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From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Wise Men seek Jesus!

Dear Friends,

Greetings from a grey, cold, and wet England!  I will be travelling back to Thailand tomorrow, and look forward to leading our worship at All Saints at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

An “epiphany” is a suddenly realisation of something, a sudden understanding!  The Epiphany is when we celebrate the revealing of Jesus to the Gentiles!  The Wise Men from the East come to worship Jesus, and God with us, Immanuel, is revealled to the whole world!

We all have our own ways of seeing God.  In some ways I worship the God of England, steeped as I unavoidably am in my own culture, music, and traditions, and even my understanding of right and wrong.  God is God, but God reveals God’s self in many ways to many people, for God is a God of incarnation, a God made flesh!  And God is with us!  And God loves us!

Perhaps our Epiphany must be that God is God, that we don’t have to earn God’s love, we don’t have to squeeze ourselves into any particular “right way” of being a Christian, or being a man, or being a woman.  Instead God calls us to worship God, to give thanks to God, and to join in God’s work of building God’s kingdom and loving our fellow human beings!  God is the God of, and for, the whole world and that is what we will look at in this week’s worship!

This Sunday our readings are Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, and we will be singing the hymns We three Kings of Orient are, The first Nowell, As with Gladness Men of Old, and Hark the Herald Angels sing!    The readings can be found via this link!  Following the service we will take down the Christmas decorations for another year!

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,

I hope you had a good Christmas or, as Elena will explain in this week’s sermon, I hope you are Christmassing well!  We had some great services at All Saints and eleven people stayed for lunch on Christmas Day.  I am now enjoying my Christmas break with my parents and had a good meeting with Bishop Jonathan yesterday.  Elena will be leading the worship this Sunday at 11 am and using an exciting alternative liturgy!  I will be back on January 10th for our Epiphany service.

This week’s readings are from Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21 and John 1:1-18, and the hymns are Love Divine, Open my eyes that I may see, Beauty for Brokenness, and Mothering God.  Our sermon is entitled Mother Wisdom!

Video and audio of our major services, including our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, can be found on the Audio-Visual page of the All Saints website and as always, 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 continue to celebrate the Christ of Christmas!  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

Our Wonderful Nine Lessons and Carols!

Services for Christmas at All Saints

Sunday 20th December
11 am Combined Eucharist – No 9:15 am service this week!

Thursday 24th December – Christmas Eve
11:30 pm Midnight Mass

Friday 25th December – Christmas Day
11 am Christmas Family Eucharist followed by pot-luck lunch!

Sunday 27th December
No Service

Sunday 3rd January
11 am Joint Worship

Sunday 10th January
11 am Combined Eucharist and Covenant Service

Dear Friends,

Our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was more successful than we could have imagined with over two hundred people in attendance.  Video of the event can be seen via this link!   Thanks again to all who made it such a wonderful event!

Christmas is very nearly upon us and, as people travel for the Christmas vacation, we will have a combined 11 am service this Sunday!  Then we will meet again on Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass and again on Christmas Day.  (There will be no service on Sunday 27th December!)
On Christmas Day we will be sharing a special pot-luck lunch following the morning service.  All are welcome to attend, but if you know that you will be there let me know, so we can organise things a little!  Six people haveconfirmed so far!

For this Fourth Sunday in Advent, our readings are Isaiah 52:7-10, Romans 16:25-27, and Luke 2:1-20.  These are different from the set readings for this week as some people will be unable to attend on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.   We will be singing the hymns O Come All Ye Faithful, Let all Mortal Flesh keep Silent, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and Joy to the World!   Our sermon will be entitled Shepherds Pie, again?

Video and audio of our major services can be found on the Audio-Visual page of the All Saints website and as always, 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 celebrate the Christ of Christmas!  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

A big thank you to all who made last night’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols such a great success.  We had over two hundred people gathered in the Chapel of the Prince Royal’s College to celebrate the coming of Christ through words and music.

