, transported to New South Wales for forgery in 1814, died on his poor farming property near Newcastle, aged 59. Greenway set up practice in Sydney and in 1816 Governor Macquarie appointed him Civic Architect. He designed a number of handsome Georgian buildings, the best known is Hyde Park Barracks. Professional church architecture in Australia began with Francis Greenway. He designed an elegant brick Georgian church, St Matthew’s Church, Windsor in 1817, recognised as his masterpiece. Others included St Luke’s, Liverpool in 1818 and St James’s Church, Sydney in 1821. These three churches are still standing, with some alterations. Greenway was buried in an unmarked grave in a paddock near East Maitland. Despite his ignoble end, Greenway’s legacy lives on in some of Sydney’s finest colonial architecture.

September 26, 1863: Frederick William Faber, an English clergyman and hymnwriter died. He resigned from the Church of England and entered the Roman Catholic Church. He founded a religious community in Birmingham and wrote 150 hymns, including ‘Faith of our fathers’ and ‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy’.

September 24, 1868 Henry H Milman, Anglican clergyman and scholar died. He wrote thirteen hymns, including the Easter song, ‘Ride on! Ride on in Majesty’.

September 24, 1876: The opening service of Brunswick Street Primitive Methodist Church was conducted. Plans for the new church were drawn by Brisbane architect Richard Gailey, who designed a number of Protestant churches in Queensland. Tenders for the Brunswick Street church were called and the contract was let to John Smith & Sons of Adelaide Street. Several foundation stones were laid on 1 March 1876, and the building was completed in about five and a half months at a cost of approximately £1,100, including fittings. The Brunswick Street church became the centre of Primitive Methodism in Brisbane.

September 22, 1931: ‘When we set out, I did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and when we reached the zoo I did’ wrote CS Lewis, describing his conversion to Christianity in the sidecar of his brother Warnie’s motorbike.

September 17, 1973: The last vestiges of the White Australia policy were removed. A number of legislative amendments passed by the parliament ended racial aspects of immigration law and the Australian Citizenship Act 1973 received assent. All migrants with three years’ permanent residence were able to obtain citizenship, regardless of race, and Australia ratified international agreements on immigration and race.

September 26, 1990: In Russia, the Supreme Soviet ended decades of religious repression with a new declaration, forbidding government interference in religious activities and giving citizens the right to study religion in homes and private schools.

03/10/2026

Sunday, October 4
Pray for:

• good results for families and villages in Cambodia from the Cambodia Clean Water and Toilet Project
• those who have been wrongly imprisoned in some countries for the purpose of using them as leverage for prisoner exchanges and the families of those who miss their loved ones and struggle because of their absence
• emergency responders, rescue teams, soldiers, medical workers, volunteers, and everyone working tirelessly among the destruction in Tibet and Nepal
• all who are hungry, who do not have enough to live with dignity, that they may find generosity and inclusion in their local communities
• all who live in loneliness or isolation, that they may know friendship and community.

‘We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.’ St Francis of Assisi

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
​This week we pray for: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Colombia was colonised by the Spanish in the 16th century. It became an independent country in 1819. Socially, Colombia has been divided between the ruling elite and the poor masses. In the 20th century, several revolutionary movements have fought guerilla wars. Two of these are still active but have lost much popular support. The rural population has suffered massive oppression, destruction and killings. Violence is also rampant in the cities, partly criminal, partly political. Production and trade of drugs, kidnapping, etc., have corrupted the social texture of the country. In this context, the Catholic Church, which is the majority church, has sought to mediate in often dangerous conflict situations. Protestant missions started in the 19th century, and the Protestant churches, although in a minority, are actively involved in promoting peace and defending human rights. About 50 percent of the Protestants are Pentecostal.

We pray for:
• the continued pursuit of peace in Colombia, the fulfilment of agreements reached, the reintegration of insurgents into society, broad and inclusive dialogue for justice, and fair compensation for those victimised by conflict
• the strengthening of democratically elected governments in the region, without pressure from outside interests
• greater respect for the human rights of all, especially vulnerable populations and those who work for the wellbeing of others and of the environment
• an end to the corruption in these societies, and to unsustainable exploitation of their resources

03/10/2026

These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 4 October.
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 The Ten Commandments The reading records the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, framing God's law not as arbitrary rules, but as a covenant of freedom given by the God who liberated Israel from slavery. The instructions from God to the Israelites addressed two
areas of life– the first four instructions have to do with relationship with God; the last six with human relationships. Both relationships are necessary for a healthy faith, but the order in which the instructions were given makes it clear that our relationship with humanity depends on our relationship with God.
In the reading, which begins ‘I am the Lord your God’ and ends with ‘your neighbour’, it is revealed that life according to the commandments is fundamentally about commitment to God and compassion for the neighbour. The Commandments are intended to build within the community a deep and enduring love for and loyalty to God, which then extends out to all creation.
(Isaiah 5:1-7 is an alternate reading)

Psalm 19 God’s Glory in Creation and the Law. A Psalm of David. A precious Psalm. Bach, Beethoven, Handel, and Haydn expressed their delight with Psalm 19 through well-known musical settings of its text. Judaism recites the words of this Psalm at Shabbat and Yom Tov. In his Reflections on the Psalms, CS Lewis declared Psalm 19 the treasure trove of the Psalter: ‘I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.’ The last verse is often used as a prayer by preachers before preaching - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. The first verse confirms our caring for and honouring of creation - The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
(Psalm 80:7-15 is an alternate reading)

Philippians 3:4b-14 This passage invites us to reflect on what we value most - to which many of us might reply - time, career, family, money. Paul shares his impressive religious background only to declare it worthless compared to the value of knowing Jesus. At one point, the apostle Paul was spending all his time and resources pursuing and persecuting Christians, establishing a successful career as a devout Pharisee. When he wrote this letter to the Philippians, he had changed course so that he now spent all his time and resources pursuing Christ. His career success appears to be in shambles because he was sent to prison for the sake of Christ.

