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From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Saints come in all shapes and sizes!

POTLUCK THIS SUNDAY

Dear Friends,

This Sunday we will celebrate All Saints Day with a special service and a potluck at the vicarage to follow.  We are all saints.  But are saints and sinners two mutually exclusive groups?  Perhaps, but not really. For one reason yesterday’s saint could be tomorrow’s sinner and vice versa.

Dom Hélder Câmara, a Brazilian Roman Catholic Archbishop, famously said “When I feed the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist!”  The Kadesh were gender-diverse people serving in the temple in Jerusalem. They were called holy ones or saints, but later were defamed and called shrine prostitutes when they fell out of favour with those in power.

In Luke’s account of the Beatitudes, Jesus says

“Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
  for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

Being holy, being a saint, is the opposite of being holier than thou. It’s not about looking good or looking holy but it’s about reaching out in love to all those around us.  It’s not quite about being our true selves. Our true selves may need a little bit of work doing on them, but it’s about being the best self, the best person that God created us to be: being who we are, but the better version.

If someone is truly holy people won’t say, “What a holy person,” but they may say, “What a kind person,” “What a caring person,” “What a good person.” We will be somebody people want to spend time with.

So let’s be holy. Let’s be All Saints and then we can share God’s love with the world around us.

We have a busy month ahead, with All Saints Day, Remembrance Sunday, and Transgender Day of Remembrance Sunday.  And then we will be into Advent!  But God is good, and we can give thanks and pray for our world together!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, and Matthew 5:1-12, and we will be singing the hymns For All the Saints; For all the Saints who’ve Shown your Love; Bless the Lord oh my soul; Sing with all the Saints in Glory; and O when the Saints go Marching in!

We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel.
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

Video of Last Week’s Service



Video highlights of last week’s service are available on the All Saints YouTube channel.


Pizza Potluck Night at MCC, Wednesday, the 4th of November.



Bring pizza toppings and food and drinks to go with pizza.


Chili Night Returns on Wednesday 11th November!

Chili night is now fortnightly (every two weeks) so the next one will be on WEDNESDAY 11th November!


All Saints’ Day



On Sunday, the 1st of November, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day. This will be followed by a potluck at the vicarage.


Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday



On Sunday 8th and Wednesday 11th November we will remember victims of war and together declare “never again!”

Sunday 8th November is Remembrance Sunday.  We will gather at All Saints at 10:30 a.m. to remember victims of war and armed conflict around the world. The service will include two minutes silence at 11 a.m. and hymns will include The Day Thou Gavest Lord is Ended, and Abide with Me.

On Wednesday 11th, I will lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery.  Please assemble at 10:30 a.m.  Directions to the Foreign Cemetery can be found here!




Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service



A vigil will take place at the vicarage on the evening of Friday 20th November beginning at 7 p.m.

Then on Sunday 22nd November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to me! On Friday November 27, 2026, I will be 60 years old!

Everyone is invited to a party at my house to celebrate. It will be a costume party with a buffet and soft drinks provided.  Everyone is welcome but please let me know if you are coming so we can ensure there is enough food for everyone.  Costume (UK: fancy dress) is optional.

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,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

A Jewish demonstrator supporting Palestine

Dear Friends,

Three years ago I wrote:

I am feeling frustrated.  The Eighteenth Century philosopher, Edmund Burke, is reported to have said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  With the on-going bombing and siege in Gaza, I feel I am doing nothing!

War is always a terrible thing as we have seen in Ukraine, Myanmar, and Syria, but this time my own government is supporting the aggressor, the oppressive military superpower behind a fifty year illegal military occupation.  I hear stories from friends in the region who have lost family members.

We are called to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”, and I am praying, but what more can we do?  The most urgent need is for a ceasefire, and then the real and meaningful delivery of food, water, medicine, and fuel.  We need to lobby our governments to do all they can to bring this about.

