Forward Today: Encountering Jesus

Light shines down on the edicule, the building holding Christ’s Tomb at Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (Photo: Scott Gunn)

Dear friends in Christ,

Starting tomorrow, the church observes the Triduum Sacrum, or the Three Holy Days. We gather to observe Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Eve. In these liturgies, we enter into the heart of the Christian story—into the heart of God’s love for us.

I sincerely hope you’ll make time to be in church all three days. It’s a big commitment, but it’s well worth it. If you’ve never tried it, this could be the year. I don’t think I’ve yet met a person who came to the whole set of liturgies with any regrets over their time.

In these observances, we see the whole picture. We see Jesus’ deep love of his friends. We see the desolation and betrayal as Jesus’ friends turn on him. We see agony and death. We see mystery and sorrow. Finally, we see ultimate joy as God’s love triumphs over sin, evil, and even death.

These are not just reminders of things that took place long ago, though that’s certainly part of what we do. These liturgies are promises of the depth of God’s love for us in this life and in the life to come.

If you know someone —Christian or not—who has not experienced these Three Holy Days, consider inviting them along for our holy pilgrimage into the heart of our faith.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. Easter is coming! If you are looking for a way to celebrate the fullness of Easter joy for the whole 50 day season, check out my latest book, Easter Triumph, Easter Joy.


More from our ministry:

Vote for this year’s Golden Halo winner at lentmadness.org

Keep vigil with this free download from Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book

Pray with us each day: prayer.forwardmovement.org

Forward Today: Entering into the story

Palm Sunday 2023 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Boise, ID

Dear friends in Christ: We welcome back Margaret Ellsworth, Forward Movement’s Marketing Coordinator, as our guest author this week.

Holy Week begins on Sunday. Clergy and church workers (and musicians, and coffee hour hosts, and the bulletin-folding crew) are getting ready for the busiest week of the church year.

For my part, I’m queuing up the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack, as is my personal lighthearted tradition. And I’m clearing my schedule so that I can experience as many of the extra services I can. I want to spend next week immersed in the Passion story. It’s a story that can sometimes feel overly familiar — we hear bits and pieces of it every single Sunday — but really participating in it, the way we get to in this week’s liturgies, never fails to make it new again.

Over the years, there have been various moments of the Holy Week journey that have resonated with me in different ways:

Some years, in times of deep personal grief and struggle, I’ve found myself weeping on Good Friday at the foot of the cross.

Other years I found myself most stirred by Maundy Thursday, as Jesus’ acts of tender service—sharing bread and wine, washing his friends’ feet—seemed to mirror my day-to-day life as a caregiver of small children.

And I’ll never forget the outdoor Easter Vigil service after lockdowns were lifted, the first time in over a year that our church gathered in person—where we rejoiced to be together around the Paschal fire.

Just as I have seen my own life reflected in the stories of the Passion, so too does Holy Week prepare me to see the Passion in my life throughout the year. In moments of grief or joy, humble service or raucous celebration, I hope I can call to mind what Jesus has done for me, not just as something I know by rote, but as something I have experienced with my whole self.

Holy Week sweeps us up into the great story into which we have been baptized, the better for us to hear the echoes of that story everywhere. May we take time to sink into that great story this week, and meet our Lord and Savior there.

Yours faithfully,

Margaret Ellsworth
Marketing Coordinator


More from our ministry:

Reflect throughout the season of Easter at 50Days.org

Meditations for Eastertide: Easter Triumph, Easter Joy

Enter the story through song and reflection: Face to the Rising Sun

A daily opportunity to reflect on scripture: Forward Day by Day

Forward Today: We wish to see Jesus

The central dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. (Photo by Scott Gunn)

Dear friends in Christ,

This Sunday, we’ll hear in the Gospel reading the story of a time when some Greeks approached Philip. “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” These non-Jews wanted to meet the Lord, for they had no doubt heard of his saving love and mighty deeds.