Matthew 21:33-46 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants When people in authority challenged Jesus, he often responded to their challenges with a parable. A landowner established a vineyard but then became an absentee landlord, perhaps returning to his own country. Tenants were in charge of the productivity of the vineyard, paying their rent to the owner at harvest time. But ... when the owner’s slaves arrived to collect the share of the produce, the tenants attacked the slaves, beating one, killing another. The owner of the vineyard then simply sent another delegation of slaves to collect the rent. They were treated the same way. Then he sent his son and he was killed. The chief priests and elders could probably see themselves in the role of the landowner, we tend to see God as the landowner and the temple leaders as the evil tenants. In this allegory, the groups of servants are Israel’s prophets and Jesus is the son.

28/09/2026

Sunday, October 4

PREACHER: Our preacher this Sunday will be comparative theologian Rev Dr Cliff Hospital. His sermon will be based on two of the lectionary readings for the day – the Gospel, Matthew 21: 33-46 (the parable of the wicked tenants), and the Epistle, Philippians 3: 4-44.

HYMNS: This week the hymns will be:
“Jesus Christ, you came among us” to the tune Triumph,
“Be thou my vision” to the tune Slane, and
“God gives us a futuSure”, to the tune Camberwell.

CHORAL MUSIC: The Pilgrim Singers will sing the following anthems:
“Holy Spirit, truth divine”, by Andrew Carter (1939-2026)
“Gaelic Blessing” by John Rutter (1945-) and
“Holy, Holy, Holy” by Franz Schubert (1797-1828).

ORGAN VOLUNTARIES: The 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:

Prelude on "Rhosymedre" (Lovely) by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), Video link https://youtu.be/SwJwHSqUhKM
“Pastorale in C” by Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726)

The Organ Postlude will be:
“Festive Trumpet Tune” by Douglas Wagner (1952-)

The organ video is available for viewing on Steven’s YouTube channel now. Just click on the link above.

REFRESHMENTS & FELLOWSHIP: Pilgrim Services are followed by a time of fellowship over a delicious afternoon tea in the MRUC courtyard.

VENUE: Pilgrim People Brisbane meet at Merthyr Road Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Road, New Farm, Brisbane.

24/09/2026

Sunday, 27th September 2026,
Link to music

​https://youtu.be/Q1F6w8_kWKI

24/09/2026

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

September 17, 1179: Hildegarde of Bingen died. The feminist movement of the twentieth century rediscovered her, and continue to promote her original contributions to theology, music, and art.
September 21, 1522: Martin Luther, 36, first published his German translation of the New Testament.

September 17, 1656: Massachusetts enacted severe laws against Quakers. (At the time, the line between blasphemy and treason was virtually non-existent; and non-sacramental Quakerism gave the impression that the denomination was anti-government.)

September 17, 1776: On the west coast of North America, a party of 247 Spanish colonists consecrated their newly-founded mission, known as San Francisco.

September 16, 1906: Birth of JB Phillips, Anglican clergyman. Ordained in 1930, he is remembered for his biblical paraphrase, The New Testament in Modern English, first published in 1958.

September 17, 1921: The official opening and dedication of All Souls Church of England School in Charters Towers was held with large crowds in attendance. The Townsville Daily Bulletin reported there were people of various classes, creeds and callings – aldermen including the mayor, merchants, 250 visitors who had journeyed by train from Townsville, well known professional men and clergymen of other denominations. The impressive dedication ceremony commenced at 2.30pm with a long procession of bishops in gorgeous vestments, boys wearing choir vestments, clergymen in white surplices and the boys and girls of the Church of England schools. The procession passed from building to building singing hymns. At each building - the chapel, the dining room, school room, dormitory and community house, there was a brief dedicatory prayer. In the latter there was the dedication of the school and the singing of ‘Te Deum Laudamus’. Canon Halse invited the huge crowd to partake of afternoon tea in the dining room. The archbishop and all the bishops then addressed the crowd. All Souls’ School for Boys was established by the Anglican Bush Brotherhood of St Barnabas as a memorial school to the fallen of World War I.

September 14, 1928: The foundation stone for Holy Name Cathedral in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane was laid by the papal legate, Cardinal Cerretti, with a crowd of 35,000 in attendance. Due to the Great Depression, fund-raising efforts in the 1930s stalled. Because of lack of funds caused by unwise investment in the Roma oil fields, the dream did not come to fruition. Archbishop Duhig raised enough funds to build a crypt on the site in 1934 and he consecrated the principal altar in the crypt in 1935. The project was subject to further setbacks and was never completed. In 1985 the site was sold and property developers built an apartment complex called Cathedral Place. The perimeter walls topped by balustrades on the boundaries along Ann Street and part of Gotha Street have been preserved. The Holy Name Cathedral was intended to be "the largest sacred building in the Commonwealth“, capable of seating 4,000 people.

September 21, 1933: In Germany during Hitler's rise to power, Martin Niemoeller began organising the Pastors' Emergency League. Over 7,000 churches joined, although some 2,500 later withdrew under N**i pressure.

September 12, 2024: Rev Bill Crews celebrated his 80th birthday. He is currently the founder and chairman of The Rev Bill Crews Foundation which he established to support the homeless and disadvantaged in Australia. He serves as a minister in the Uniting Church, advocating for social welfare. At his birthday lunch in the Loaves and Fishes Restaurant at Ashfield he expressed his commitment to helping those in need.

24/09/2026

Pictures from September 20 Service