What is God calling you to? Our Old Testament reading this week records God’s calling of Samuel, and our Gospel reading tells of Jesus’ calling of Nathaniel. God is calling you too!
Not all are called to be bishops, priests, or deacons, although I believe that God is calling many more than those who answer the call, but we are all called if we are Christians, for we are called to follow Christ.
So, think! What is God calling you to do, to be? Is God calling you to ordination? The world needs more priests – more people to lead, minister, and intercede, to and for God’s people and the world. Talk to me if you feel God is putting a calling on your life, whether you are nine years old or ninety-nine years old! God is calling!
Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Revelation 5:1-10, and John 1:43-51, and our hymns will be Praise my Soul the King of Heaven, I the Lord of Sea and Sky, I will offer up my life, and Tell Out My Soul!
Video of last week’s service can be viewed on the AllSaintsChiangMai.com audio-visual page!
Father Iain’s Return
I am now safely back in Thailand quarantining in Bangkok. God willing, I shall be back in Chiang Mai from Sunday 24th January. Thanks for all your prayers and support, I am so excited and looking forward to seeing you again!
Mark has been organizing a serious of events to welcome me back, including meals on Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th, and Wednesday 27th, and a getaway to Chiang Dao on Friday 29th January. See Mark for more details.
I shall be back in All Saints and leading worship on Candlemas, Sunday 31st January!
Wednesday Lunch
Lunch! Check on Sunday to see if the lunch is on next week! (You don’t need to be a member of the Gymkhana Club to attend!)
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate online, or place your money in the basket during the service.
This is my first email of the new year, so Happy New Year! Who knows what 2021 will bring? But the one thing we do know, is that God is with us.
In our church lectionary we are now in Year B, and the Gospel readings will be going through the Gospel of Mark. This week we begin with the Baptism of Jesus. In baptism, Jesus dedicated himself again to God’s service, and that is what we can also do together as we enter the new year. As part of our liturgy this week we will say the Methodist Covenant Prayer in place of our Creed. Read the words, and prepare your hearts to serve God together.
The Methodist Covenant Prayer
I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing: I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.’
Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, and Mark 1:4-11, and our hymns will be Let All the World in Every Corner Sing, On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry, In Christ alone my hope is Found, and Christ is made the Sure Foundation!
Video of last week’s Epiphany Service can be viewed here!
New Year’s Eve @ YCF
All Saints people had a wonderful New Year’s Eve out at the Youth Charity Foundation. After dinner together, Mark preached, and the children performed.
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
You can still donate online, or place your money in the basket during the service.
I hope you have a blessed and more positive 2021! I have now received a negative Covid-19 test result and my fit to fly certificate so I am ready to travel back to Thailand on Friday! Please pray for my safe journey!
The year of 2020 is almost over – and what a crazy year it has been! 2021 offers the hope of a new start with vaccines on the way that may yet save the world. But as Christians we already have a saviour – not from the virus, but for true everlasting life that even a vaccine can’t promise.
I should be back with you soon, but this Thursday I will miss a great gathering at the Youth Charity Foundation. There will be a New Year’s Eve service, dinner and giving of Christmas presents, and you are invited to stay until midnight if you want to bring in the new year together.
Then on Sunday 3rd January we will have worship back in our own building at the usual time of 10 a.m. as we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany. Our scripture readings for Sunday will be Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-6, and Matthew 2:1-12, and our hymns will be We Three Kings of Orient Are, The First Nowell, As With Gladness Men of Old, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
This Thursday, December 31st at 5.00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service, dinner and giving of Christmas presents at the Youth Charity Foundation. Stay until midnight if you want to bring in the new year together.
Prayers and blessings to all! Happy New Year – God is with us! God bless,
This is the most strange of Christmases, as I write this from the UK we are being quarantined from the rest of the world, and in Thailand the virus is emerging once again! Our services at All Saints will continue as planned this Christmas, but for much of the world plans are on hold and people are separated from loved-ones. And yet, the message of Christmas stays the same: God is with us!
The truth of our need for God remains undimmed and the light of Christ shines out in the darkness as we enter another magical Christmas. I am excited to see you all soon, but know that everything, even now, is in God’s hands.
On Christmas Eve we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 a.m. This is a very blessed and peaceful service, a time of seeing the light of Christ shine forth before the busyness of Christmas Day. Then on Christmas Day we will have our Christmas Morning Eucharist at 11 a.m. followed by lunch – see below for details! Christmas worship will continue of Sunday 27th December at 10 a.m.
Our scripture readings over Christmas will tell of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem and we will be singing many of the familiar carols of Christmas
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours.
Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch! Please join us if you can! Christmas Lunch
All our welcome to join the Christmas day lunch at the MCC compound near the church. If you want to bring a dish to contribute, please sign up at church or contact Rebecca at rebeccaburkholder@mcc.org. We will be enjoying turkey, ham, and many other delicious foods! A Christmas movie will be shown after the lunch, people are welcomed to bring board games, and stay for the afternoon.
New Year’s Eve
Thursday December 31st at 5.00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service, dinner and giving of Christmas presents at the Youth Charity Foundation. Stay until midnight if you want to bring in the new year together.
Prayers and blessings to all! Merry Christmas – God is with us! God bless,
Dear Friends, Christmas is almost upon us. Although our Festival of Carols is cancelled, we still have many events at All Saints. Sunday worship will as usual take place at 10 a.m. this week, and then on Christmas Eve we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 a.m. This is a very blessed and peaceful service. Then on Christmas Day we will have our Christmas Morning Eucharist at 11 a.m. followed by lunch – see below for details!
For the first time since All Saints began I will not be with you this Christmas – but I will be with you in spirit, and hope to join you online for Midnight Mass, and this Sunday I will be preaching on video!
So Merry Christmas to one and all! See you on Sunday!
Our scripture readings the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 16:25-27, and Luke 2:1-20, and our hymns will be O Come All Ye Faithful, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Once in Royal David’s City, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This event has been cancelled due to the on-going uncertainty of Covid-19 in Chiang Mai! All other Christmas events will continue as planned!
Thammapratheep Christmas Eve Service
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours. Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch! Please join us if you can!
Christmas Lunch
All our welcome to join the Christmas day lunch at the MCC compound near the church. If you want to bring a dish to contribute, please sign up at church or contact Rebecca at rebeccaburkholder@mcc.org. We will be enjoying turkey, ham, and many other delicious foods! A Christmas movie will be shown after the lunch, people are welcomed to bring board games, and stay for the afternoon.
New Year’s Eve
Thursday December 31st at 5.00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service, dinner and giving of Christmas presents at the Youth Charity Foundation. Stay until midnight if you want to bring in the new year together.
All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch
The Wednesday Lunch This is temporarily on hold due to worries about Covid-19.
Meanwhile, prayers and blessings to all! Merry Christmas – God is with us!
Joseph holds the baby Jesus Dear Friends, This week we will mark the third Sunday of Advent – Christmas is coming soon!
Joseph shows us the way. Mary had to believe that God could intervene in her life so that she should bear a son, but she knew that the baby must be from God. Joseph had to believe the impossible – and trust Mary – and trust the word of the angel! How strong is our trust in God – and how strong are we to do what is right?
Our scripture readings this Sunday will be Isaiah 61:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, and Matthew 1:18-25, and our hymns will be The First Nowell, Of the Father’s Love Begotten, Angels We have Heard on High, and Ding Dong Merrily on High.
This event has been cancelled due to the on-going uncertainty of Covid-19 in Chiang Mai! All other Christmas events will continue as planned!
Thammapratheep Christmas Eve Service
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours.
Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch! Please join us if you can! More information to follow! New Year’s Eve
Thursday December 31st at 5.00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service, dinner and giving of Christmas presents at the Youth Charity Foundation. Stay until midnight if you want to bring in the new year together.
All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch
The Wednesday Lunch This is temporarily on hold due to worries about Covid-19.
Meanwhile, prayers and blessings to all! Rejoice in the Lord – for God is good!
Dear Friends, This week we will mark the Second Sunday of Advent – Christmas is coming with all its exciting events. In this week’s Gospel reading we see Mary’s response to God’s call on her life, and Advent is a time to ask how we respond to God’s call on our lives.
What is God calling on us to do, as individuals, and as a church? Developing our vision statement will help us to answer this question, and a suggested draft is included below.
Let’s each of us take time to respond to God’s call and listen as God speaks to us in that inward voice.
Our scripture readings this Sunday will be Isaiah 40:1-5, 2 Peter 3:8-15, and Luke 1:26-38, and our hymns will be O Come, O come Emmanuel, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, Song of Mary, and Angels from the Realms of Glory.
The Thammapratheep Church Christmas Bazaar on 5th December from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. is still taking place, but All Saints people will not be involved this year due to the new Covid cases in Chiang Mai.
Festival of Christmas Carols
On Saturday 19th December we will hold our Festival of Christmas Carols at Thammapratheep Church. We will be led by Lannacapella and some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation. This is our biggest annual event so any help you can give will be greatly appreciated!
The service begins at 7 p.m.
You can print tickets and posters by clicking on the links!
Thammapratheep Christmas Eve Service
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours. Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch! Please join us if you can! More information to follow!
New Year’s Eve
Thursday December 31st at 5.00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service, dinner and giving of Christmas presents at the Youth Charity Foundation. Stay until midnight if you want to bring in the new year together.
