St George's - Pattaya

23/08/2026

Here is our homily, delivered on 23rd August;

“Who do the people say the Son of Man is?”

Despite what many of us say, we do actually care what other people say about us.
We might put on a façade of indifference but, in reality, if people say nasty things, if they comment negatively then it does have an impact upon us.

Likewise, if we hear positive comments about us, if we are complimented or are appreciated then, usually, we feel better about ourselves.

So, what we say, and how we say it, is important.

And what about if we’re asked a question?

Usually people answer truthfully, or ‘mostly’ truthfully.

For those of us with partners, we might be asked, “Darling, what do you think of this dress?”

Oh dear, how honest should we be! I could be on dodgy ground here, but you know what I mean.

When we are asked something, it is because someone wants our answer, our opinion.

But we also have to listen to what is being asked;

So, the important lesson here is “listen!”

When Jesus asks, “Who do the people say the Son of Man is?”

We must realise that this is a profound moment in the Gospel narrative.

Jesus has gone north, most likely to get a bit of privacy from the crowds so that He can teach the disciples as much as He could before the inevitable end came.

Jesus and His companions are in a region where paganism is rife, He was in Caesarea, a place about 25 miles northeast of the sea of Galilea, originally the place was named Banias and was reputed to be the birthplace of the God Pan where the locals still worshiped him.

So, Jesus chose a place that was pretty alien to His followers.

And He asks, “Who do the people say the Son of Man is?”

The people haven’t built up the same relationship with Jesus as the disciples have, and so the disciples pass on what invariably they have heard from others;
“Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

If we don’t know an answer, we tend to pass on what knowledge we have, but when we do, there is less conviction in our answers.

But here’s the big question, the one that cannot be answered by anyone else but by whoever it is directed to;

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

So here, we are not being asked what other people think, we are not being asked to pass on other people’s opinions, good or bad; here Peter is being asked a direct question.

And with absolute conviction Peter answers;

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Messiah, in Greek that would be Christos. (Christ)

The Messiah; in Hebrew means the Anointed One.

In Judaism it means the one who would come and fulfil the hopes of the nation.
Traditionally only three types of people would be anointed with oil; prophets, priests and kings.

And Jesus fulfilled all three roles.

Like the priest, only perfectly, He puts people in touch with God.

Like the prophet, only perfectly, He showed people what God was like.

Like the King, only perfectly, He exercised God’s rule over God’s people while Himself being uniquely the Servant of the Lord.

So, Jesus is in a remarkable place, He has a remarkable title and we find, in Peter, remarkable insight.

Peter, who spoke and interacted with Jesus before, and after, His death.

Peter, who was to deny even knowing Jesus, and suffer bitter guilt because of it.
Peter, the man who spoke to, and interacted with, the risen Christ.

Simon Peter comes to recognise who this carpenter-teacher really is.

No category of human exultation can embrace him; he surpasses them all.

Peter, in this moment becomes the spokesman for the whole world, for you and me;

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Coolly and thoughtfully, for the first time in this Gospel, Peter directly addresses Jesus as the Messiah.

When we recognise people for who they are, for good or for bad, it is usually because we come to a conclusion because of evidence;

We trust our eyes and our feelings, we listen to the deeds that someone has done, we spend time with them, and we get to know them.

All of this is what Peter experienced but there is more to this than meets the eye;
You see, only God can reveal God.

It wasn’t Peter’s experience and intuition alone that revealed Jesus as the Messiah, but God Himself.

God reveals Himself to us because He wants us to come closer to Him.

Peter, became the spokesman for the whole world, for you and for me;
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

So, if someone ever asks you, “who is this Jesus?” then you can answer truthfully and with conviction;

“He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God; He is Christ our Lord”
Amen

23/08/2026

23/08/2026

Join us for our service at 3pm (BANGKOK TIME)

ORDER OF SERVICE

Apart from the celebrant sanitising his hands before communion, no other COVID restrictions are in place.

https://inachurchthailand.com/home/

🎥STREAMING🎥

We will endeavour to stream on Facebook via the St George's Pattaya FB page.
HERE:

https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgesPattaya/

DISABLED ACCESS

The chapel now boasts full disabled access by way of a lift at the end of the chapel.

