Category Archives: Uncategorized

From the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

What do we owe?

Dear Friends,

This week’s Gospel reading contains the line: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus had just been asked about paying taxes.  The Pharisees wanted to trap him into either telling people not to pay taxes to Rome, therefore leading to his arrest, or telling them that they must pay, and therefore losing credibility as a prophet.   Money is always a tricky issue, both for politicians and the Church.  At All Saints we are introducing pledge cards so that each one of us can be intentional with our giving.  How much do we want to give?  What do we owe to Caesar, and what to God?  See below for more details.

Our readings for this Sunday are Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-7, and Matthew 22:15-22, and we will be singing the hymns All People that on Earth do Dwell, For the Fruit of All Creation, Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart, and Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken!

The readings can be found via this link !

Pledge Cards

Two weeks ago our treasurer, Richard Murray, introduced the idea of pledge cards to All Saints.  Those who wish to, can fill in a pledge card, pledging how much they wish to give each week or month.  They can choose to give by bank transfer, PayPal via the church website, or through dated envelopes in the weekly offering.

We hope this will help us all to prayerfully consider our giving, and will both increase and stabilise the weekly offering at All Saints, so we can do even more in service of God’s world!

Harvest Festival 

Many thanks to Warren for a wonderful harvest festival at Thung Dong Farm last Sunday.  All went very well, and the weather was variable but good enough!  Thanks too, to Bill for inviting the children from the orphanage where he volunteers.  They helped to make it a special day!

Season of Remembrance

On 29th October we will begin our Season of Remembrance at All Saints.  This will include:

Sunday 29th October         11 a.m.
Remembrance of Thailand – in the week of the King’s Funeral

Sunday 5th November      11 a.m.
All Saints Day Service – when we remember all who have died

Saturday 11th November 10:30 a.m.
Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Foreign Cemetery –
Remembering all victims of war

Sunday 12th November    10:30 a.m.
Remembrance Sunday Service at All Saints –
Remembering all victims of war

Sunday 19th November     11 a.m.
Service for Transgender Day of Remembrance

The 2017 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

The Prince Royal’s College have confirmed the use of their chapel for our service on Saturday 9th December.  Look forward to a great event to begin the celebration of Christmas!

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 the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

The stunning Thung Dong Farm

NO 11am SERVICE THIS SUNDAY!!!!!

Dear Friends,

This week we will finally celebrate our Harvest Festival of 2017.

This Sunday, 15th October, we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.  Do not be late!  There will be two minibuses to transport people and others may also follow in their own cars.

Our Harvest Festival service will be followed by a barbecue.  Please bring salads and desserts to share.  Also, please bring umbrellas and wellington boots in case of rain!  This will be a wonderful opportunity to spend time together in a stunning location and give thanks for God’s provision of nature!

Our readings for this Harvest Sunday are Deuteronomy 8:7-18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, and Matthew 6:25-33, and we will be singing the hymns Come, Ye Thankful People, Come, For the Fruit of All Creation, Now thank we all our God, and We Plow the Fields and Scatter!

Our Harvest service in 2017

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Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be this Friday, 13th October. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This week’s topic is “God provides?”  From October we have begun meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the AllSaints website.

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Pledge Cards

Last Sunday our treasurer, Richard Murray, introduced the idea of pledge cards to All Saints.  Those who wish to, can fill in a pledge card, pledging how much they wish to give each week or month.  They can choose to give by bank transfer, PayPal via the church website, or through dated envelopes in the weekly offering.

We hope this will help us all to prayerfully consider our giving, and will both increase and stabilise the weekly offering at All Saints, so we can do even more in service of God’s world!

.

Season of Remembrance

On 29th October we will begin our Season of Remembrance at All Saints.  This will include:

Sunday 29th October         11 a.m.
Remembrance of Thailand – in the week of the King’s Funeral

Sunday 5th November      11 a.m.
All Saints Day Service – when we remember all who have died

Saturday 11th November 10:30 a.m.
Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Foreign Cemetery –
Remembering all victims of war

Sunday 12th November    10:30 a.m.
Remembrance Sunday Service at All Saints –
Remembering all victims of war

Sunday 21st November     11 a.m.
Service for Transgender Day of Remembrance

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Join the Choir

Our service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Saturday 9th December.  Lannacapella Choir will be leading the worship.  They would love more singers.  If you would like to join to sing at this event, please see Chris or email her on christinebaw@gmail.com.

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 the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

What can we do?