I love that they got right to the point. “We wish to see Jesus.”

Several years ago, I knew someone who was looking for a church. She’d been very involved in her church, and then she had to move to a new town. Because church mattered to her, she wanted to find a church in which to become involved. After several months, I ran into her. I asked her if she’d found a church. No, not yet. I asked her what she was looking for. “I just want to find a church where they’re talking about Jesus.”

It’s so simple. So obvious. And yet, there are plenty of churches that get so busy going through the motions of keeping the doors open, we forget to keep the main thing the main thing. Yes, of course, we Episcopalians mention Jesus in our liturgy. But do we talk about him at coffee hour? Do we share all the ways he is involved in our lives? Do we tell others how much we love him?

In our increasingly secular age, if someone darkens the door of your church, it’s probably for one reason only. They are looking for the living and true God. They want to know the Holy Spirit’s power. They want to see Jesus.

How would your church do? Would people hear you talking about Jesus at coffee hour? Are people sharing their yearning for God’s peace? Do people express their love for God and neighbor? Would every guest and every long-time member say, as they walk out the door on Sunday morning, “I’m so glad I was at church today. I met Jesus”?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director


More from our ministry:

Prepare to celebrate the resurrection: Get your Easter calendar today

Easter devotions from Scott Gunn: Easter Triumph, Easter Joy

Help your church get back to basics with RenewalWorks

Meet Jesus in Scripture: A Journey with Mark

Forward Today: The most important thing

Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea

Dear friends in Christ,

This spring has been a whirlwind of travel for me. It’s vestry retreat and Lenten retreat season, so I’ve been visiting congregations far and near.

Last weekend, I was visiting the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, where I preached and led a Lenten retreat. If you are near there, I highly recommend visiting this stunningly beautiful church. But the impressive architecture and glorious gardens are not even the most impressive thing. The church is bursting with ministries. The Spirit is alive there.

There are a lot of reasons why this church is thriving, but some of the reasons are in common with many other churches that are seeing numerical growth and spiritual vitality. Churches that focus on compelling preaching, excellent liturgy, learning for all ages, and the encouragement of spiritual disciplines are often doing quite well.

In other words, churches thrive when they focus on the most important things: God’s love for us, our love for God, and the joy of sharing God’s love with the world.

How is your church doing? What is important there? I encourage you to have a look at Jay Sidebotham’s recent book on spiritual vitality if you want some ideas for how to help spiritual growth take root in your congregation.

By the way, if you want to hear my sermon from Bethesda, have a listen. I preached about exactly this topic, which is why it’s on my mind. The most important thing is love.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. The rector at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea is the Rev. Tim Schenck. He’s doing a great job, and I am blessed to count him as a friend. If you want to savor some of his wisdom, check out his latest book: Devotions for People Who Don’t Do Devotions.


More from our ministry:

Simple practices for spiritual living: The Way of Love Practical Guide

Get ready for Easter with Scott’s book: Easter Triumph, Easter Joy

Build scripture and prayer into your daily routine: Forward Day by Day

FREE curriculum & companion book: Walk in Love | Practicing Our Faith

 

Forward Today: The gift of Lent

Dear friends in Christ,

As I write this, voting is under way in today’s Lent Madness contest. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Lent Madness is a mostly silly game in which 32 saints go up against each other as voters decide who wins the Golden Halo. Among other things, voters end up learning about each of these many saints as they make their choices of who to support. When we see how God has worked in the lives of so many different kinds of people, we begin to see that God could work in our lives, too.

I mention this, because Lent Madness is not exactly what one might conjure up when asked to imagine a Lenten devotion or habit. It’s too… fun. And yet it does the job. The point of Lent is not to be miserable. The point of Lent is to grow closer to God.

Perhaps you are well on your way through this sacred season with a solid plan that you’ve kept up with. You might have chosen to give something up or take something on. I hope your practice is bearing fruit.