Three years have passed and little has changed. Russia continues to bomb Ukraine, seemingly now supported by the President of the United States. Although things have quietened down in Gaza, the siege continues and hundreds of people are still being killed. Meanwhile in the West Bank, Jewish terrorists are free to rampage and kill. We indeed need to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Three years ago I continued:

In three weeks’ time I will be leading the Remembrance Day Observance at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery, let us pray that by then the bombs and missiles will have stopped, hostages will have been released, and the almost impossible work of reconciliation will have begun.

The work of reconciliation seems further away than ever, both in Ukraine and in the Holy Land. Yet we are called to love our neighbor, not just love them a bit, but love our neighbor as ourselves. How can we do this? This is what I’ve been preaching upon this Sunday.

The readings for this Sunday will be from Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, and Matthew 22:34-46, and we will be singing the hymns When Morning Gilds the Skies, In Christ there is no East or West, When I needed a Neighbour, and O God of Earth and Altar!

We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel.
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

Video of Last Week’s Service



Video highlights of last week’s service are available on the All Saints YouTube channel.


Chili Night Returns Next Week!

Chili night is now fortnightly (every two weeks) so the next one will be on WEDNESDAY 28th October!


All Saints’ Day



On Sunday, the 1st of November, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day. This will be followed by a potluck at the vicarage.


Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday



On Sunday 8th and Wednesday 11th November we will remember victims of war and together declare “never again!”

Sunday 8th November is Remembrance Sunday.  We will gather at All Saints at 10:30 a.m. to remember victims of war and armed conflict around the world. The service will include two minutes silence at 11 a.m. and hymns will include The Day Thou Gavest Lord is Ended, and Abide with Me.

On Wednesday 11th, I will lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery.  Please assemble at 10:30 a.m.  Directions to the Foreign Cemetery can be found here!




Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service



A vigil will take place on the evening of Friday 20th November.  More details to follow!

Then on Sunday 22nd November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to me! On Friday November 27, 2026, I will be 60 years old!

Everyone is invited to a party at my house to celebrate. It will be a costume party. Save the date.

Details to follow.

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,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Heads you win, tales you lose!

Dear Friends,

Nothing is certain except death and taxes – This famous quote about taxes originated with Benjamin Franklin in 1789. Over 200 years later, it still rings true.  Jesus was questioned about both.

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear how the Pharisees sought to trap Jesus: “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” they asked.  Jesus’ answer was amazing: “Show me the coin used for the tax.” he said.  And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’

Jesus avoided the Pharisees’ trick, but we are left with the question as to what is Caesar’s – what belongs to the world – and what is God’s – what answers to a higher standard!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Isaiah 45:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, and Matthew 22:15-22, and we will be singing the hymns Alleluia, Sing to Jesus; Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes?; Break Thou the Bread of Life; and In Christ alone my hope is Found!

We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.

To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel.
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

No Chili Night Next Week!

Chili night is now fortnightly (every two weeks) so the next one will be on WEDNESDAY 28th October!  Next week, Wednesday 21st October we will gather at METRA (See below for details!)


Meal at Metra – Next Wednesday



Wednesday Potluck at Metra

Christa writes:

Metra is connection. creation. community. space. I’ve been birthing Metra (Greek for “womb”) for the past several months, and it’s now officially open! Come celebrate with me!

Metra Open House/Potluck Wednesday 21 October Food Theme: Creativity
(whatever that means to you, bring a creative food or beverage to share)

Time: 6pm start
(feel free to arrive anytime after 5)

We’ll have a brief activity to get to know each other, followed by an informal meal together. Come and meet new friends. Feel free to bring a friend.

Questions?  Ask Christa!

Directions: Metra’s location is not well recognized by GPS. It’s on the first street after the fire station just past the 3-way intersection by Wat Chet Yot Temple. That is the only direction that you can enter by vehicle; ignore GPS directions that tell you otherwise.

