Monthly Archives: October 2019

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Leaving church at 9:30 a.m.!!!!

Dear Friends,

Once again we will have the joy of travelling out to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival!  We will leave church at 9:30 a.m. and should be back by around 5 p.m.  (The full itinerary is below!)  We will again be joined by the children of the Youth Charity Foundation orphanage.

Harvest is a time for giving thanks!  We give thanks to God for our food and the wonders of creation, and we commit ourselves anew to be wise stewards of all God has entrusted to us!  Please join us if you can for this wonderful day, but email me on iain@AllSaintsChiangMai.com if you are coming – we don’t want to leave you behind and we need to ensure that we have enough cars!

Our readings for this Harvest Sunday will be from Deuteronomy 8:7-18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, and Matthew 6:25-33, and we will be singing the hymns Come Ye Thankful People Come, Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of Creation, Give Thanks with a grateful heart, and We Plow the Fields and Scatter!  Past services and sermons can be viewed via the All Saints audio-visual page!

Harvest Festival – This Sunday, 3rd November!

Program

9:30 Depart All Saints
10:45 (Approx) arrive Thung Dong Farm
11:30 Harvest Festival Service
12:45 Potluck
(Please bring food to share!)

Tour of the farm, games, or just relaxing.

1530 Tea and refreshments
1600 Depart the farm
1700 (Approx) arrive back at All Saints, Chiang Mai.

There is no cost involved for those wishing to join this service at the farm but the usual weekly offering will be made during the service.

We need to match the people coming to the number of cars so please email me if you intend to come!!!!!

Gymkhana Lunch

Our third weekly lunch at the Gymkhana Club will be at midday on Thursday!  Please feel free to join us!

Other November Events

Other events in November include Remembrance Sunday on 10th November – beginning at 10:30 a.m., and Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday 17th November!

All Saints’ Festival of Christmas Carols

Please put the date of Saturday 7th December for our Festival of Carols in your diaries!  This took a lot of arranging – but we got there in the end!  It will also be at a new venue: Nong Pratheep Church, which is across the Superhighway from Bangkok Hospital.  (Directions will be given nearer the time!)

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 worshipping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Last week I watched the movie, Coco.  It is a charming animated film in which a young boy journeys into the land of the dead on All Saints’ Eve to contact his ancestors.  It is based on the Mexican belief that the dead suffer when they are no longer remembered upon earth and there is nobody left to display their photo.

At the family shrine in the movie Coco

Whatever we think of their theology, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are important times to remember those who have gone before us, those we mourn, those who cared for us and made us who we are.  We will remember them this Sunday and remind ourselves of our never-ending connection with the saints in glory!

Our readings for this Sunday will be from Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, and Luke 6:20-31, and we will be singing the hymns For All the Saints, Sing With All the Saints in Glory, The saints of God their conflict past, Let us Build a House, and O When the Saints!  The readings can be found via this link and past services and sermons can be viewed via the All Saints audio-visual page!

Harvest Festival – Next Sunday, 3rd November!

A reminder that this will be a week on Sunday, 3rd November, and we will again journey out to the wonderful Thung Dong Farm!  Please sign up at the back of the church or send me an email if you intend to come!  We will leave the church at 9:30 a.m so don’t be late – and bring food to share for our potluck lunch!

Gymkhana Lunch

Our second weekly lunch at the Gymkhana Club will be at midday on Thursday!  Please feel free to join us!

Other November Events

Other events in November include Remembrance Sunday on 10th November – beginning at 10:30 a.m.,

and Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday 17th November!

All Saints’ Festival of Christmas Carols

Please put the date of Saturday 7th December for our Festival of Carols in your diaries!  This took a lot of arranging – but we got there in the end!  It will also be at a new venue: Nong Pratheep Church, which is across the Superhighway from Bangkok Hospital.  (Directions will be given nearer the time!)

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 worshipping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

You may have seen a sign in a shop saying “Do not ask for credit, as a refusal may offend!”  Are we like that with God, afraid to ask in case the answer is no, or even worse, that answer is yes?

Sometimes we may be afraid that we will get what we ask for, and we are more comfortable just to stay where we are!  What is God calling on you to ask for?  Is it scary, will it change your life?  Do we expect the unexpected?

Find out more this week at All Saints!

Our readings for this Sunday will be from Genesis 32:22-31, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, and Luke 18:1-8, and we will be singing the hymns Praise to the Lord the Almighty, Be Still for the Presence of the Lord, Seek Ye First, and Before the Throne of God Above!  The readings can be found via this link and past services and sermons can be viewed via the All Saints audio-visual page!

Last week’s Sermon

For those who missed it, last week’s sermon, “Be Thankful!” is now available on YouTube!

Last Week’s Potluck

We had an excellent lunch last Sunday – much enjoyed by all.  Thanks to everyone who contributed!

Gymkhana Lunch

Our first weekly lunch at the Gymkhana Club went well with five people in attendance.  Next week we will meet again at midday, this time on Thursday!  Please join us if you can!

Harvest Festival

A reminder that this will be on Sunday 3rd November and we will again journey out to the wonderful Thung Dong Farm!  Please sign up at the back of the church or send me an email if you intend to come!

We will leave the church at 9:30 a.m so don’t be late – and bring food to share for our potluck lunch!

