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From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Parading the Palms on Palm Sunday

Potluck lunch this week!

Dear Friends,

While many people will be away over the Easter Season, it was great to again see nearly thirty people at All Saints last Sunday!  This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and we will begin our worship with the Parading of the Palms.  Our service will also be followed by a pot-luck lunch!

As we enter the Easter Season we focus on the central aspect of our faith – God’s unlimited love for us and all the world.  Let us be people of joy, ready to give thanks for all that God in Christ has done!

We also need to give thanks for the coming ordinations of Gene Bourquin as Deacon on 13th May, and Connie Mudore as Priest on 5th June.  Gene will be ordained in New York and will be joining us to minister at All Saints in August.  Connie will be ordained in London and will return later in June.  Connie will be developing a chaplaincy ministry in Chiang Mai and will also be based here at All Saints.

Gene has also been working on the All Saints Facebook page.  You can visit and like the page and add your own pictures or comments.

Our bible readings for Palm Sunday are Matthew 21:1-11, Philippians 2:5-11, and Matthew 27:11-54, and we will be singing the hymns Hosanna in the Highest, All Glory Laud and Honour, Hosanna Loud Hosanna, You are the King of Glory, and Ride on Ride on in Majesty!  The readings can be found via this link!

Easter Services

Sunday     9th April 11 a.m. Palm Sunday Service
with Parade of the Palms
followed by a potluck lunch
Thursday 13th April 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service
with Taizé music and feet washing
Friday   14th April 11 a.m. Good Friday Service

Sunday 16th April 11 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship
followed by an Easter egg hunt and potluck lunch

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.   Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.   All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

It is wonderful that in the four years of its existence, All Saints has grown together as a family.  Of course, as in any international church, people come and go, but we remain part of the family of All Saints!

Since Christmas we have been seeing congregations of close to thirty people, but last Sunday numbers fell to eleven!  Quite a number of our people have been ill, and others travelling, but if you were in good health and in Chiang Mai and didn’t come, you were certainly missed!  It is as we meet together week on week, that relationships build and friendships grow, so we can support one another in times of trial and rejoice with one another in times of celebration!

If you can join us this Sunday, please do so, but even more importantly make sure you are with us for Palm Sunday and the services of Easter which are listed below!  As we worship God together we are blessed, uplifted and prepared for the week ahead, and empowered to share God’s love with the world around us!  If you are not with us, you are missed!  There will also be two pot-luck lunches in the Easter Season, one following the Palm Sunday service, and one following the Easter Sunday service.  Join us if you can!

This Sunday our bible readings are Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, and John 11:1-45, and we will be singing the hymns Christ Whose Glory Fills The Skies, Will you come and Follow Me, Let us Break Bread Together, and Go forth and tell!  The readings can be found via this link!

Easter Services

Sunday     9th April 11 a.m. Palm Sunday Service
with Parade of the Palms
followed by a potluck lunch
Thursday 13th April 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service
with Taizé music and feet washing
Friday   14th April 11 a.m. Good Friday Service

Sunday 16th April 11 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship
followed by an Easter egg hunt and potluck lunch

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.

Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.

All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

CORRECTION

Theology on Tap – will be this Friday Night, and not “tomorrow” night as stated in the last blog post!

This Friday night, we will have our next Theology on Tap session.  This will be at the UN Irish Pub, beginning at 7 p.m. Our theme this month is Miracles and the Supernatural.

Please come along and join us!

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

In Romans chapter 8, Paul writes: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”  The law of sin and death is legalism, obeying the letter not the spirit of the law!  In Jesus, we are set free in the Spirit, to obey the law of life, the law of love, not the law of rules and regulations. This is our freedom in Christ!

In this week’s Gospel reading we have the account of Jesus’ healing of a blind man on the Sabbath and the subsequent legal proceedings.  It is a long passage, filling nearly two sides in our bulletin.  Matthew records it in so much detail because he is so keen to emphasise that for Jesus, love and compassion over-rule adherence to man-made laws. This is at the heart of the Gospel.  We are called to love, not to keep laws, for God is a God of love!

This Sunday our bible readings are 1 Samuel 16:1-7, Ephesians 5:8-14, and John 9:1-41, and we will be singing the hymns Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun, Amazing Grace, Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart, and Christ is made the Sure Foundation.  The readings can be found via this link!

Theology on Tap – This Friday Night!

This Friday night, we will have our next Theology on Tap session.  This will be at the UN Irish Pub, beginning at 7 p.m. Our theme this month is Miracles and the Supernatural.

Meanwhile, advanced notice of our Easter Services:

Sunday     9th April 11 a.m. Palm Sunday Service
with Parade of the Palms
Thursday 13th April 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service
with Taizé music and feet washing
Friday   14th April 11 a.m. Good Friday Service
Sunday 16th April 11 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.

Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.

All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Father Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

We are now well into the season of Lent.  This week our Gospel reading looks at the woman at the well. Jesus asks her for water, but it is she that ends up receiving something a great deal more valuable!

This will be the theme of our sermon this week

In just over a week’s time, we will have our next Theology on Tap session.  This will be at the UN Irish Pub on Friday 24th March, again beginning at 7 p.m. Our theme this month is Miracles and the Supernatural.

