From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai
Good Friday in 2018
Dear Friends,
This will be a Holy Week like no other. From Rome to Jerusalem, New York to Chiang Mai, churches will stand empty! But, God’s people will still be “meeting” together, we will still be remembering the events of Good Friday and celebrating the joy of Easter Day!
At All Saints you can join us at 6 p.m. on Good Friday and Easter Sunday on the Zoom app. The services will later be available on YouTube for those who can’t manage Zoom.
The links to both services are here. Simply click on the links around 15 minutes before each service. (This gives time to iron-out any technical difficulties!)
Click here to join the Good Friday Service!
Click here to join the Easter Sunday Service!
If you missed it, last week’s Palm Sunday service can now be seen here!
Our Palm Sunday gathering!
6 p.m. in Thailand, is midday in the UK, 1 p.m. in Europe and Egypt, and 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time in the US. We will again be joined by friends around the world!
In this time of lock-down, health workers, and others, around the world are risking their own lives to save others. They could chose to stay safely at home, to “self-isolate” like most of the rest of us, yet they are putting their lives on the line for us! This can be a metaphor for the Christ who chose to go to the Cross for us. Who, in the Garden of Gethsemane, said to the Father, “Your will, not mine be done!”, who was urged by the thief on the Cross to “Save himself!”, and yet did not!
It is the calling on our lives, where called upon, to lay down our lives for others too! May we remember this this Holy Week of 2020!
Good Friday last year!
Meanwhile, let us worship God together and give thanks for all we do have!
On Good Friday we have a special Tenebrae Service at 6 p.m. This is a solemn and moving service of hymns and readings, where candles are extinguished as the service progresses through the last days of Jesus life leading up to the crucifixion!
Our scripture readings for Good Friday will be Matthew 26:17-29, Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 15:1-15, Matthew 27:45-54, Isaiah 52:13-53:5, and Matthew 27:62-66, and we will sing the hymns When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, O Sacred Head Now Wounded, How deep the Father’s love for us, My Song is Love Unknown, Were You There When They Crucified My Lord, and O Love that Will Not Let Me Go!
Easter Sunday last year
Then on Easter Sunday we will have our joyous resurrection Eucharist also at 6 p.m. Our scripture readings for Easter Sunday will be Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, and John 20:1-18, and we will be singing the hymns Jesus Christ is Risen Today, The Day of Resurrection, Christ is Alive, and Thine Be the Glory!
Our Palm Sunday Eucharist last week
Our Easter Sunday 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 Good Friday and Easter Sunday bulletins are on our “EASTER SERVICES” page, or you can download them as a pdf to view or print from these links:
You can then read and join in the liturgy if you wish.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
Although we are not meeting together face-to-face, the expenses of All Saints remain – indeed, they may increase as we seek to support those in need!
Although there is no basket being passed around in our service, you can still give your offering. People in Thailand can transfer directly to the church bank account. (Which is in my name, but managed by our treasurer, Don Williams.) Thanks to all those who have already given!
The details are:
Account Name: Iain Girvin Baxter
Bank: Krungsri Bank
Account Number: 7181-05586-5
SWIFT Code: AYUDTHBK
Those in the UK, or with UK banking, can donate via All Saints Chiang Mai Mission. Their account details are:
Bank: Coop Bank
Account Name: All Saints Chiang Mai Mission
Account Number: 65877142
Sort Code: 08-92-99
Alternatively, you can donate with PayPal or with any debit or credit card via the All Saints Website on the Donate Page.
Please email Don on dbjkwms@gmail.com if you would like a receipt.
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,
Father Iain
All Saints' Chiang Mai 