Click here to watch the Video!

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Thank you especially to Harvey Nicholson who directed the choir and brass band, and to all the singers and musicians.  You were all amazing!

Choir Practice

Brass Rehearsal

And thanks to all who worked behind the scenes, setting up, tidying away, and providing refreshments.
It was worth all the effort and we also raised over THB10,000 for The McKean Rehabilitation Center!

Thank you so much.   Click here to watch the Video!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Saturday, 7pm in the Prince Royal’s College Chapel!

Services for Christmas at All Saints

Saturday 12th December
7 pm  A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
at The Prince Royal’s College Chapel

Sunday 13th December
9:15 and 11 am Eucharists

Thursday 24th December – Christmas Eve
11:30 pm Midnight Mass

Friday 25th December – Christmas Day
11 am Christmas Family Eucharist

Sunday 27th December
No Service

Sunday 3rd January
11 am Joint Worship

Sunday 10th January
11 am Combined Eucharist and Covenant Service

Dear Friends,

Our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is only two days away!  As you know, the service will begin at 7pm and is being held in The Prince Royal’s College Chapel. We really have no idea how many people will come but we expect between one hundred and two hundred to attend – we have printed 150 programs!

The schedule for those involved is below.  Non-singers are very welcome to come and help set up, and nobody needs to be there the whole day, unless they want to!

12:30 Meet at the Church to gather all we need for the performance

1:00 Arrive at PRC Chapel to set up.

2:30 Rehearsal, the Choir alone

• all Acapella

• all Anthems

3:00 Rehearse Choir and Brass Together

3:30 complete run through of music

• All Anthems

• Congregational singing

4:30 Supper and tidy up details

6:00 microphone warm up

6:30 Choir/Brass warm up

7:00 Start

Tickets are being sold for THB100 in aid of the McKean Rehabilitation Center and will be available on the door.

The service will be followed by refreshments at the Chapel.  Caitlin, who is coordinating this, requests that everyone bring cookies, desserts, etc, to share afterwards.

We again plan to share a Christmas lunch together on Christmas Day.  However, as nobody has yet signed up for the Christmas Lunch, we may instead make alternative arrangements so that nobody need be alone this Christmas Day.    Last Chance!  Please sign up this week if you would like to come!

There will be no service on Sunday 27th December as it is only two days after our Christmas services.  Worship will resume on 3rd January.

For this Third Sunday in Advent, our readings are Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7, and Luke 1:26-38, and we will be singing the hymns Once in Royal David’s City, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Angels from the Realms of Glory. 

Our sermon will be entitled Mary, did you know?

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Preparing for Christmas!

Special Services for Christmas at All Saints

Saturday 12th December
7 pm  A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
at The Prince Royal’s College Chapel

Thursday 24th December – Christmas Eve
11:30 pm Midnight Mass

Friday 25th December – Christmas Day
11 am Christmas Family Eucharist

Dear Friends,

Only just over a week to our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, and last Sunday we had great fun as we shared lunch together and decorated the church for Advent and Christmas. Advent is indeed a time of preparation, both practically and spiritually, as we shall see in this week’s sermon.

Our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is now just over a week away.  As you know, the service will begin at 7pm and is being held in The Prince Royal’s College Chapel.

Tickets are being sold for THB100 in aid of the McKean Rehabilitation Center and are now available for sale at the church, from Bake and Bite, and from the Front Office atChiang Mai International School.  Please take some to sell to your friends.

The service will be followed by refreshments at the Chapel.  Caitlin, who is coordinating this, requests that everyone bring cookies, desserts, etc, to share afterwards.

Choir Schedule: Dress rehearsal and Performance
2:30-4:00                The Prince Royal’s College Chapel
6:00 Warm up         The Prince Royal’s College Chapel
7:00 -8:00 Service  The Prince Royal’s College Chapel

Those who can help with setting up the tree, tables, organ, etc, should also come at 2:30.