Maybe you “failed” your Lenten plan, or you just never got around to deciding how to observe this holy time, it’s not too late. With Jesus, it’s never too late!

If you want something on the lighter side, give Lent Madness a try. Or maybe try reading Forward Day by Day (online, for free) for the rest of the season. The classic practices of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Picking one or more of those three will serve you well.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director


More from our ministry:

Pray the Daily Office wherever you are with our daily podcasts

Make free resources like Lent Madness possible: Become a donor today

Explore the words of our ancestors in faith: Bible Women

Practices of prayer for any season: Seek and You Will Find

Q&A with the Rev. Tim Schenck

You may know the Rev. Tim Schenck as one half of the Supreme Executive Committee— he’s the creator of the wildly popular online devotion Lent Madness. In addition to filming Monday Madness videos and creating saintly brackets, Tim is also the rector of the Church of Bethesda by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, and the author of books full of humor and faith. His latest release, Devotions for People who Don’t Do Devotions, is available now from Forward Movement.

Get to know Tim a little better – and explore his unconventional devotional book!

Where did the idea for this book come from?

The whole concept for this book, and the title in particular, is rooted in my own frustration with so many devotional books out there. There are times for contemplation and spiritual navel gazing, but I also think we need to engage our faith on a practical, real life level. I find that’s often missing in the devotional industrial complex.

As I write in the Introduction, “Maybe it’s the saccharine sweet, holier-than-thou tone of most of the devotionals I’ve browsed in the Religion & Spirituality section at Barnes & Noble. Okay, most of those were put out by Joel Osteen, Inc. But still, there’s a Ned Flanders-esque vibe to many spiritual books that leaves you wondering if the people who write them even inhabit the same planet. And surely that’s not helpful for those of us seeking the divine presence in the midst of our daily lives.”

What is your hope for this book?

Ultimately, I hope that people will buy it. Just kidding. I hope that people will relate to the personal stories I share, and that they’ll see themselves and their own experiences in what I write. Like any good sermon illustration, you should be able to find something relatable that touches something deep in your own soul — not that the book is preachy or anything…

But I also really hope people engage the book in groups. There are reflection questions following each devotion and I’d love to hear that people are building community by reading the book together. Loneliness is such a spiritual burden and here’s an accessible, fun opportunity to gather and go deeper with one another.

You’re well-known to many of our readers as one of the faces behind Lent Madness, our Lenten bracket challenge featuring various saints. How is writing devotional books like this one similar to – or different from – working on Lent Madness?

Well, I like to think that I bring a bit of that Lent Madness humor to my writing. With Lent Madness, and in my own ministry in general, I always seek to take my faith, but not myself, too seriously. You can speak deep spiritual truths without being grim.

Also, there’s less voting involved!

Where do you typically write?

Coffee shops! I do all my sermon writing, book writing, pretty much any kind of writing with the accompaniment of a good cup of single-origin black coffee. I hear there are other ways to write, but I haven’t come across them.

What was the most enjoyable part of writing?

Hitting send on the manuscript email to the editor! Sort of kidding. But writing is hard, often gut-wrenching work, that you put your whole being into. I love to write, but it’s never an easy process. This is my fifth book, and after each one, I swear I’ll never write another one. Which I stick with…until I get another dose of inspiration.

But the most enjoyable part of writing this particular book, was reflecting back on situations and encounters and experiences from my life and viewing them anew through a spiritual lens. It’s always a fruitful exercise.

Do you have a favorite prayer?

That’s like asking a preacher if they have a favorite Bible verse. Or a coffee snob if they have a favorite coffee. But I’ll have to go with one from Compline that I pray most nights, one that I’ve concluded every vestry meeting I’ve led over the past 20+ years:

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love’s sake. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, page 134)


How can folks support Lent Madness and all the other accessible spiritual practices that Forward Movement offers?

Consider becoming a donor today! Donations power Forward Movement’s variety of ministry resources, from RenewalWorks to The Good Book Club and seasonal offerings like AdventWord and Lent Madness. Help us inspire disciples and empower evangelists every day!