METRA ADDRESS/PIN:

79/69 Chatsan Chet Yot Village บ้านเลขที่ 79/69 หมู่บ้านจัดสรร เจ็ดยอด Jed Yod Rd Soi 1, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50300, Thailand 18.80885° N, 98.96912° E

GRAB: 79/69 Chatsan Chet Yot Village https://app.grab.com/s/YjYZveMv


All Saints’ Day



On Sunday, the 1st of November, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day. This will be followed by a potluck at the vicarage.


Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday



On Sunday 8th and Wednesday 11th November we will remember victims of war and together declare “never again!”

Sunday 8th November is Remembrance Sunday.  We will gather at All Saints at 10:30 a.m. to remember victims of war and armed conflict around the world. The service will include two minutes silence at 11 a.m. and hymns will include The Day Thou Gavest Lord is Ended, and Abide with Me.

On Wednesday 11th, I will lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery.  Please assemble at 10:30 a.m.  Directions to the Foreign Cemetery can be found here!




Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service



A vigil will take place on the evening of Friday 20th November.  More details to follow!

Then on Sunday 22nd November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to me! On Friday November 27, 2026, I will be 60 years old!

Everyone is invited to a party at my house to celebrate. It will be a costume party. Save the date.

Details to follow.

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,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

What is 70 x 7?

Dear Friends,

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus says:

Jesus was asked how many times we should forgive our brothers and sisters.  Was seven times enough?  His answer was seventy times seven!

So the answer to 70 x 7 is not 490 in Jesus’ maths, it is how many times we should forgive!  Have you ever forgiven someone 490 times and stopped at 491?  I doubt it, I’m sure we would lose count first and that is the point.  We are to forgive without keeping count, it is the key to the Gospel and the centre of our life together!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Genesis 50:15-21, Romans 14:1-12, and Matthew 18:21-35, and we will be singing the hymns Praise to the Lord, the Almighty; The Servant King; Will you come and Follow Me?; and Born in Song!

We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.  

To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel. 
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

Last Week’s Sermon



Please find this last week’s sermon and our catalogue of sermons on the  All Saints YouTube Channel


Last Sunday’s Potluck



 Thanks to Adam and Sarah for hosting a great potluck last Sunday.


No Chili Night until October!

No Chili Night until October!   We are taking a break during my travels but will return in the autumn. 

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,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

What is freedom in Christ?

Dear Friends,

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus says:

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

What does this mean?  Well, there are many interpretations, but at one level at least it confirms our ministry to set people free, to proclaim liberty to the captives!

That is what we seek to do at All Saints.  You are free to be who God made you to be whatever your race, gender, or sexuality!

God is good, but elsewhere Christians are suffering.  You can read about the situation in India and how you can help below.  We are one body – and when one part suffers, all suffer!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Exodus 12:1-3, 7-14, Romans 13:8-14, and Matthew 18:15-20, and we will be singing the hymns All People that on Earth do Dwell; Blest Be the Tie That Binds; Jesu, Jesu, Fill us with Your Love; and Called as Partners in Christ’s Service.

We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.  

To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel. 
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

Last Week’s Sermon



Please find this last week’s sermon and our catalogue of sermons on the  All Saints YouTube Channel


Next Potluck@MCC



On Wednesday September 9th at 6 pm we will be hosting a Mexican themed potluck. Confirm if you are coming by letting us know what you plan to bring. 


My Travels


Parked for the night below Dover Castle

I have safely arrived in England and I will meet mum at the airport later today.  Ratcha is settled in her room in Paris and she is sharing an apartment with Thai people and has already made some friends.

All is well.


Ratcha at the Sorbonne


No Chili Night until October!

No Chili Night until October!   We are taking a break during my travels but will return in the autumn. 

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,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Gain the whole world but lose our soul?

Dear Friends,

Three years ago this week, I wrote that exciting things may be about to happen at All Saints!

We had seen strong growth in attendance that summer and had three active priests and two deacons!  Both Mark and Peter wanted to do more, but one weekly service did not provide the opportunity.  We also had a large number of contacts in the Hang Dong area who might attend more frequently if there was a closer congregation.

