Fruitful?

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Click here to join the Service this Sunday!
Our Congregational Meeting will follow the service!

Dear Friends,

Jesus calls his disciples to be fruitful, and Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Are we fruitful?

In this week’s Gospel reading Jesus tells the parable of the sower.  How fruitful we are depends on what type of soil we are.  How can we become better soil?  In gardening it often helps to apply manure.  Perhaps that’s what will help improve us as soil too!  When we experience the bad things in life we develop character and grow.

Although we should not seek out difficulties, we can take comfort that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger!  Join us on Sunday to explore this further!  Our virtual service will again be this Sunday at 6 p.m. in Thailand, to worship together.  (7 a.m. in New York, midday in the U.K., and 1 p.m. in Europe and Egypt!)

We are planning to restart face-to-face worship at All Saints next month!  See below for details!

Click here to join the Service this Sunday!

Worshipping Together!

Last week’s service can be viewed here!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be Isaiah 55:10-13, Romans 8:1-11, and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, and we will be singing the hymns Praise to the Lord the Almighty, Now the green blade rises, I the Lord of Sea and Sky, and The Church’s One Foundation.

Our service will consist of our usual Eucharistic worship!  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.

The words of this Sunday’s bulletin is pasted below at the end of this email, or you can download it as a pdf to view or print from this link.

You can then read and join in the liturgy if you wish.

Face-to-Face Worship at All Saints

We are planning to restart face-to-face worship at All Saints on Sunday 2nd August. This will have many special precautions and we are working now to plan how this can be done as safely as possible.  More details at our Congregational Meeting this Sunday

The services will be shared on Zoom so that those who cannot, or do not feel happy to, attend in person, can still join!

Congregational Meeting

We will have a virtual congregational meeting following the service this Sunday.  This is to let everyone know what is happening at All Saints and give people the chance to ask questions.  It should not last too long!

Thursday Discussion Group – 7 p.m.

This week we will have our own open-ended discussion.  The topic is “Simplicity and the Christian Life.”  Bring your ideas!  You can read this article by Richard Rohr is preparation.

The link to the Zoom meeting is here!  Please join us at 7 p.m. Thai time today!

All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch

This is now a weekly event!  Yesterday, a group from All Saints again gathered for lunch!  Why not join next week?  (You don’t need to be a member of the Gymkhana Club to attend!)  We will be meeting at the Gymkhana Club at midday every Wednesday!

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 – we are receiving approximately our normal monthly offering!

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 me 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

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Hymn:   
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

The Greeting

The Lord be with you! And also with you!

Words of welcome

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
….

Most merciful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.

Gloria:             Glory to God

The Collect

Old Testament Reading:
Isaiah 55:10-13

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 119

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 8:1-11

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.

The Gospel Reading:
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

The Creed
(From the New Zealand
Anglican Prayer Book)

You, O God,
are supreme and holy.
You create our world
and give us life.
Your purpose over-arches
everything we do.
You have always been with us.
You are God.

You, O God,
are infinitely generous,
good beyond all measure.
You came to us
before we came to you.
You have revealed and proved
Your love for us
in Jesus Christ,
Who lived and died and rose again.
You are God.
Amen.

Hymn:
Now the Green Blade Rises

Prayers of Intercession

Response:     
Lord, help us to fix ourselves
entirely on you as our goal:
In your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let our prayers and praises
ill your temple, O Father,
as you send forth your Spirit
into the world
to empower your children
to do the deeds of your Son
and to be signs of your divine presence;
We pray in the name of
our Saviour Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns with you,
O Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
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.

Offering and Preparation of the Table

Hymn:
I, the Lord of Sea and Sky

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
to the Lord our God.
It is right to give
thanks and praise.
…. 

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and singing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might,
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.
….

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.
….

The Lord’s Prayer

Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
Our Father in heaven…

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

Grant, O Lord,
we beseech you,
that the course of this world
may be so peaceably ordered
      by your governance,
that your Church
may joyfully serve you
in all godly quietness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  
Amen!

Hymn:
The Church’s One Foundation

Blessing and Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ.  Amen.