🚫RESTRICTIONS🚫

Therefore, we very much hope to see you in person at the chapel.

Apart from the celebrant sanitising his hands before communion, no other COVID restrictions are in place.

📖READERS📖

To try to include as many of our congregation as possible, if anyone would like to please declare an interest in doing either of the Lessons or the Intercession, please confirm here.

Note: Unless the reading has already been handed to you, it will be sitting on the lectern waiting for you.

📴📵MOBILE PHONES📴📵

You are reminded that if you are attending the chapel, to switch your mobile off completely.

Or if you need to keep your phone on for any reason, please ensure that Bluetooth is turned off and your phone is switched to silent.

Note: if your phone is on flight mode, it may NOT have turned off Bluetooth, so please do remember to check.

♫♫ PRACTICE: ♫♫

The media player at the bottom of the Order of Service allows you to hear the music and practice your singing.

16/08/2026

Here is our homily, delivered on 16th August;

The gospel reading we have today, Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman, is not an easy one to hear. In fact, if we are being completely honest, it feels deeply uncomfortable.

We see a desperate mother, frantic with grief, begging for help for her sick child. And how does Jesus respond? At first, He ignores her. Then, He uses words that sound incredibly dismissive, even humiliating, in front of a crowd. It feels entirely out of character for the Jesus we think we know.

But to truly understand what is happening here, we have to look at what happened just before this moment. We need to look at the context.

At the beginning of this chapter of Matthew’s gospel, a delegation of religious leaders travels all the way from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. They are not here to learn. They are here to trap Him. They demand to know why Jesus’ disciples ignore the traditional Jewish ritual of handwashing before meals.

Jesus does not pull any punches. He exposes their hypocrisy. He shows them that they are so obsessed with human traditions and looking clean on the outside, that they are actually breaking God’s laws and hurting people on the inside.

After they leave, Jesus turns to His followers to deliver a core truth. He explains that spiritual purity has nothing to do with what you eat or how you wash your hands. Food just passes through the body. What actually defiles a person comes from within. It is what comes out of the heart; our words, our motives, and our actions. It is these that matter to God.

Authentic faith is measured by internal character and relationships, not rigid adherence to external traditions.

Right after delivering this radical teaching, Jesus does something unexpected. He travels directly into the region of Tyre and Sidon. This is Gentile territory.
And right on cue, a Canaanite woman approaches Him. She is a cultural outsider, a traditional enemy of the Jewish people. But she is desperate, crying out for Jesus to heal her suffering daughter.

At first, Jesus is silent. He is carrying the heavy weight of His immediate mission, which was to offer the kingdom to the lost sheep of Israel first. As the woman keeps crying out, the disciples get annoyed. Guided by their cultural prejudices, they tell Jesus to just get rid of her.

When the woman finally throws herself at Jesus' feet, He voices the very boundary line everyone in that crowd was thinking. He tells her that it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.

Now, we must understand the context here. Jesus was not throwing a cruel insult. He was using a common household metaphor to explain the divine order of His current ministry, focusing on Israel first before reaching the rest of the world.

But this woman does not give up. Instead of taking offense, she uses His own metaphor. She replies with incredible wit and profound faith: "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Think about the contrast here. The highly religious leaders in Jerusalem had zero faith and rejected Jesus. But this outsider, this Canaanite woman, has a faith so fierce that she sees right through the cultural barriers. She crosses the social boundary, she knows who Jesus is, and she trusts His goodness.

We can almost imagine Jesus smiling in absolute delight. He praises her incredible faith, and in that exact moment, her daughter is healed. By crossing that boundary, Jesus shows that while the religious leaders worried about becoming "unclean" by talking to outsiders, true holiness is found in reaching out to heal them.

This passage challenges us to look closely at how we live out our faith today, in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities.

