From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai
Our Lady of Gaza
Dear Friends,
Two years ago armed men burst out of the relatively comfortable prison camp that was Gaza, and killed hundreds of Israeli citizens – some of them innocent civilians – and took over a hundred captive. Undoubtedly, war crimes were committed and any death is a tragedy, but since then the Israeli military has killed over 100,000 people – the majority women and children – and made 2,000,000 people homeless. Now many of them are starving to death.
The picture above is an icon of mother and child based upon a photo of a starving child in Gaza, held in his mothers arms. His name is Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a child in Gaza City. He has a muscle disorder that requires physical therapy and specialized nutrition, and he faces life-threatening malnutrition as the humanitarian situation worsens due to ongoing Israeli attacks and the blockade. Having dropped from 9 to 6 kilograms (approximately 20 to 13 pounds), he struggles to survive in a tent and wears a diaper made from a trash bag. I hesitate to show the actual photo, but we must not look away.
What makes this famine different is that it is deliberate, with mountains of food just a few miles away, and the regime engineering mass starvation continues to receive practical support from our western countries.
What can we do? We can pray – and prayer changes things! But we must act too – we cannot stay silent. Those of us who live in Thailand cannot march in the streets – if we’re not Thai then they’re not our streets to march in – but we can lobby our own governments, we can share on social media, we can be a “voice in the wilderness, declaring ‘Prepare the way for the Lord!'”
As I said in my sermon last week, the second line of the Lord’s Prayer is “Your Kingdom come” and we’re called upon not just to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, but to work for it – a place where the blind see, the sick are healed, and the hungry are fed!
As we work and pray, our voice is slowly being heard by those in power. Let us continue to build God’s Kingdom and prepare the way for the Lord!
Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be from Ecclesiastes 1 & 2, Acts 8:26-35, and Matthew 2:13-18, and we will be singing the hymns All People that on Earth do Dwell; O Lord, the Clouds are Gathering; Beauty for Brokenness; and Christ, be our Light!
Use this link to join on Zoom on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 548 801 501
Last Week’s Service!
Video of last Sunday’s service is available on the All Saints YouTube channel!
Cassandra’s Baptism
It was a great joy to witness Cassandra’s baptism at All Saints last Sunday. Please hold her in your prayers.
Goodbye to Clay
Last Service
Also last week, we said goodbye to our intern, Clay. God willing, he’ll be back!
At the Airport
Welcome Back Service & Potluck – 17th August
We will have a special “Welcome Back” service on Sunday 17th August as international schools begin the new school year. Our choir of children from the Youth Charity Foundation will be leading our worship and the service will be followed by a potluck lunch at the vicarage.
Chili Night
Chili Night continues! Every Tuesday everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided. Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!) All are welcome. Food is served at 6 p.m.
Please make a THB 100 donation.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
God bless you,
Vicar Iain (he/they/she)
All Saints' Chiang Mai 