Forward Today: The world, or your life?

Photo by Adriel Kloppenburg on Unsplash

Dear friends in Christ,

This Sunday’s Gospel brings a challenging message from Jesus. Among other things, Jesus says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”

Wow. That’s rough. But it makes total sense. If all I worry about is protecting myself, I end up closing myself off from opportunities for God’s grace to work in my life and, through me, in the world. It makes everything about me. But if I can make everything about God’s grace and mercy, I begin to live a life that is steeped in gratitude and overflowing with love.

Jesus says we have to choose whether riches are more important to us than living an abundant, joyful life. If I spend my life chasing earthly things, I will almost certainly miss out an knowing heavenly things. Focusing on stuff leads me to lose my soul for the sake of… not much, really.

But when we make God’s grace and mercy the core of our being, we discover gratitude beyond our imagining. And we cannot help but spill over with mercy and grace for the world around us. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly astounding.

This season of Lent offers us the gift of a time to focus on what’s important. Perhaps we first need a reminder so we notice what’s important! And then we can try to live the life to which Jesus calls us—rooted in gratitude, grace, and mercy.

I hope you’ll join me in asking the big question. What’s most important? Chasing worldly things? Or seeking heavenly things?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director


More from our ministry:

Explore this gospel text: A Journey with Mark

Hear from churches focusing on what’s important: Signs of Life

Reset your approach to money and faith: The Unjust Steward

Start your day with scripture and prayer: Forward Day by Day

Forward Today: Lent is about true love

Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash

Dear friends in Christ,

Today’s juxtaposition of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday offers the perfect occasion for a critical reminder. This season of Lent is all about love. No, it’s not necessarily about romantic love. But this season invites us to return to the Lord—to focus on love of God and love of neighbor.

89 years ago, the very first publication of Forward Movement was a set of Lenten devotions. The founding leaders of Forward Movement saw Lent as a vital time to move forward on our journey as a church and as individuals. A few weeks ago, a friend sent me a transcript of a sermon preached at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine just before Lent in 1935. Bishop William Manning offered what he called “A Charge to the Diocese of New York on the Observance of Lent and the Forward Movement.”

Bishop Manning said, in part:

In the Forward Movement that we now need, and are undertaking, the first step must be a movement back to the use of our Bibles and our Prayer Books. A sincere, intelligent, and believing use of these two books by all of us will bring an awakening of interest, a deepening of conviction, a revival of faith and life which will arouse the whole Church, and at this time in which we are living we need this in every Diocese, in every Parish, and in every Home. Every man and woman who will faithfully read his Bible, and faithfully follow the teachings of his Prayer Book, will come near to Jesus, and this is the soul of our religion as Christians.

I encourage you to read the whole charge for some inspiration and very specific practices to try this Lent as we all repent and return to the Lord. What’s old is new again in our spiritual practices.

If you do not own a Bible you love, buy one to read and study at home. If you do not own a Book of Common Prayer, ask for one at your church or enjoy this lovely gift edition Book of Common Prayer from Forward Movement. If you are on the go, you can pray the Daily Office wherever you are, by reading or by listening to our podcasts, on our prayer website. However you do it, I strongly encourage you to take the good bishop’s advice and use this season to savor the scriptures and the prayer book.

The Bible and the Book of Common Prayer are not in themselves the ends of our spiritual journey, but they are treasures which can help us discover true love: the grace of God, the joy of loving God, and the delight of loving our neighbors. Have a blessed Lent.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. Do you want to pray through Lent with a devotional this year? It’s not too late. Download an ebook of Will You?, our newest Lenten devotional, from Amazon or Apple Books. You can also listen to Will You? as an audiobook from Audible or Apple Books. Our other Lent devotionals are also available as ebooks – browse to see which one speaks to you this season.