It reminds us that we can say all the right words, and go through all the right religious motions, but God looks directly at our hearts. And whatever is living in our hearts, will always find a way into our relationships. The good news is that God looks into our hearts not to condemn us, but with a deep desire to forgive, heal, and set us free.

Finally, we are called to love just like Jesus did, beyond all human boundaries. We are challenged to push past social biases, political divides, and personal prejudices.
God's grace and forgiveness are available to everyone, requiring believers to look past societal. And moral, prejudices.

As the words from F***y Crosby’s famous hymn, To God be the glory, says, “The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”
Because this story proves, once and for all, that absolutely no one is ever outside the reach of God’s love.

So, where do we go from here? How do we take this message off the pages of scripture, apply it to ourselves, and live it out this week?

I want to challenge you to do two things.

We cannot hear from God if our inner lives are cluttered, if the clamor of the world demands our attention.

Sometime today, shut out the noise, sit in absolute silence, and invite God into your heart.

Are there areas in your external life where you are relying upon external religious routines while allowing bitterness, judgment, or pride to fester on the inside?

Let us ask God to align our hearts with His, ensuring that our inner world reflects His love.

Secondly, let us, like the Canaanite woman, cross a boundary.

Think about your neighborhood, your workplace, or your community. Who is the "outsider" in your world? Who is the person that society, or perhaps even your social circle, tends to overlook, to avoid, or to judge?

This week, actively choose to reach across that line. Start a conversation, offer a word of encouragement, or perform an act of kindness.

Followers of Christ are challenged to extend compassion across all cultural, social, and national borders.

Let us be a Church that does not just talk about boundaries, but breaks through them with the radical, life-changing love of Jesus.

Amen.

16/08/2026

Join us for our service at 3pm (BANGKOK TIME)

ORDER OF SERVICE

Apart from the celebrant sanitising his hands before communion, no other COVID restrictions are in place.

https://inachurchthailand.com/home/

🎥STREAMING🎥
We will endeavour to stream on Facebook via the St George's Pattaya FB page.

HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgesPattaya/

DISABLED ACCESS
The chapel now boasts full disabled access by way of a lift at the end of the chapel.

🚫RESTRICTIONS🚫
Therefore, we very much hope to see you in person at the chapel.
Apart from the celebrant sanitising his hands before communion, no other COVID restrictions are in place.

📖READERS📖
To try to include as many of our congregation as possible, if anyone would like to please declare an interest in doing either of the Lessons or the Intercession, please confirm here.

Note: Unless the reading has already been handed to you, it will be sitting on the lectern waiting for you.

📴📵MOBILE PHONES📴📵
You are reminded that if you are attending the chapel, to switch your mobile off completely.

Or if you need to keep your phone on for any reason, please ensure that Bluetooth is turned off and your phone is switched to silent.

Note: if your phone is on flight mode, it may NOT have turned off Bluetooth, so please do remember to check.

♫♫ PRACTICE: ♫♫
The media player at the bottom of the Order of Service allows you to hear the music and practice your singing.

09/08/2026

Here is our homily, delivered 9th August 2026;

Many years ago, I was an Air Training Corps cadet in my home town of Deal in Kent.
The nearest airfield to us was RAF Manston, where a few years later, I was to meet Susie.

But as a teenager, in the cadet forces, I had a fantastic opportunity to fly.

The Air Experience Flight based at Manston flew Chipmunks, a Canadian build De Havilland aircraft from the late 1940’s.

First flight, there I was, strapped in to this single prop aircraft with a very experienced instructor and off we went.

What an experience!

To fly over the Kent countryside was an absolute joy.

Part of the flight included the student, me, to take control and fly straight and level for a few miles or so.

The pilot, when handing over control says to the student, “You have control” and he takes his hands off the control column.

The student replies “I have control”, and is then in charge.

And I can assure you it was a completely uneventful flight whilst I was at the controls.

But then, of course, it was time for the pilot to take over again and so I say to him,
“You have control”

“I have control” he replies;

Then the pilot said to me,

“How would you like to do some aerobatics?”

“Yes sir!” I replied.

