Monthly Archives: November 2015

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Decorating the Church on Advent Sunday!

POTLUCK THIS WEEK!

Dear Friends,

The Christmas season is nearly upon us.  This Sunday we will celebrate Advent Sunday!  The 11 a.m. service will be followed by a potluck as we all join together to decorate the church for Christmas.  This was a wonderful introduction to the Christmas season last year, as you can see in the picture above, so please bring food to share and enjoy this beginning of our festivities!

This week the liturgy will include the lighting of the first candle on our Advent Wreath, and we will also sing a new setting of the Gloria.  This version was written by Healey Willan in 1928 and should be familiar to some of the American Episcopalians among us.  Members of our choir for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, have also been practicing!

All Saint‘s Advent Crown!

Meanwhile, our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Saturday 12th December is now just over two weeks away!    The service will begin at 7pm and is being held in The Prince Royal’s College Chapel.  Representatives of foreign consulates and other organisations have already agreed to take part and it should be a wonderful community event.

Tickets are being sold for THB100 in aid of the McKean Rehabilitation Center and are now available for sale at the church, in Bake and Bite, and at the Chiang Mai International School front office.  The service will be followed by coffee and cake, and maybe mulled wine, back at All Saints.  Volunteers are still needed to take charge of this.

Tickets, and posters advertising both the Nine Lessons and Carols, and our other Christmas events will again be available for distribution this Sunday and can be seen below.

Also, coming up on Wednesday 9th December at 7:30pm there will be a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Payap University.  It will be in the Leviticus Auditorium (on the MaeKhao Campus – in the Law Building east of the Ring Road 1) Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Let me know if you would like to go.

This week our readings are Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, and Mark 13:24-37, and we will be singing the hymns O Come O Come Emmanuel, God you alone know what you’ve planned, Sing we the King who is coming to reign, and Come thou long expected Jesus!   The readings can be found via this link!

Our sermon is entitled Come, Lord Jesus!

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.

Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.

All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday we had a wonderful service to mark Remembrance Sunday.  Harvey played the Last Post, and we observed the two minutes silence to remember the victims of wars.  It was truely an uplifting service, despite its somber theme, and I came away greatly encouraged!  God is with us – even in this world of tears!

Soon we will move from the season of remembrance to the season of anticipation, Advent, when we look forward to the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

Firstly, November 29th, in two weeks’ time, is Advent Sunday.  The 11 a.m. service will be followed by a potluck as we all join together to decorate the church for Christmas.  This was a wonderful introduction to the Christmas season last year, so please mark it in your diaries.

Meanwhile, Choir rehearsals are now in full swing for our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Saturday 12th December, which is now just over four weeks away!    The service will begin at 7pm and is being held in The Prince Royal’s College Chapel.  Representatives of foreign consulates and other organisations have already agreed to take part and it should be a wonderful community event.

Tickets are being sold for THB100 in aid of the McKean Rehabilitation Center and are now available for sale.  The service will be followed by coffee and cake, and maybe mulled wine, back at All Saints.  Volunteers are needed to take charge of this.

Tickets, and posters advertising both the Nine Lessons and Carols, and our other Christmas events will be available for distribution this Sunday.

Finally, Harvey would like to invite everyone to Latin Night on 17th November at Chiang Mai International School.

The evening will focus on music of Spain and Latin America.  You will hear the bands of CMIS while gorging on an all you can eat Mexican buffet, included in the price of the ticket.  Tickets are THB600 in advance or THB700 on the night.   The buffet will open at 5:30 p.m.

This week our readings are 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hebrews 10:11-25 and Mark 13:1-8, and we will be singing the hymns Holy, holy, holy, Be thou my vision, Come down O love divine, and In Christ alone my hope is found.  The readings can be found via this link!

Our sermon is entitled Do not be afraid!

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,
This week we will mark Remembrance Sunday with a special combined service at 10:30 a.m.  This year’s commemoration occurs as wars continue to rage in Syria, Iraq, and many other parts of the world.  It appears that very often today wars are within countries rather than between countries and the rules of the Geneva Conventions are more often ignored than complied with.  In our suffering world we need now, more than ever, to pray for peace and justice, and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, whether for their country or for standing up for what is right in their own lands.

Our service will include the playing of the Last Post followed by two minutes silence at 11:00 a.m.   Our readings are Isaiah 2:3-4, Revelation 21:1-6, and Mark 13:5-13, and we will be singing the hymns O God our help in ages past, Abide with me, All my hope on God is founded, and The day thou gavest Lord is ended.  Our sermon is entitled We must remember!

November 11th is Remembrance Day itself.  There will be a short ceremony at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery beginning at 10:30 a.m. organised by the Royal British Legion. This will be followed by lunch at the Gymkhana Club. Everyone from All Saints is welcome to join.

God bless,

Iain