From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai
Power
Dear Friends,
There’s an old children’s song which you probably know. It goes like this:
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
Keep me burning till the break of day
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King of Kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King!
It is based on this week’s Gospel Reading and the parallel passage in Matthew. We also used to sing another “modern” verse – well, modern in the 1970s!
Give me batteries in my torch, keep me shining.
Give me batteries in my torch, I pray.
Give me batteries in my torch, keep me shining.
Keep me shining till the break of day.
Ever ready, ever ready,
Ever ready for the King of Kings!
Ever ready, ever ready,
Ever ready to serve the Lord!
Ever Ready batteries, with their distinctive red logo and blue body, were the ubiquitous source of portable power long before the invention of rechargeable devices and USB leads! If you were going somewhere with a radio or torch (flash light for Americans!) then you’d better take some spare batteries for they could suddenly run out! I suppose powerbanks are the modern equivalent.
The line ‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit’ from our Gospel reading, could be rendered ‘Be dressed for action and have your phones charged.’ as a present day metaphor.
The underlying question is the same: are we ready for the Lord’s return? You don’t have to believe in a literal second coming to ask the question. Are our lives up to God’s standard? Would we be ready to meet our maker if we were hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow?
Are we ever ready for the King?
Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be from Genesis 15:1-6, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, and Luke 12:32-40, and we will be singing the hymns Praise my Soul the King of Heaven; Men of Faith; Be Still for the Presence of the Lord; and Onward, Christian People!
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!
Welcome Back Service & Potluck – Next Sunday 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 – A Week’s Break!
No Chili Night next week! It will return on Tuesday 19th August!
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 