All Saints Day Service

To accommodate our Harvest Festival, this year’s celebration of All Saints Day will be on Sunday 27th October!

November Events

Other events in November include Remembrance Sunday on 10th November – beginning at 10:30 a.m., and Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday 17th November!

All Saints’ Festival of Christmas Carols

Please put the date of Saturday 7th December for our Festival of Carols in your diaries!  This took a lot of arranging – but we got there in the end!  It will also be at a new venue: Nong Pratheep Church, which is across the Superhighway from Bangkok Hospital.  (Directions will be given nearer the time!)

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 worshipping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Christmas celebration at McKean Leprosy Mission

Dear Friends,

In this week’s Gospel reading we see Jesus healing ten people with leprosy.  Only one comes back to thank Jesus, and he was a Samaritan – not even a Jew!  Are we thankful people?  Do we give thanks for all God has done for us and all that God has given us, or do we always want more?  This week we will seek God’s way for our lives, and give thanks!

Our readings for this Sunday will be from Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, and Luke 17:11-19, and we will be singing the hymns Holy Holy Holy, Will you come and Follow Me, Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart, and Now Thank We All Our God!  The readings can be found via this link and past services and sermons can be viewed via the All Saints audio-visual page!

Potluck – This Sunday 13th October!

Our October Potluck will be this week!   Please bring food to share!  All are very welcome!

Gymkhana Lunch

Lunch at the Gymkhana Club, midday, Tuesday 15th October!

One of the board members of the Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club would like to develop more links between the Club and All Saints and the wider community.  Last Sunday I suggested that perhaps some All Saints people would like to share a weekly lunch at the Club.  Tuesday seems to be a good day for many people.  We shall try this next week and see how it goes.

Of course, some people will not be able to make it as they are working, but equally there are others who do not like to go out at night.  Hopefully, we will also have more events to follow for the night owls!

Anglican Chant Notation

We will continue to chant a bit of our liturgy this week.  You will see marks like this | and like this *.  | means a bar or measure line in the music, and * means halfway through the verse.  This helps to fit in the words to the chant.  · after a word means it has more than one syllable on the same note.  Previously we use italic underline in the psalms to indicate the changing part at the end of the phrase.  We will see how it goes this week!

Harvest Festival

A reminder that this will be on Sunday 3rd November and we will again journey out to the wonderful Thung Dong Farm!  Please save the date and plan to be there!

All Saints Day Service

To accommodate our Harvest Festival, this year’s celebration of All Saints Day will be on Sunday 27th October!

All Saints’ Festival of Christmas Carols

Please put the date of Saturday 7th December for our Festival of Carols in your diaries!  This took a lot of arranging – but we got there in the end!  It will also be at a new venue: Nong Pratheep Church, which is across the Superhighway from Bangkok Hospital.  (Directions will be given nearer the time!)

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 worshipping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

The Peak District National Park

Dear Friends,

My parents’ home is only a few miles from the Peak District National Park.  The Park is divided between the southern White Peak with its gently rolling hills, and the more rugged northern Dark Peak with its brooding moorland.  Limestone is the underlying rock in the White Peak, while the Dark Peak is comprised of a rough sandstone called millstone grit.  

As its name suggests, millstone grit was used for making millstones as the rough stone would swiftly grind corn, wheat, or barley, into flour.  The Derbyshire countryside is littered with abandoned millstones and I grew up very familiar with these strange stone wheels.

Abandoned Millstones litter the ground!

With this in mind, Jesus’ metaphor of the peril of having one of these great stones tied around your neck while you were cast into the sea was always a vivid one for me.  In this week’s Gospel we read of the peril of causing a brother to sin, or of failing to forgive, as Jesus makes this comparison.  Find out more about the power and necessity of forgiveness this week at All Saints.

Our readings for this Sunday will be from Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4, 2 Timothy 1:1-2, 8-14, Luke 17:1-10, and we will be singing the hymns All Creatures of our God and King, Before the Throne of God Above, Brother Sister Let me Serve You, and And Can it be?  The readings can be found via this link and past services and sermons can be viewed via the All Saints audio-visual page!

Anglican Chant Notation

We will chant a bit of our liturgy this week.  You will see marks like this | and like this *.  | means a bar or measure line in the music, and * means halfway through the verse.  This helps to fit in the words to the chant.   · after a word means it has more than one syllable on the same note.   Previously we use italic underline in the psalms to indicate the changing part at the end of the phrase.  We will see how it goes this week!

Potluck – Sunday 13th!

Our October Potluck will be next week on Sunday 13th!  It is good to eat and share together!

Harvest Festival

A reminder that this will be on Sunday 3rd November and we will again journey out to the wonderful Thung Dong Farm!  Please save the date and plan to be there!

All Saints Day Service

To accommodate our Harvest Festival, this year’s celebration of All Saints Day will be on Sunday 27th October!

All Saints’ Festival of Christmas Carols

Please put the date of Saturday 7th December for our Festival of Carols in your diaries!  This took a lot of arranging – but we got there in the end!  It will also be at a new venue: Nong Pratheep Church, which is across the Superhighway from Bangkok Hospital.  (Directions will be given nearer the time!)

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 worshipping with us,

God bless,

Iain