Monthly Archives: September 2017

From the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Rohingya Refugees

POTLUCK LUNCH – THIS WEEK!

Dear Friends,

I have been sick this week, having to visit McCormick Hospital and feeling rather sorry for myself.  Happily, the drugs I have received seem to be working and I am feeling better, though still tired.

Meanwhile, although, the situation in western Myanmar is no better, the Rohingya refugee situation has already fallen out of the news and our minds have moved on to other things.

But we have not forgotten.  This week we will have a special collection for Rohingya Refugees.   This money will go to the Bengali Humanitarian Relief Fund set up by Ben Svasti, the Honorary British Consul in Chiang Mai.  He writes:

In response to the plight of an estimated 430,000 civilians, mostly children, who recently moved from Myanmar to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, and who are in desperate need of humanitarian relief, a Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group has been set up with the support of some members of the diplomatic community in Chiang Mai.

The purpose of this strictly apolitical humanitarian group is to raise emergency relief funds and to provide essential humanitarian support to new arrivals crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border particularly children in this continuing desperate crisis. 

This tragedy is happening on our doorstep, just 600 km away, closer to us than Bangkok; it is too close to ignore.

I am sure members of All Saints will contribute generously to this fund.  You can find more details here.

This Week at All Saints

In contrast to the many need of the world, we will remember God’s generosity to us as we study the scriptures this Sunday.

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Exodus 17:1-7, Philippians 2:1-13, and Matthew 21:23-32, and we will be singing the hymns The King of Love My Shepherd Is, The Servant King, Spirit of the Living God, and Oh for a thousand Tongues to Sing!

The readings can be found via this link !

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.

This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign-up this week if you intend to come!

Join the Choir

Our service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Saturday 9th December.  Lannacapella Choir will be leading the worship.  They would love more singers.  If you would like to join to sing at this event, please see Chris or email her on christinebaw@gmail.com.

Potluck – This Week!

We will have a potluck lunch following our service on Sunday.  We can give thanks for all we have to share with one another.

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

Don’t Forget!

From the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Sometimes we feel that life just isn’t fair!  Sometimes it isn’t – why does a good person get cancer, and a bad one have a long and happy life?  This is one of the biggest questions in Christian theology.

The Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group

We will have a special collection for Rohingya Refugees on Sunday 1st October as part of our outreach to those whose experiences have certainly not been fair!  This money will go to the Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group, an organisation set up by Ben Svasti, the Honorary British Consul in Chiang Mai.  He writes:

In response to the plight of an estimated 430,000 civilians, mostly children, who recently moved from Myanmar to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, and who are in desperate need of humanitarian relief, a Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group has been set up with the support of some members of the diplomatic community in Chiang Mai.

The purpose of this strictly apolitical humanitarian group is to raise emergency relief funds and to provide essential humanitarian support to new arrivals crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border particularly children in this continuing desperate crisis. 

This tragedy is happening on our doorstep, just 600 kms away, closer to us than Bangkok; it is too close to ignore.

I am sure members of All Saints will contribute generously to this fund.  You can find more details here.

This Week at All Saints

In contrast to these dire situations, we on the other hand, have little reason to complain, but some people just like complaining and we see this in this week’s Old Testament and Gospel readings.  Do the complainers have a point?  Come and find out!

Tomorrow night we also have our next Theology on Tap meeting.  The topic is “doubt”.  See below for details!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday are Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:27-30, and Matthew 20:1-16, and we will be singing the hymns Alleluia Sing to Jesus,  Amazing Grace, Now Thank We All Our God, and All My Hope on God Is Founded!

The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be tomorrow night, Friday 22nd September. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This month’s topic is “doubt”!

From October we will begin meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the All Saints website.

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.

This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign if you intend to come.

Your favourite Hymns!

Last week I listed the top ten hymns used at All Saints.  If you have a favourite hymn you would like us to sing, then send me an email!

Join the Choir

Our service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Saturday 9th December.  Lannacapella Choir will be leading the worship.  They would love more singers.  If you would like to join to sing at this event, please see Chris or email her on christinebaw@gmail.com.

Our next Potluck – Sunday 1st October

We will have a potluck lunch on Sunday 1st October following our service which includes the collection for the Rohingya refugees.  We can give thanks for all we have to share with one another.

Congregation News

David Burdoin is still in Suan Dok hospital with acute anemia, but hopes to be going home tomorrow.  I am sure he would then appreciate visitors.  He sends thanks to everyone for their support and love.

Nate and Muyoung are expecting a baby girl!  Nate gave the happy announcement in church last Sunday.

God bless,

Iain

From the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Which are you?

Dear Friends,

As a young Christian, I was really confused about what it meant to be a strong Christian or a weak one!  It seemed to me that a strong Christian would faithfully keep all the laws, not drink or smoke, go to church every Sunday, do evangelism.  Surely that was what being “strong” was about?  As we shall see in this week’s New Testament reading, Paul had other ideas: he saw those law-keepers as being the ones weak in the faith, while those who seemed less particular he saw as being strong!

How could this be?  Find out this Sunday!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday are Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, and Matthew 18:21-35, and we will be singing the hymns Praise my Soul the King of Heaven, Jesu Jesu Fill us with Your Love, Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart, and When in our Music God is Glorified!

The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be next week on Friday 22nd September. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This month’s topic is “doubt”!

From October we will begin meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the All Saints website.

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.  This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign if you intend to come.

Top Ten Hymns

Those of you who like this sort of thing might like to know which hymns are the ten most frequently sung at All Saints.  They are:

Christ is made the Sure Foundation
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise
Let us Break Bread Together
All Creatures of our God and King
All People that on Earth do Dwell
For the Bread Which You Have Broken
Holy, Holy, Holy
All My Hope on God Is Founded
Praise my Soul the King of Heaven
Be Thou My Vision

Trustees Meeting

The All Saints’ trustees will meet next Monday night, beginning at 6 p.m.

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 the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Ready to move?

Dear Friends,

This week’s Old Testament reading tells the story of the first Passover.  The people were told to be ready, to cook and eat quickly, and keep no leftovers.  They were to be ready to move.  Likewise, in our New Testament reading, Paul reminds his readers that “the night is far gone, the day is near.”  They are to be ready!

What about us?  Are we travelling light?  Are we ready to answer God’s call whenever it comes?  Jesus gives us great authority, not to order hurricanes to change their path, but to share God’s love with the world.  We are literally commanded to “rewrite the rule-book”!

What exciting future does the Lord have in store for you? Find out at All Saints this Sunday.

Old One Hundredth Liturgy

This Sunday we will also have our special Old One Hundredth liturgy.  We will be singing the Gloria, the Creed, the Sanctus, and the Lord’s Prayer, to the tune of All People that on Earth do Dwell.   The sheet music is here and here, click on the links above for the music.

I hope we can joyfully worship God together as we repeat the words of God’s people to this get music of the faith.  Please give me your feedback!

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14, and Matthew 18:15-20, and we will be singing the hymns Let All the World in Every Corner Sing, One Bread One Body, and Go forth and tell.

The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be on Friday 22nd September. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This month’s topic is “doubt”!

From October we will begin meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the All Saints website.

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.

This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign if you intend to come.

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