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Finding a Spiritual Home

About two years ago, I made a decision to leave my home country (Malaysia) and my stable job (in Singapore), come to Australia to begin a new journey of my life. I was born in a traditional Chinese family and Christianity only came to my life just before I made my decision to go to Australia.

Being alone in a foreign country, not having a job and living in a friend‘s home for quite a while, I have been through a journey where worries and uncertainty hit me. I started questioning myself; have I made the right decision? I had no one to turn to and I did not want my family to worry about me at all. I started turning to God, 'hoping' he could bring me to the right direction and bring me to the place where he thinks I belong.

And that is when Pilgrim Uniting Church came to my life. (I found this Church via Google and surprisingly, this is a search that has changed my life!) The first week after I found my job, I went to the 9.30am worship. Being a new comer to church, I feel the hospitality from the people and I find the peace that I need.

At that point of time, I was not sure what I was searching for; I just wanted to have a place where Ifeel safe and can relax. Somehow, this comfort has become something that I get week by week. Ever since then, this Church has become part of my life, become somewhere I recharge myself weekly, somewhere I feel comfortable to be, somewhere I can reflect on my behavior and somewhere I share the difficulties and joys.

I like the people, they are very friendly, full of fun and always concerned about each other. Positive energy always spreads around and makes your day! I like the worship, lots of new ideas and challenging discussion about the world, community, individuals. I have learned to love, to share, to appreciate and a lot more. I am still learning and still progressing, and the energy from this place has held my hand to step forward. I am happy and blessed to be able to be part of this and I am sure you will feel the same.

My past two years of life have been extra-ordinary, not because of what I have achieved, but because of how much I have grown and learned from such an amazing environment. This Church has turned my journey to another direction where I feel more fulfilled and happy. I thank God for bringing me here.

Charlotte Tan

Why I Came to Pilgrim

In my abusive childhood in the 1980s, I looked for God. In my teens in the 1990s, I found Him. Four years later I left the cult I'd joined. Spiritual extremes have marked my spiritual path over the past 20 years.

A friend invited me to Pilgrim; he wanted company and he knew I was a spiritual seeker. It wasn't what I expected.

Where were the 1970s hippies whose drug was Jesus Christ? Caring people, leaders, thinkers - people who make a difference in other people's lives - make up the congregation. The sermons are relevant and sometimes challenging.

Although I'd have preferred a Pentecostal style of worship, such churches discriminate against me, because I'm gay. I was hungry to put down spiritual roots. Pilgrim gave me a safe place to worship as an openly gay man.

Some gay friends ask: "Why cling to the Christian faith?" Sometimes I'd wondered myself. I now choose to be Christian to be right with God, inspired to live my best. In the wilderness years while I sought a spiritual home, I looked into many other religions and philosophies. None are as sensible to me as Christianity.

Ultimately, though, Christianity isn't supposed to be a triumph of ideas. You're not supposed to be won over by my compelling, logical arguments. Christianity, rather, is meant to be a triumph of relationships. The reason you become a Christian is because you see something in my life you're missing that you want.

Why I come to Pilgrim is because they have what I want. Why don't you please visit with us and see if we have what you want?

Daniel G Taylor

Turning

I have changed
my faith has changed
gone is the old prison
that had for so long
held me captive
not knowing there were other ways of thinking.
I’ve put aside old beliefs
outdated doctrines
meaningless dogmas
outmoded practices

I’ve turned and struggled to find
new ways of thinking
meaningful images
helpful concepts
creative metaphors
relevant ways that reflect the world in which I live

I now wait unanxious
I wait with the endless question
not knowing the answer
but inwardly knowing there isn’t an anwser
and that I don’t need an answer
I wait with the mystery
I wait and find the richness and the blessing in the waiting

Up until quite recently I had been a member of the Anglican Church my whole life. But I started reading some books on progressive Christianity and attended a couple of lectures which challenged me to really think about what I believe. After much reflection I found myself either doubting or rejecting many of the things I had believed all my life. This led to a period where I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Around this time I attended a workshop at the Effective Living Centre where I met several people from Pilgrim Uniting Church and they invited me to come along to Pilgrim and give it a go.

I have been attending the 9.30 am Community Worship Service at Pilgrim for over a year now and I really love it. I find these services thought provoking, challenging, spirit filled, at times reflective, always different and creative. At times I have been close to tears, the service has been so moving and meaningful.

I have found that Pilgrim embraces people who are at differing stages of their journeys - from those who are very traditional in what they believe through to those who are challenged with new ways of pondering the reality of God and of what the Christian faith means to them. I have appreciated being able to share with others about what we believe and what we have moved on from. It is great to feel that other people are travelling along a path similar to the one I am on.

At Pilgrim I have found people who are welcoming and friendly, people who are truly concerned with social justice issues and about how we as Christians can make a difference in the communities in which we live.

For me, Pilgrim Church has been like coming home. I feel in spite of being a relative new-comer that it is where I truly belong.

Helen Warmingham

Attracted

I have been asked to share with you how I was attracted to the Pilgrim Community, and who/what attracted me to it.

The initial reason for going to Pilgrim Church was because my husband and I were 'Church-hunting'. We had already checked out some churches in our neighborhood with no real success. The next step was to look in the city which was still reasonably close to where we lived at the time.

We had recently got married and decided to settle in Adelaide. Prior to this we enjoyed a 16 month working holiday overseas. Our travelling experiences certainly broadened our minds, and for me removed the 'blinkers' in terms of my Christian beliefs and values. This became an important factor in our Church decision.

So, what then attracted me to continue on in the Pilgrim Community?

1) The open-mindedness of people and the attitude that it's ok to question and challenge Christianity and our beliefs. In fact it's encouraged!

2) The friendly, welcoming nature of people but without feeling too overwhelmed or pressured.

3) The varied style and content of worship (no two services are ever the same!), with a number of people involved in the planning and running of the service. This was a refreshing change to my more conservative Church upbringing.

4) The strong commitment to social justice, which I had not experienced in any other Church Community

Regards,
Katherine