Dear Friends,

Having seen the terrible carnage wreaked by one man in Las Vegas this week, the most frightening thing is the lack of reaction.  We would expect the reaction “something must be done”, but instead reactions range from “nothing needs to be done” from the gun lobby, to “nothing can be done” from those who advocate gun control but have given up on any political progress.

By coincidence, our Old Testament reading for this Sunday includes the Ten Commandments, including “Thou shalt not kill”, and in our Gospel reading Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants, who first kill the owner’s servants and then his son.  As Christians, we believe that only God can make the world a perfect place, but that we are called to work alongside God to change our world, to build God’s kingdom on earth.  Join us this Sunday as we ask the question: what can we do?

Our readings for this Sunday are Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Philippians 3:4-14, and Matthew 21:33-46, and we will be singing the hymns Fairest Lord Jesus, To a Place of Celebration, From Heaven You Came, and Let Us Build a House.

The readings can be found via this link !

The Bengali Humanitarian Relief Fund

Last week’s special collection for Rohingya Refugees raised the incredible sum of THB 21,150.  Thank you for all who contributed so generously.  It has been sent to the Mother Child Concern Foundation who are working on the ground in Bangladesh.

Pledge Cards

This Sunday our treasurer, Richard Murray, will be introducing the idea of pledge cards to All Saints.  Those who wish to, can fill in a pledge card, pledging how much they wish to give each week or month.  They can choose to give by bank transfer, PayPal via the church website, or through dated envelopes in the weekly offering.

We hope this will help us all to prayerfully consider our giving, and will both increase and stabilise the weekly offering at All Saints, so we can do even more in service of God’s world!

Harvest Festival – Next Week!

On Sunday 15th October, next week, we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.  This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign-up this week if you intend to come!

Season of Remembrance

On 29th October we will begin our Season of Remembrance at All Saints.  This will include:

Sunday 29th October         11 a.m.
Remembrance of Thailand – in the week of the King’s Funeral

Sunday 5th November      11 a.m.
All Saints Day Service – when we remember all who have died

Saturday 11th November 10:30 a.m.
Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Foreign Cemetery –
Remembering all victims of war

Sunday 12th November    10:30 a.m.
Remembrance Sunday Service at All Saints –
Remembering all victims of war

Sunday 19th November     11 a.m.
Service for Transgender Day of Remembrance

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Join the Choir

Our service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Saturday 9th December.  Lannacapella Choir will be leading the worship.  They would love more singers.  If you would like to join to sing at this event, please see Chris or email her on christinebaw@gmail.com.

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 the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Rohingya Refugees

POTLUCK LUNCH – THIS WEEK!

Dear Friends,

I have been sick this week, having to visit McCormick Hospital and feeling rather sorry for myself.  Happily, the drugs I have received seem to be working and I am feeling better, though still tired.

Meanwhile, although, the situation in western Myanmar is no better, the Rohingya refugee situation has already fallen out of the news and our minds have moved on to other things.

But we have not forgotten.  This week we will have a special collection for Rohingya Refugees.   This money will go to the Bengali Humanitarian Relief Fund set up by Ben Svasti, the Honorary British Consul in Chiang Mai.  He writes:

In response to the plight of an estimated 430,000 civilians, mostly children, who recently moved from Myanmar to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, and who are in desperate need of humanitarian relief, a Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group has been set up with the support of some members of the diplomatic community in Chiang Mai.

The purpose of this strictly apolitical humanitarian group is to raise emergency relief funds and to provide essential humanitarian support to new arrivals crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border particularly children in this continuing desperate crisis. 

This tragedy is happening on our doorstep, just 600 km away, closer to us than Bangkok; it is too close to ignore.

I am sure members of All Saints will contribute generously to this fund.  You can find more details here.

This Week at All Saints

In contrast to the many need of the world, we will remember God’s generosity to us as we study the scriptures this Sunday.

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Exodus 17:1-7, Philippians 2:1-13, and Matthew 21:23-32, and we will be singing the hymns The King of Love My Shepherd Is, The Servant King, Spirit of the Living God, and Oh for a thousand Tongues to Sing!

The readings can be found via this link !

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.

This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign-up this week if you intend to come!

Join the Choir

Our service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Saturday 9th December.  Lannacapella Choir will be leading the worship.  They would love more singers.  If you would like to join to sing at this event, please see Chris or email her on christinebaw@gmail.com.

Potluck – This Week!

We will have a potluck lunch following our service on Sunday.  We can give thanks for all we have to share with one another.