More from our ministry:

Laugh and learn about the saints this season: Lent Madness

Start your day with scripture and reflection: Forward Day by Day

Prepare for Easter: Order your Easter calendars today

Forward Today: Giving thanks for the Book of Common Prayer

Dear friends in Christ,

Years ago, when I served as a parish priest, I spoke with quite a few folks who found their way to the Episcopal Church. Our church was growing, and new members came from other church backgrounds and from no church background. I loved listening to what God was doing in their lives.

A common thread in those stories was gratitude for Episcopal liturgy, especially for the prayer book. People said they loved the sense of connection to the church in all times and places, liturgies that were hundreds of years old yet still compelling in today’s world. They spoke highly of the poetic and theologically rich language.

If you’ve read Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices, you’ll know how much I love our liturgy. The Anglican liturgical tradition certainly not the only way to rightly and beautifully worship God! But the prayer book is certainly a treasure to enjoy.

Forward Movement publishes a beautiful edition of the Book of Common Prayer (1979). We want you to have a book that is as beautiful as the liturgy. The edition we publish has a leather cover, gilt-edge pages, and a ribbon. Perhaps most exciting to me personally, the book also offers red rubrics. The word “rubric” literally means red, after all. So the red-letter days are actually red! It looks lovely.

So if you need a prayer book, or if you’re looking for a gift for someone on a spiritual journey, check it out. (There are bulk discounts if you’re buying several at once.)

But that’s not all. Today I also want to share a new PDF of the prayer book. As we prepared this edition, we realized that some of the PDFs floating around have quite a few errors. And they don’t show rubrics in red. As a gift to the church, Forward Movement is glad to share a PDF of the whole prayer book. By canon, the Book of Common Prayer (1979) is not copyrighted, and neither is our PDF. You are welcome to share it or post it on your church website, or whatever you like.

Whatever book or digital resource you use, I commend the richness of the prayer book to you.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. We also offer the complete BCP in Braille.


More from our ministry:

Listen to this year’s Lent devotional on Audible or Apple Books

Explore the spirituality of the BCP: Inwardly Digest

Another beautiful, portable prayer book: Hour by Hour

Pray from the Book of Common Prayer each day: prayer.forwardmovement.org

Forward Today: Savoring Lent

Dear friends in Christ,

It’s hard to believe, but Lent begins two weeks from today. From many conversations over years, I know that some people really look forward to this season and others dread it. A long time ago, I didn’t love the subdued season of Lent, but I grew to love it.

Lent can be a joyful time. Shocking? It shouldn’t be—even the Book of Common Prayer speaks of this season as a time to “prepare with joy for the Paschal feast.” With joy!

How can this be? Lent is a time to turn back toward God’s ways, to repent. Lent is a time to grow closer to Jesus. Lent is a time to live the life that God intends for us. What could be more joyful than that?

In its wisdom, the church suggests several ways to use the season of Lent for our good. We are encouraged to practice fasting and self-denial, to realize that our health and happiness doesn’t come from things, but only from God’s grace and mercy. We are urged to spend time in prayer and in studying the scriptures. We are commended in giving alms.

I encourage you to take advantage of whatever opportunities your local church offers. It is good to spend this time in the company of others. Forward Movement also offers a wide array of resources to support your Lenten journey. We have published Lenten daily devotions. We have a website and an app with resources for daily prayer. We offer a joyful practice in Lent Madness—learning from the saints.

With just two weeks until Lent starts, now is the time to make a plan. How will you savor this season, this time to return to the Lord?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn's signature

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. Your church might want to order copies of our colorable Lent and Easter calendar posters. These engaging posters are fun for all ages—to color in the pictures and to find ways to engage these seasons.


More from our ministry:

Follow along with Lent Madness with this 2024 Bracket Poster

Meet Amanda Perkins McGriff, the author of this year’s Lent devotional

Look ahead to Easter: Easter Triumph, Easter Joy

Savor God’s word with this bite-sized devotional: Forward Day by Day