Posters advertising both the Nine Lessons and Carols, and our other Christmas events are also still available for distribution.

Christmas Lunch in 2014

We again plan to share a Christmas lunch together on Christmas Day.  Please sign up this week if you would like to come!

Also, coming up this Wednesday, 9th December, at 7:30pm there will be a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Payap University.  It will be in the Leviticus Auditorium (on the MaeKhao Campus – in the Law Building east of the Ring Road 1) Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Let me know if you would like to go.

For this Second Sunday in Advent, our readings are Baruch 5:1-9, Philippians 1:3-11, and Luke 3:1-6, and we will be singing the hymns O Come O Come Emmanuel, Christ whose glory fills the skies, Lo He comes with clouds descending, and Come Thou long-expected Jesus!  You can find the readings via this link.
Our sermon will be entitled Are you ready?

Video and audio of our major services can be found on the Audio-Visual page of the All Saints website and as always, 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 celebrate the Christ of Christmas!  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

Decorating the Church on Advent Sunday!

POTLUCK THIS WEEK!

Dear Friends,

The Christmas season is nearly upon us.  This Sunday we will celebrate Advent Sunday!  The 11 a.m. service will be followed by a potluck as we all join together to decorate the church for Christmas.  This was a wonderful introduction to the Christmas season last year, as you can see in the picture above, so please bring food to share and enjoy this beginning of our festivities!

This week the liturgy will include the lighting of the first candle on our Advent Wreath, and we will also sing a new setting of the Gloria.  This version was written by Healey Willan in 1928 and should be familiar to some of the American Episcopalians among us.  Members of our choir for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, have also been practicing!

All Saint‘s Advent Crown!

Meanwhile, our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Saturday 12th December is now just over two weeks away!    The service will begin at 7pm and is being held in The Prince Royal’s College Chapel.  Representatives of foreign consulates and other organisations have already agreed to take part and it should be a wonderful community event.

Tickets are being sold for THB100 in aid of the McKean Rehabilitation Center and are now available for sale at the church, in Bake and Bite, and at the Chiang Mai International School front office.  The service will be followed by coffee and cake, and maybe mulled wine, back at All Saints.  Volunteers are still needed to take charge of this.

Tickets, and posters advertising both the Nine Lessons and Carols, and our other Christmas events will again be available for distribution this Sunday and can be seen below.

Also, coming up on Wednesday 9th December at 7:30pm there will be a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Payap University.  It will be in the Leviticus Auditorium (on the MaeKhao Campus – in the Law Building east of the Ring Road 1) Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Let me know if you would like to go.

This week our readings are Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, and Mark 13:24-37, and we will be singing the hymns O Come O Come Emmanuel, God you alone know what you’ve planned, Sing we the King who is coming to reign, and Come thou long expected Jesus!   The readings can be found via this link!

Our sermon is entitled Come, Lord Jesus!

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,

Last Sunday we had a wonderful service to mark Remembrance Sunday.  Harvey played the Last Post, and we observed the two minutes silence to remember the victims of wars.  It was truely an uplifting service, despite its somber theme, and I came away greatly encouraged!  God is with us – even in this world of tears!

Soon we will move from the season of remembrance to the season of anticipation, Advent, when we look forward to the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

Firstly, November 29th, in two weeks’ time, is Advent Sunday.  The 11 a.m. service will be followed by a potluck as we all join together to decorate the church for Christmas.  This was a wonderful introduction to the Christmas season last year, so please mark it in your diaries.

Meanwhile, Choir rehearsals are now in full swing for our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Saturday 12th December, which is now just over four weeks away!    The service will begin at 7pm and is being held in The Prince Royal’s College Chapel.  Representatives of foreign consulates and other organisations have already agreed to take part and it should be a wonderful community event.