Also, If you would like to give regularly to All Saints by bank transfer, please fill in the sheet at the back of church with your name and the name of your bank.  We will then contact you with details of how this can be done.  You can also give in pounds or dollars via the church website: https://allsaintschiangmai.com/donate/

Meanwhile, if you would like to relive the past, video of our last two Sunday services, Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, and our Christmas Day Family Worship, are now on the Audio-Visual page of the All Saints website.  Our All Saints Facebook page is also now running.  If you would like to read or contribute, go to facebook.com/AllSaintsChiangMai/

This Sunday our scripture readings will be Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, and John 4:5-29, and we will be singing the hymns Alleluia Sing to Jesus, I heard the Voice of Jesus say, One Bread One Body, and Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken.  We will also attempt a new setting for singing the psalm!  The readings can be found via this link!

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.

Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.  All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Last Sunday at All Saints

Dear Friends,

What does it mean when someone says they are “born again”?  What does the Bible say about it?  This week our Gospel passage is from John chapter three, where Jesus talks about being “born again” or, more properly “born from above”.  What was Jesus talking about, and what do we have to do about it?  This will be the theme of our sermon this week.

A little further ahead, we will have our next Theology on Tap session.  This will be at the UN Irish Pub on Friday 24th March, again beginning at 7 p.m.  Our theme this month is Miracles and the Supernatural.

Also, If you would like to give regularly to All Saints by bank transfer, please fill in the sheet at the back of church with your name and the name of your bank.  We will then contact you with details of how this can be done.  You can also give in pounds or dollars via the church website: https://allsaintschiangmai.com/donate/

This Sunday our scripture readings will be Genesis 12:1-4, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, and John 3:1-17, and we will be singing the hymns The God of Abraham Praise, I have decided to follow Jesus, When in our Music God is Glorified, and All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!  The readings can be found via this link!

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.

Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.

All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Ash Wednesday at All Saints

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Dear Friends,

We have now entered the season of Lent.  Fifteen of us gathered for our Ash Wednesday service last night and marked the solemn beginning of this holy season with the imposition of ashes and prayers of penitence.

However, although Lent is a season for reflection, it is not a time of darkness or sorrow, for although we consider our own short-comings, we also look forward to the good news of Easter.  Lent is released from the void of darkness because we have the knowledge that our sins are forgiven and that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Pictures and video from last week’s Pancake Sunday can be found on the All Saints Facebook Page.

This Sunday our bible readings are Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, and Matthew 4:1-11, and we will be singing the hymns O Worship the King, Forty Days and Forty Nights, Take My Life, and What a friend we have in Jesus.  The readings can be found via this link!

If you don’t know the way to All Saints, directions can be found on the Where and When page.  Most people get to hear about us via the internet or by word of mouth, so please feel free to pass on this email to others.  All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!  We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Don’t forget!

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and we will have our Ash Wednesday Service beginning at 7 p.m.

This will included the imposition of ashes and we will be singing the hymns Abide with Me, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, and The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended

All are welcome to join us as we share the presence of the risen Jesus in our lives!

We hope to see you soon and that you will enjoy worshiping with us,

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Part of last year’s huge pile of pancakes!

This Friday:          Theology on Tap!
This Sunday:        Pancake Potluck
Next Wednesday: Ash Wednesday Service

Dear Friends,

This week at All Saints we will celebrate “Pancake Sunday”!  There will be a Pancake Potluck following the morning service. We will supply the pancakes, please bring toppings to share! We will also have pancake races – so bring your running shoes!  All are welcome to join!   Pancake Sunday is part of our preparation for Lent which begins on 1st March, Ash Wednesday. At All Saints we will be having our Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m.

Lent is a time for reflection and repentance – a time to consider how much we still need to change to become like Jesus – but this Sunday we will celebrate the Transfiguration when we see Jesus himself transformed.  The message of the Transfiguration may be that we need to change too, but it is the guarantee of God’s power to transform us if we allow the Holy Spirit to have her way!

Meanwhile, This Friday our Theology on Tap group will move to a new venue: The Pub!  The Pub is on Huaykaew Road opposite Maya shopping mall, and our meeting will begin at 7 p.m.  This month’s topic will be “Sin and Repentance”.  All are welcome – don’t worry if it is your first time!

This Sunday our bible readings are Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, and Matthew 17:1-9, and we will be singing the hymns Awake My Soul, and with the Sun, Swiftly Pass the Clouds of Glory, Be Thou My Vision, and Transfiguration Hymn!  The readings can be found via this link!

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Jesus said “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Why did he say such a thing?  In the remainder of the sentence he gives the answer: “so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”  We are called to love our enemies, because we are called to love all people, just as God loves all people.

Those of you who are English, may have been following the debate in the Church of England General Synod on same-sex relationships and marriage.  This is an area where the Church is divided and it is easy to see the “other” as the “enemy”.  I am rejoicing in the result, which rejected a report saying that marriage could only be between a man and woman, and that sexual expression in any other context was sinful.  However, we must still remember to love those who have a different view, for only then are we acting as children of our Father in heaven.

This week at All Saints, we will be looking at those very verses which call upon us to love our enemies, as we read from Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23, and Matthew 5:38-48, and we will be singing the hymns Immortal Invisible God only Wise, They’ll know we are Christians by our Love, One Bread One Body, and Stand up stand up for Jesus!  The readings can be found via this link!

Next week our Theology on Tap group will move to a new venue: The Pub!  Our next meeting will be on Friday 24th February at The Pub, beginning at 7 p.m.  Our topic will be “Sin and Repentance”.  All are welcome!

It is the British tradition to eat pancakes on the day before Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on Wednesday 1st March. The day is known as Shrove Tuesday or, more popularly, Pancake Day.  At All Saints there will be a Pancake Potluck next Sunday, 26th February, following the morning service. We will supply the pancakes, please bring toppings to share! All are welcome to join!

A little further ahead, Lent begins on Wednesday 1st March when we will be having our Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m.

God bless,

Iain