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

Don’t Forget!

From the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

Sometimes we feel that life just isn’t fair!  Sometimes it isn’t – why does a good person get cancer, and a bad one have a long and happy life?  This is one of the biggest questions in Christian theology.

The Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group

We will have a special collection for Rohingya Refugees on Sunday 1st October as part of our outreach to those whose experiences have certainly not been fair!  This money will go to the Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group, an organisation set up by Ben Svasti, the Honorary British Consul in Chiang Mai.  He writes:

In response to the plight of an estimated 430,000 civilians, mostly children, who recently moved from Myanmar to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, and who are in desperate need of humanitarian relief, a Bengali Humanitarian Relief Group has been set up with the support of some members of the diplomatic community in Chiang Mai.

The purpose of this strictly apolitical humanitarian group is to raise emergency relief funds and to provide essential humanitarian support to new arrivals crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border particularly children in this continuing desperate crisis. 

This tragedy is happening on our doorstep, just 600 kms away, closer to us than Bangkok; it is too close to ignore.

I am sure members of All Saints will contribute generously to this fund.  You can find more details here.

This Week at All Saints

In contrast to these dire situations, we on the other hand, have little reason to complain, but some people just like complaining and we see this in this week’s Old Testament and Gospel readings.  Do the complainers have a point?  Come and find out!

Tomorrow night we also have our next Theology on Tap meeting.  The topic is “doubt”.  See below for details!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday are Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:27-30, and Matthew 20:1-16, and we will be singing the hymns Alleluia Sing to Jesus,  Amazing Grace, Now Thank We All Our God, and All My Hope on God Is Founded!

The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be tomorrow night, Friday 22nd September. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This month’s topic is “doubt”!

From October we will begin meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the All Saints website.

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.

This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign if you intend to come.

Your favourite Hymns!

Last week I listed the top ten hymns used at All Saints.  If you have a favourite hymn you would like us to sing, then send me an email!

Join the Choir

Our service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Saturday 9th December.  Lannacapella Choir will be leading the worship.  They would love more singers.  If you would like to join to sing at this event, please see Chris or email her on christinebaw@gmail.com.

Our next Potluck – Sunday 1st October

We will have a potluck lunch on Sunday 1st October following our service which includes the collection for the Rohingya refugees.  We can give thanks for all we have to share with one another.

Congregation News

David Burdoin is still in Suan Dok hospital with acute anemia, but hopes to be going home tomorrow.  I am sure he would then appreciate visitors.  He sends thanks to everyone for their support and love.

Nate and Muyoung are expecting a baby girl!  Nate gave the happy announcement in church last Sunday.

God bless,

Iain

From the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Which are you?

Dear Friends,

As a young Christian, I was really confused about what it meant to be a strong Christian or a weak one!  It seemed to me that a strong Christian would faithfully keep all the laws, not drink or smoke, go to church every Sunday, do evangelism.  Surely that was what being “strong” was about?  As we shall see in this week’s New Testament reading, Paul had other ideas: he saw those law-keepers as being the ones weak in the faith, while those who seemed less particular he saw as being strong!

How could this be?  Find out this Sunday!

Our scripture readings for this Sunday are Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, and Matthew 18:21-35, and we will be singing the hymns Praise my Soul the King of Heaven, Jesu Jesu Fill us with Your Love, Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart, and When in our Music God is Glorified!

The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be next week on Friday 22nd September. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This month’s topic is “doubt”!

From October we will begin meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the All Saints website.

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.  This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign if you intend to come.

Top Ten Hymns

Those of you who like this sort of thing might like to know which hymns are the ten most frequently sung at All Saints.  They are:

Christ is made the Sure Foundation
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise
Let us Break Bread Together
All Creatures of our God and King
All People that on Earth do Dwell
For the Bread Which You Have Broken
Holy, Holy, Holy
All My Hope on God Is Founded
Praise my Soul the King of Heaven
Be Thou My Vision

Trustees Meeting

The All Saints’ trustees will meet next Monday night, beginning at 6 p.m.

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 the Rev. Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Ready to move?

Dear Friends,

This week’s Old Testament reading tells the story of the first Passover.  The people were told to be ready, to cook and eat quickly, and keep no leftovers.  They were to be ready to move.  Likewise, in our New Testament reading, Paul reminds his readers that “the night is far gone, the day is near.”  They are to be ready!