Vision Statement
We are now developing the vision statement for All Saints. This is our vision of who we want to be. Two possible versions are posted below. Let us know which one you prefer and if you would like to see anything added or changed.
All Saints aspires to be a model of a Christian community that is loving, forgiving, joyful, trusting, and compassionate. We will endeavor to worship God in holiness and truth. We will strive to be a beacon to those who are searching for a spiritual home that affirms them as beloved children of God regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, gender-identity, sexual orientation, ability, or religious affiliation. We will work to be known as a community which develops and deepens relationships between diverse groups of people and extends the hand of peace and love to all our neighbors in Chiang Mai and around the world.
All Saints will be a model of a Christian community that is loving, forgiving, joyful, trusting, and compassionate. We will worship God in holiness and truth. We will be a beacon to those who are searching for a spiritual home that affirms them as beloved children of God regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, gender-identity, sexual orientation, ability, or religious affiliation. We will be known as a community which develops and deepens relationships between diverse groups of people and extends the hand of peace and love to all our neighbors in Chiang Mai and around the world.
All your feedback is greatly valued!
All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch
The Wednesday Lunch This is a weekly event! 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!
Meanwhile, prayers and blessings to all! Rejoice in the Lord – for God is good!
POTLUCK THIS WEEK! Dear Friends, After this year of Covid, Advent is suddenly upon us. Whether we’ve been trapped in Thailand or trapped outside, it has certainly been a unique year! I left Thailand in Lent, expecting to be away for around six weeks, but here I still am!
But Christmas is coming – and above all Christmas is a time for hope. It is a time when we see the light of Christ shining in the darkness. It is a time when we have good news to share with all the world.
So, let us prepare our hearts as we enter the season of Advent. Come, Lord Jesus! Our scripture readings for Advent Sunday will be Isaiah 2:1-5, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, and Mark 13:24-37, and our hymns will be O Come, O come Emmanuel and Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus!
Celebrations for Advent and Christmas begin this Sunday, 29th November, when we will mark Advent Sunday. This will be followed by decorating the church for Christmas and a potluck lunch.
Thammapratheep Christmas Bazaar
We will join with Thammapratheep Church on 5th December from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. for their Christmas Bazaar. There will be Christmas decorations, food, desserts, secondhand items, cards, etc. for sale. Clarice will be selling her jams and chutneys, and the Youth Charity Foundation will be selling their cards.
Festival of Christmas Carols
On Saturday 19th December we will hold our Festival of Christmas Carols at Thammapratheep Church. We will be led by Lannacapella and some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation.
The service begins at 7 p.m.
You can print tickets and posters by clicking on the links!
Thammapratheep Christmas Eve Service
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours.
Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch! Please join us if you can! More information to follow! All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch
The Wednesday Lunch This is a weekly event! 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!
Meanwhile, prayers and blessings to all! Rejoice in the Lord – for God is good!
Transgender Day of Remembrance – this Sunday! Dear Friends, A few years ago I helped organise a vigil for those killed in the Orlando Nightclub shooting, working alongside MPlus and the American Consulate in Chiang Mai. I was rather shocked to be attacked for doing so. “Why a vigil for them, and not all the other people in the world who are the victims of violence?” was the cry.
The same could be said about the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Every year hundreds of thousands of women are victims of domestic violence, why only remember the trans women?
It is a good point, but as I said in reply to the first case, if we held a vigil for every person, or group, subject to violence or injustice, we would be holding one every night of the year.
Trans people, in many countries, are a particularly despised and marginalised group. In Thailand they may usually be in a better situation, although they still have no specific legal rights, but in many countries coming out as trans can mean death and/or a decent into the twilight world of sex-work and people trafficking!
Over the years, All Saints has forged links with trans and LGBT groups in Chiang Mai and further afield, and we have trans people in our congregation. It is therefore right that we set apart one day a year to say that “we stand with you”.
This Sunday we will again be joined by people from MPlus and the Young Pride Club, Lee will share their testimony, and Christa will preach.
Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be Ezekiel 34:11-16, Galatians 3:23-29, and Matthew 25:31-40, and our hymns will be Stand up stand up for Jesus, Lord we make this cry for freedom, Beauty for Brokenness, and Let Us Build a House!
Values Statement We are now developing our Values Statement. Our current draft is below. Please let me have your feedback – it needs to be a statement of all our values!
Values Statement
All Saints Chiang Mai is first and foremost
Loving – We love God and our neighbors (all of them)
we express this love by
Worshipping – We Encounter God through the sacraments
Affirming – We value and accept people as they are
Connecting – We delight in relationships and fellowship
Growing – We seek individual and corporate growth in myriad dimensions
Being Compassionate – We stand alongside people in their struggles
Serving – We care for those in need
Being Healthy – We relate in an open and transparent manner
Peace-making – We proactively practice peace and reconciliation with all
Let me know what you think!