I therefore suggested the possibility of establishing a new congregation, which Mark would have lead, in the Hang Dong area.  I discussed this with Mark, Peter, Gene, and Christa, along with the Church Council, and they were all enthusiastic about the idea.

But this was not to be. Father Peter is long gone, but now Christa is ordained as a priest and we may be starting some work in Hang Dong, though not a separate congregation. We should always be prepared for surprises but we have a Jesus who called us to follow him and we often do not know where he will lead. 

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is all about following Jesus!  This is the exciting adventure we are on at All Saints!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Jeremiah 15:19-21, Romans 12:9-21, and Matthew 16:21-28, and we will be singing the hymns Lift High the Cross; I have decided to follow Jesus; Seek Ye First; and Go forth and tell!
We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.  

To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel. 
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

Last Week’s Sermon



Please find this last week’s sermon and our catalogue of sermons on the  All Saints YouTube Channel


All Saints Movie Night Take Two!  Wicked Two



Gene and Kong will be hosting the movie Wicked for Good at their home on Friday September 4th at 6 pm. Please sign up if you would like to go. Limited number of places available. 


Lannacapella Sings Again!



There will be a short concert at 2 pm today, Thursday August 27th, at Thammapratheep Church.
A mixture of secular and sacred songs. 

No tickets, no charge, just come along. It should be a wonderful afternoon. 


Ratcha has an apartment!


My desk in the Swiss Alps

Last Friday Ratcha was able to confirm the rent of an apartment. It may only be for a short time but it’s what she needs while she has time to look for others.

This means that Ratcha and I are now officially on holiday. I’m writing this from the Swiss Alps in Lauterbrunnen


No Chili Night until October!

No Chili Night until October!   We are taking a break during my travels but will return in the autumn. 

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,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

We are one body!

Dear Friends,

In this week’s New Testament reading Paul writes that just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 

That is who we are – not just a random group of people, but one body, united in Christ.  As we grow and multiply, we must remember that we are still one body, whether young or old, Thai or farang, male, female, or non-binary, straight or LGBT.  We are one in Christ Jesus.

Elsa King will be preaching this week as we as a body minister to each other!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Isaiah 51:4-6, Romans 12:1-8, and Matthew 16:13-20, and we will be singing the hymns Oh for a thousand Tongues to Sing; Bind Us Together, Lord; One Bread, One Body; and I, the Lord of Sea and Sky!

We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.  

To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:

1)  Click on the link below, and this will take you to the All Saints Chiang Mai YouTube channel. 
2)  Then click on “All Saints Chiang Mai is Live” to watch the service
Use this link to join our Sunday service on YouTube Live!

Last Week’s Sermon



Please find this last week’s sermon and our catalogue of sermons on the  All Saints YouTube Channel

.

Happy Mother’s Day!



Last week All Saints celebrated Mother’s Day and flowers were given to all the mums and ladies present. 

.

All Saints Movie Night: Jesus Christ Superstar 



Gene and Kong will be hosting the movie Jesus Christ Superstar at their home on Monday August 24th at 6 pm. Please sign up if you would like to go. Limited number of places available. 

.

Lannacapella Sings Again.



There will be a short concert at 2 pm on Thursday August 27th at Thammapratheep Church.
A mixture of secular and sacred songs. 

No tickets, no charge, just come along. It should be a wonderful afternoon. 


Worshipping at St George’s, Paris



Last Sunday Ratcha and I met up with Patrick Sweeney, former All Saints member, and his partner Dara.  We joined them at St. Georges’, Paris, for worship and fellowship.  It was great to renew old friendships. 

The good news is Ratcha has found an apartment. It’s owned by a Thai woman just outside Paris. It’s a start and now we can go away on holiday together


No Chili Night until October!

No Chili Night until October!   We are taking a break during my travels but will return in the autumn. 

.
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,

Father Iain