Monthly Archives: May 2016

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Many churches have a sign reading “All are Welcome!” proudly displayed outside their building.  At All Saints our sign contains the same phrase, but is it true?  It is easy to welcome people like ourselves.  Perhaps that is why we have plenty of married couples, single people, and gay men, but not many families with small children.

We are not a typical congregation.  Although our age demographic is fairly typical for a western church, last week we had vastly more men than women in the congregation. Meanwhile, the Church as a whole is largely composed of women, but firmly controlled by men, and sexual and other minorities, if welcomed at all, are expected to shut up and take a seat at the back.  As a worldwide church, we have a long way to go to reach God’s kingdom of justice and peace!

This week’s gospel reading is the story of Jesus healing a centurion’s servant.  It is a story with hidden depths. Jesus highly commends the faith of an outsider, a non-Jew and occupying enemy soldier, saying “not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  And there may be even more to this story – come this Sunday to find out!

Meanwhile, most of you will have heard about the fire at Pitakkiat Wittaya School in Chiang Rai.  What can we do to help?  We can have an offering next week if we find the correct contact details, but can we do more?  There are many other dormitories throughout Thailand where basic safety measures are missing.  Simple, cheap, smoke detectors may have prevented this tragedy.  Can we begin a program to supply them and train in fire safety?  We can discuss this following the service on Sunday.

Another cause for our concern is the legal appeal for the two Burmese workers convicted of murder in Koh Tao, which has just been launched.  They would appreciate greetings cards, notebooks, pens, pencils or easy to read English story books to ease their incarceration in prison.

Their current prison address is:

Wai Phyo 590018, Zaw Lin 590082
Building 5,
Bangkwang Central Prison,
117 Nonthaburi Road,
NONTHABURI 11000,
THAILAND

Finally, on a much happier note, the singing group “Lannacapella” is now meeting at All Saints every Thursday at 3 p.m.  Any one interested in joining the group is warmly invited to come along!  They especially need men!

This week’s readings are 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43, Galatians 1:1-12, and Luke 7:1-10, and we will be singing the hymns Praise with joy the world’s Creator, a new version of Stand up stand up for Jesus, Break Thou the Bread of Life, and The world needs love.

The readings can be found via this link!

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Pentecost Worship last Sunday

(No 9:15 a.m. service this week!)

Dear Friends,

We had a wonderful Pentecost service last week, which ended with each of us lighting a candle from the big Paschal candle and symbolically carrying them out into the world, taking forth the light of Christ. The service was followed by a potluck lunch which all enjoyed.

This week is Trinity Sunday when we rejoice in the relationships in the Godhead.  Relationship is at the heart of God himself.  Come to our combined service at 11 a.m. and rejoice in the love that is at the heart of God!  Let us not give up meeting together as some have done!

This week’s readings are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, and John 16:12-15, and we will be singing the hymns Holy Holy Holy, We All Believe in One True God, We Join in Proclaiming, and Christ is made the Sure Foundation!  The readings can be found via this link!

God has blessed us with many wonderful people,including you!  We would like to see you soon.

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Pentecost Sunday

Don’t forget – Potluck this Sunday!

God bless,Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

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Dear Friends,

In last week’s sermon I talked about our vision as a church.  We need to be a community of love, supporting one another and reaching out to the world.  This is a big ask, but we don’t act alone: we have a risen and ascended saviour interceding for us!  This is the heart of the gospel: God is with us!

This Sunday we will use the readings for Ascension Day which falls on this coming Thursday. They are Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, and Luke 24:44-53, and we will be singing the hymns All for Jesus, Christ is Alive, Christ whose Glory fills the Skies, and Go forth and Tell.  The readings can be found via this link!

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