The Advent and Christmas Season
Advent Sunday
Celebrations for Advent and Christmas begin on 29th November when we will mark Advent Sunday. This will be followed by decorating the church for Christmas and a potluck lunch.
Thammapratheep Christmas Bazaar
We will join with Thammapratheep Church on 5th December from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. for their Christmas Bazaar. There will be Christmas decorations, food, desserts, secondhand items, cards, etc. for sale. Clarice will be selling her jams and chutneys, and the Youth Charity Foundation will be selling their cards.
Festival of Christmas Carols
On Saturday 19th December we will hold our Festival of Christmas Carols at Thammapratheep Church. We will be led by Lannacapella and some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation.
The service begins at 7 p.m.
You can print tickets and posters by clicking on the links!
Thammapratheep Christmas Eve Service
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours.
Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch! Please join us if you can! More information to follow! All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch
The Wednesday Lunch This is a weekly event! The lunch resumed this week! 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!
My News
God willing, I shall return to Thailand on Saturday 9th January. My flight and quarantine hotel are booked and my Certificate of Entry is processed.
I just need my Covid test and fit to fly certificate and then I will be ready to go!
I should be back in Chiang Mai on 24th January!
Meanwhile, prayers and blessings to all! Rejoice in the Lord – for God is good!
Dear Friends, Earlier this month, Amy Coney Barrett replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court. The appointment was not without controversy, but nobody argued against the suitability of a woman sitting on the highest court of the land.
But, women judges are nothing new. In this week’s Old Testament passage we read of “Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, who was judging Israel.” Their idea of a judge was not quite like our idea of a judge, Deborah was more of a Commander-in-Chief than a legal expert, but she was in control, a leader of Israel. Find out more, this Sunday at All Saints!
Our scripture readings for this Sunday will be Judges 4:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, and Matthew 25:14-30, and our hymns will be When Morning Gilds the Skies, Will you come and Follow Me, Be Still for the Presence of the Lord, and I the Lord of Sea and Sky!
Lots of things are coming up in November and December, so please read below!
November Services
Last Sunday we marked Remembrance Sunday, when we remembered those killed in war. Thanks to David Cartwright for providing the wreath, and to all who took part. Special thanks to our Mennonite members, Arthur, Phyllis, Rebecca, and Blaine, who led our reflections on the need to work for peace. David, Mark, Olive, and Clarice And then next week, on Sunday November 22nd, we will be joined by people from MPlus and the Young Pride Club to mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we remember the hundreds of Trans people from around the world who were killed in 2020.
Both services signify how we reach out in our concerns to those beyond the walls of All Saints.
The Christmas Season
Advent Sunday
Celebrations for Advent and Christmas begin on 29th November when we will mark Advent Sunday. This will be followed by decorating the church for Christmas and a potluck lunch.
Thammapratheep Christmas Bazaar
We will join with Thammapratheep Church on 5th December from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. for their Christmas Bazaar. There will be Christmas decorations, food, desserts, secondhand items, cards, etc. for sale. Clarice will be selling her jams and chutneys, and the Youth Charity Foundation will be selling their cards.
Festival of Christmas Carols
On Saturday 19th December we will hold our Festival of Christmas Carols at Thammapratheep Church. We will be led by Lannacapella and some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation.
The service begins at 7 p.m.
Thammapratheep Christmas Eve Service
There will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Thammapratheep Church on December 24th beginning at 7.30 pm. It usually lasts for around one and a half hours.
Refreshments will be served after the service for everybody. All Saints people are invited to participate and there will be English translation throughout the service.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, we will have our Midnight Mass beginning at 11:30 p.m. This is always a beautiful, peaceful service, and usually attended by a lot of visitors. It is a wonderful way to begin Christmas.
Christmas Day Eucharist
On Christmas Day we will have our Morning Worship followed by lunch! Please join us if you can! More information to follow!
All Saints Mission Statement
After feedback from the congregation our Mission Statement was chosen by almost 80% of the congregation. It is:
All Saints is an inclusive, Christ-centred, liturgical community for all people!
We continue to work on developing a statement of our values, and our vision statement. There will be more about this on Sunday and in next week’s email.
Remembrance Day
Yesterday was 11th November – Remembrance Day. A small group from All Saints attended the ceremony at the Foreign Cemetery and laid our wreath on the war memorial.
All Saints’ Wednesday Lunch
The Wednesday Lunch last week This is a weekly event! No lunch yesterday due to Remembrance Day, but it will resume next week! 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!
My News
I now have a new Thai visa!
Now I can apply for a Certificate of Entry and then I can return! Please pray that this will be successful.
I hope to be back in January.
Meanwhile, prayers and blessings to all! Rejoice in the Lord – for God is good!
!
All Saints' Chiang Mai 