From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai
Our Worship Last Sunday
Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Dear Friends,
We are now an online church! We will meet online again this Sunday using the Zoom platform at the slightly later time of 6 p.m. Thai time. This is to enable friends in the US to join us. Anyone can join us from around the world. 6 p.m. in Thailand is 11 a.m. in the UK, midday in Europe, 1 p.m. in Egypt, and 7 a.m. in New York. Please join us it would be great to be joined by friends from around the world!
This week Christa Crawford will be preaching. Her preaching was scheduled long before this all began, but it will be great to hear her online though not in person!
These are strange times. As I said at the end of last week’s service, you will be feeling very stressed even if you don’t realise it! This will make us lose patience with one another, become angry with the person in the supermarket or at immigration, and it will make people lose patience with us!
Being aware of this can help. Some of us just spent four weeks studying forgiveness – now we will all have the opportunity to put that into practice! None of us are perfect, we will make mistakes and say the wrong thing. As our liturgy says, we will sin through ignorance, through weakness, and through our own deliberate fault. We need to be loving and forgiving people!
I hope you can join us on Sunday! This is the link to this week’s “meeting”. Just click here before the service on Sunday to join. (The meeting ID is 548 801 501 if you need it!)
The service will consist of our usual Eucharistic worship – and we will have some hymns this week! All are welcome to join in the prayers and liturgy, to listen to the readings and sermon, and to receive virtual communion if they feel comfortable.
If you want to receive virtual communion then have a small piece of bread and a small glass of wine or grape juice prepared. Whether “virtual communion” is effective is something for a theological discussion, but I am sure that God will bless our actions at this time if we act in a loving and reverent manner.
The words of the bulletin are pasted below at the end of this email, or you can download them as a pdf to view or print from this link, so that you can read and join in the liturgy if you wish. The scripture readings for this Sunday will be Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, and John 11:1-45, and we will be singing the hymns Will your Anchor Hold, It is well with my Soul, and Christ be our Light!
You don’t need to be in Chiang Mai, or Thailand, to join in, and I will be leading our worship from the UK. If you are unable to join us at 6 p.m. on Sunday, or don’t wish to use Zoom, the service will be recorded and will be available on YouTube shortly afterwards. Following the service we will have “virtual coffee” when people can stay and chat for longer! (Have your coffee ready to go!!!)
You can also view past services and sermons via the All Saints audio-visual page including last week’s online worship! This is a great place to catch up if you’ve been away! Each sermon only lasts around 15 minutes.
People needing prayer
Please pray for our deacon Gene who may have got the Corona Virus. He is currently in New York and self-isolating.
Pray also for William Aldis who had surgery to remove the pin in his shoulder on Wednesday.
Chiang Mai Health & Safety News
Ben Svasti, the honorary British Consul, has set up a Facebook page to relay useful information in English at the request of the Governor of Chiang Mai. This can be found at Chiang Mai Health & Safety News.
Please pay close attention to this useful source of information and share the link with friends.
Keeping in Touch
At this time of isolation it is important that we keep in touch with each other. We have an All Saints church directory with a list of many people’s phone numbers, so if you would like a copy please email me, on iain@AllSaintsChiangMai.com and I will send it to you.
Please feel free to share this email. People may be feeling especially alone and vulnerable at this time. Let them know that we are there for them and that God is with us!
God bless,
Iain
Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 29th 2020
Welcome to Worship
(Congregational Copy)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Greeting
The Lord be with you! And also with you!
Words of welcome
First Hymn: Will Your Anchor Hold?
Prayer of Preparation
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers of Penitence
….
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
….
We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love:
fill us with your Spirit.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith:
fill us with your Spirit.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust:
fill us with your Spirit.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
The Collect
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice;
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you shall be feared.
I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;
in his word is my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the night watch for the morning,
more than the night watch for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy;
With him is plenteous redemption
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be
World without end, Amen
New Testament Reading: Romans 8:6-11
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
The Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon – Christa Crawford
Hymn: It is well with my Soul
The Apostles’ Creed
I trust in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I trust in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I trust in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Response: Lord, Breathe on us, breath of God,
and fill us with life anew:
In your mercy, hear our prayer
Through the living Spirit given to us in Christ, O God,
you have set us free to live.
By the power of the Spirit,
may your kingdom come,
and your will be done,
that we may rejoice in the gift of salvation
Jesus has won for us. Amen.
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you! And also with you!
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Peace be with you. Peace to All!
Song: Make me a Channel of your Peace – Chris Tananone
Offering and Preparation of the Table
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord is here. God’s Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks It is right to give
to the Lord our God. thanks and praise.
… As we prepare to celebrate this most strange of Easter feasts, but with joyful hearts and minds, may we bless you for your mercy and join with saints and angels for ever praising you and singing:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the Highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the Highest.
….
The mystery of faith:
We proclaim your death, O Lord,
And profess your resurrection
Until you come again.
…and unite us in the body of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
To you be glory and praise for ever.
…we worship you, Father almighty,
in songs of everlasting praise:
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.
Giving of Communion
We share in the Body and Blood of Christ
Prayer after Communion
Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us
that what we do for the least
of our brothers and sisters
we do also for you:
give us the will to be the servant of others
as you were the servant of all,
and gave up your life and died for us,
but are alive and reign, now and for ever.
Amen.
Final Hymn: Christ be our Light!
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
All Saints' Chiang Mai 