What about us?  Are we travelling light?  Are we ready to answer God’s call whenever it comes?  Jesus gives us great authority, not to order hurricanes to change their path, but to share God’s love with the world.  We are literally commanded to “rewrite the rule-book”!

What exciting future does the Lord have in store for you? Find out at All Saints this Sunday.

Old One Hundredth Liturgy

This Sunday we will also have our special Old One Hundredth liturgy.  We will be singing the Gloria, the Creed, the Sanctus, and the Lord’s Prayer, to the tune of All People that on Earth do Dwell.   The sheet music is here and here, click on the links above for the music.

I hope we can joyfully worship God together as we repeat the words of God’s people to this get music of the faith.  Please give me your feedback!

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14, and Matthew 18:15-20, and we will be singing the hymns Let All the World in Every Corner Sing, One Bread One Body, and Go forth and tell.

The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be on Friday 22nd September. We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub! This month’s topic is “doubt”!

From October we will begin meeting every two weeks. The schedule is on the Theology on Tap page of the All Saints website.

Harvest Festival

On Sunday 15th October we will journey together to Thung Dong Farm to celebrate our Harvest Festival Eucharist in the midst of nature. We will leave church at 9:30 a.m.

This will be followed by a barbecue, please bring salads and deserts to share. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church. Please sign if you intend to come.

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

God is here!

POTLUCK THIS SUNDAY!

Dear Friends,

This week’s Old Testament reading tells the story of the Burning Bush!  When Moses approaches this disturbing phenomenon, God says  “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

All Saints, Chiang Mai, is holy ground, for it is a space set apart for the worship of God.  It is not as old as the thousand year old churches I visited in England this summer, nor as grand as the 150 year old cathedral in Hong Kong, but it is holy ground, none the less.

I am really excited about this new year at All Saints: I am excited about my new teaching schedule, it means I will have much more time to serve the church here, I am excited about Deacon Gene’s arrival, we can support each other in so many ways, I am excited about our growing and interesting congregation, for together we are the body of Christ, and I am excited about the stewardship campaign we are about to embark on, for it will enable us to do so much more!

Perhaps this year we will have to move to somewhere bigger, or even build our own place, but right now this is holy ground!  Come and join us on that holy ground this week, and allow God to prepare us to change God’s world and build God’s kingdom!

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, and Matthew 16:21-28, and we will be singing the hymns All Creatures of our God and King, Beauty for Brokenness, Break Thou the Bread of Life, and From Heaven You Came.

The readings can be found via this link !

Potluck 

We will have a potluck lunch this Sunday following our morning worship.  Please bring food to share.  All are welcome.

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

Risking death to save life!

THEOLOGY ON TAP – THIS FRIDAY AT 7PM

 Dear Friends,

As we read in this week’s Old Testament reading, the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, were prepared to risk their own lives to save the lives of the babies they were delivering!  How far are we prepared to risk our own lives to stand up for what is right?  As we saw in the recent events in Charlottesville, taking a stand is never without risk, but as Christians God calls us to speak out and to act for justice!  What is God calling us to do now?  Find out this week at All Saints!

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Exodus 1:8-2:10, Romans 12:1-8, and Matthew 16:13-20, and we will be singing the hymns You Call Us Lord to Worship, O God of Earth and Altar, Thou Who at Thy First Eucharist, and Lift High the Cross!  The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap – This Friday!

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be this Friday, 25th August.  We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub!  Our topic is “Love”!

Potluck 

We will have a potluck lunch on Sunday 3rd September.  Please bring food to share.  All are welcome.

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Last Sunday at All Saints

Dear Friends,

At All Saints, we like to say that “All are Welcome”.  In this week’s bible readings we see Joseph emotionally welcoming his family to Egypt, but we see Jesus initially rejecting a Canaanite woman.  How can this be?  Why is it so difficult to welcome people who are different from us?  If we truly want to grow at All Saints then we can welcome those who are similar to us, but God calls us to reach out further.  Let’s see how we can do this.

Our bible readings for this Sunday are Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, and Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28, and we will be singing the hymns Awake My Soul and with the Sun, Let Us Build a House, There Are Many Ways of Sharing, and Stand up stand up for Jesus!  The readings can be found via this link !

Theology on Tap

Our next Theology on Tap meeting will be on Friday next week, 25th August.  (This is a corrected date from that posted last week!)  We will again meet at 7 p.m. at the UN Irish Pub!  Topic to be decided!

Potluck

We will have a potluck lunch on Sunday 3rd September.  Please bring food to share.  All are welcome.

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