And then he explained what he was going to do; A couple of loops, a couple of rolls; you get the picture… and I then discovered what four words, in the English language, that generate very real gut churning fear and excitement…

“And here we go”

And my world, quite literally, turned upside down!

Well, we survived… of course we did because the aircraft was in the hands of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

All I had to do was relinquish control in order to experience the flight to its fullest.
The 18th Century French Jesuit Priest, Jean-Pierre de Caussade spent the first few years of his ministry teaching in the Jesuit College in Toulouse. In 1714 he stopped teaching, and became a wondering missioner and preacher.

In the years that followed he developed an extensive ministry of spiritual direction, based at the Jesuit retreat house in Nonsee, and many of the letters on the life of prayer that he wrote during those years have been preserved for us.

His most famous work, still available today, was a longer piece entitled ‘Abandonment to Divine Providence’.

When writing about the practice of faith in our daily lives, de Caussaude had this to say,

“God’s will desires, and can always accomplish, what will contribute most to our perfection, on condition that we allow God to act. Faith does not doubt this. The more our senses are faithless, revolted, uncertain and in despair, the more surely faith says ‘This is God; all is well’”

Peter’s attempt to walk on the water in Matthew’s Gospel follows on immediately from the feeding of the 5000.

Jesus has dismissed the crowds and has sent His disciples on ahead of Him, across the lake, while He goes up to the mountain to pray alone.

Early in the morning the disciples see Jesus walking towards them through the battering waves, and perhaps understandably, they cry out in fear, thinking that they are seeing a ghost.

He calls out to reassure them, and Peter responds;

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”

When Jesus does so, Peter sets out confidently, but he is soon overcome by his fear of the wind and the waves.

Jesus catches hold of Peter’s outstretched hand, telling him off for his lack of faith.
As they get into the boat, the wind drops, and the disciples worship the Lord.

This incident is also recorded in Mark’s gospel (MK 6: 45-52) but with one very significant difference; there is no mention of Peter attempting to walk on the water.

So why does Matthew record this?

The usual interpretation of this passage assumes that Peter wouldn’t have sunk if he only had had enough faith, and indeed Jesus’ words would initially seem to suggest this.

But the disciples lack of faith is also implicit in Mark’s version of this incident, and he didn’t include a description of Peter trying and failing to walk on the water.
So why is this?

The American scholar, Eugene Boring, has suggested that Jesus’ rebuke of Peter relates not to the fact that having more faith would have made walking on water possible, but rather that Peter was demanding proof of Jesus’ presence and power, rather than relying on his faith.

Boring draws a parallel between the form of Peter’s words to Jesus, and the words of Satan to Jesus in the wilderness temptations:

Peter says “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”
Satan says “If you are the Son of God….” (Mat 4:3-11)

In the wilderness, Jesus is repeatedly tempted to ‘prove’ His divinity to the world, and to Himself, by a spectacular display of signs and wonders.

His threefold response to Satan indicates a refusal to be drawn into displays of supernatural pyrotechnics, and instead Jesus focuses consistently on the God who alone is worthy of trust and worship.

By demanding a miracle, Peter has fallen prey to the temptation to seek physical proof for his faith, and consequently he is rebuked by Jesus.

But haven’t we all, at some point in our lives, fallen to the same temptation?

“Lord, if you are there, please make this person better”
“Lord, if you are there, please let me win the lottery just once”
“Lord, if you are there, please let there be a parking space”
“Lord, if you are there…”

The message from today’s gospel challenges our inbuilt human tendency to demand proof for our faith; to ask, that God would suspend the natural laws of creation in order to make belief easier for us.

So often we seek, not for faith, but for certainty.

We have no problem when our lives are running smoothly; but when the ‘wind and the waves’ that are the realities of everyday living, the realities of every human life, when those waves threaten to swamp us – for example the experiences of loss, sickness and ageing that we will all suffer from in time – we then find it hard to hold on to our faith.

The words of Jean-Pierre Caussade are of real encouragement here.
We are urged to hold on to faith, however bleak and unpromising our circumstances.