Tickets are being sold for THB100 in aid of the McKean Rehabilitation Center and are now available for sale.  The service will be followed by coffee and cake, and maybe mulled wine, back at All Saints.  Volunteers are needed to take charge of this.

Tickets, and posters advertising both the Nine Lessons and Carols, and our other Christmas events will be available for distribution this Sunday.

Finally, Harvey would like to invite everyone to Latin Night on 17th November at Chiang Mai International School.

The evening will focus on music of Spain and Latin America.  You will hear the bands of CMIS while gorging on an all you can eat Mexican buffet, included in the price of the ticket.  Tickets are THB600 in advance or THB700 on the night.   The buffet will open at 5:30 p.m.

This week our readings are 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hebrews 10:11-25 and Mark 13:1-8, and we will be singing the hymns Holy, holy, holy, Be thou my vision, Come down O love divine, and In Christ alone my hope is found.  The readings can be found via this link!

Our sermon is entitled Do not be afraid!

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,
This week we will mark Remembrance Sunday with a special combined service at 10:30 a.m.  This year’s commemoration occurs as wars continue to rage in Syria, Iraq, and many other parts of the world.  It appears that very often today wars are within countries rather than between countries and the rules of the Geneva Conventions are more often ignored than complied with.  In our suffering world we need now, more than ever, to pray for peace and justice, and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, whether for their country or for standing up for what is right in their own lands.

Our service will include the playing of the Last Post followed by two minutes silence at 11:00 a.m.   Our readings are Isaiah 2:3-4, Revelation 21:1-6, and Mark 13:5-13, and we will be singing the hymns O God our help in ages past, Abide with me, All my hope on God is founded, and The day thou gavest Lord is ended.  Our sermon is entitled We must remember!

November 11th is Remembrance Day itself.  There will be a short ceremony at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery beginning at 10:30 a.m. organised by the Royal British Legion. This will be followed by lunch at the Gymkhana Club. Everyone from All Saints is welcome to join.

God bless,

Iain

From Rev Iain Baxter, All Saints Chiang Mai

Dear Friends,

We are entering the season of remembrance.  Of course,all the world know that 31st October is Halloween when ghosts are said to walk the earth, but Halloween is short for All Hallows’ Eve, the day before All Hallows’ Day, more usually called All Saints‘ Day.  That is what we will be celebrating at All Saints this Sunday, November 1st!

The picture above shows some of my family in 1965 – the year before I was born.  From the left are my Grandma, Auntie Eva, my Grandad Baxter, my Grandad Kelso, my Mum, my Grannie, and my Auntie Ju.  Only my Mum and my Auntie Ju are still alive.  On All Saints‘ Day we remember that we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone before.  In many European countries it is the tradition to visit the graves of loved ones on All Saints‘ Day, but our forebears are scattered over the four corners of the earth.  However, if you would like to bring photos of loved ones to place upon the altar this Sunday, please do so.

Our services will be ones of joy as we remember and give thanks, and we will have live music at both services with Nancy playing at 9:15 a.m. and Anders at 11 a.m.  Much thanks to them both.

Our theme of remembrance continues the following week on Sunday 8th November when we mark Remembrance Sunday and remember those who have been victims of war.  This combined service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and include two minutes silence at 11:00 a.m.  On Wednesday 11th November, you are also invited to attend a short ceremony at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery beginning at 10:30 a.m. organised by the Royal British Legion. This will be followed by lunch at the Gymkhana Club.

Finally, a reminder that the first choir rehearsal for our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will be at 7:00 p.m. tonight, in the new band room of CMIS.  Please be sure that Harvey has your name so that you can get into the school.

Our readings for All Saints‘ Day are Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9, Revelation 21:1-6, and John 11:32-44, and we will be singing the hymns For all the Saints, Sing with all theSaints in Glory, Lord when I came into this life, and Oh when the Saints!   The readings can be found via this link!  Our sermon is entitled Death where is your sting?

God bless,

Iain