However strong the winds, or overwhelming the waves, God always wills, and can do, that which is for our greatest good, if only we will let Him do so.

In other words, we must fight against our natural human tendency to be in control of our lives; and, in faith, let go, “You have control Lord” and then, let go.

God has control.
“This is God; all is well”

Amen

02/08/2026

Here is our homily, delivered 2nd August 2026;

We live in a world of food abundance, yet our relationship with eating is filled with dread.

One day we are warned that sugar and fat are toxic; the next, headlines panic us over salmonella or listeria outbreaks.

This toxic culture feeds into devastating eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia for thousands of people.

Sadly, an essential pleasure of life has been reframed as a daily threat to our health.

But where food is scarce, finding enough of anything becomes an overriding responsibility.

Food holds rich symbolic weight in sacred texts.

It spans from Genesis, where the forbidden fruit denotes temptation and newfound wisdom, to Exodus, where manna manifests as God's literal provision for

His people.

The Passover meal was, and still is, a vivid commemoration of rescue from slavery.

Food is a frequent backdrop for Jesus' ministry in the New Testament.
Whether enjoying a relaxed meal with His friends, Martha and Mary, or dining with Zacchaeus, Jesus used these moments to validate those whom society often ignored.

Dinning with Tax Collectors and sinners is a statement of who the Son of Man came to save.

And, in the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, food is a sign of blessing and abundance.

There was no absolute need to feed the people gathered by the shore of the lake.

Even though they were in a lonely place the disciples suggested dispersing the crowds to the local villages to buy their own food.

But Jesus has a different idea.

He responds to this need, among their other needs.

Though He planned to withdraw and mourn John the Baptist, Jesus felt deep pity for the gathering crowds.

He stopped to heal their sick, and then immediately turned His attention to their next vital need: hunger.

They were hungry and needed to be fed.

Once again, the presence of Christ is a blessing, in more ways than one.

From meagre resources a huge crowd is satisfied with plenty left over.

Actually, twelve baskets, which signified abundance for the twelve tribes of Israel.

But let’s look at what this provision really means.

Where people are anxious, Jesus brings reassurance.

Where they are confused, He brings enlightenment.

Where they are sick, He brings healing.

And where they are hungry, He brings bread.

It is clear that the ministry of Christ is not just to the spirit or to the soul, but to the whole person.

He is not just food for the spirit, but food for the body also.

The Good News is not just an idea, but a complete renewal of life.

So, where there is anxiety about food, about what is safe to eat, and what is not safe….

When there is worry about whether there will be enough food on the plate….

Where food seems to threaten, as well as nourish….

Then Jesus’ use of food points the way.

Here He brings together much of the symbolism associated with food.

As in the desert of old, food here represents God’s provision for His people.

Food represents deliverance and Jesus’ concern for the marginalised, those whom the Son of Man came to save.

In the taking of the bread, the blessing, the breaking, and distributing; food points to the sacrifice of Christ and to His abiding presence in the Eucharist.

And this is something that we, you and I, are privileged to be able to take part in each week. This is not just a snack of wafer and wine. It is far, far deeper as it brings us into the very presence of God Himself.

Food represents provision and opportunity in the Gospel of Christ.

Provision, sacrifice, deliverance

As in the Garden of Eden, it suggests the desirability of true wisdom and the necessity of resisting temptation.

Where we are anxious about the future, the provision of manna in the desert reminds us of God’s generosity and care.

Passover reminds us of the saving power of God.

Jesus eating with Mary and Martha demonstrates the value that He places on friendship and fellowship.

His meal with Zacchaeus, with Tax Collectors and sinners, makes clear that every person is worthy of respect.

And the miracle of the loaves and the fishes is a rich reminder of the mission of

Jesus to proclaim the Kingdom, to heal, to nourish and to bless.

The greatest meal of all, the Last Supper, brings together all the symbolism of food in the ministry of Jesus.

When anxious, hungry, and in any kind of need, we remember how the Lord provides and how we too should provide for others in His name.

Amen