All posts by Alyssa Finke

Forward Today: In the tender compassion of our God

June 24, 2020Forward Today, scott gunn

Dear friends in Christ,

Today the church commemorates the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. We always enjoy a couple of weeks with this singular figure each Advent when the appointed Gospel invites us to remember his work as a prophet. But today we recall his birth.

At John’s birth, his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed the words we now sing in the canticle Benedictus Dominus Deus (Canticle 16). Zechariah foretells the important work his son will do, “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.”

I wish we remembered this more often. We gain the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of our sins. In other words, we can understand that we need a redeemer when we learn that we can’t fix our broken selves. By God’s gracious gift in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, we are made new, and we can be saved. It’s very good news, the Gospel itself.

Knowing that God loves me, a sinner, helps me love other people too. There is always more than enough grace.

The news these days doesn’t seem to have much good news, let alone Gospel. But Zechariah has made another promise: “In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

God has great compassion for us, meaning that God knows our suffering, our pain, and our deepest needs. And God loves us through all our sins, all our failings, and all our struggles.

If we who follow Jesus want to know the peace that passes all understanding in our own lives, we can find it in Jesus Christ. And if we can find the peace of Christ in our own hearts, we might have the clarity, the grace, the mercy, and the courage to proclaim peace and Good News in this world.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Building Racial Justice

This series was made in partnership with Trinity Institute in 2016 based on their 2016 conference, Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice. Courses are built on lectures by some of our leading teachers on the subject of race in America.

Spirituality and Racial Justice with Michael Curry
Whiteness and Racial Justice with Kelly Brown Douglas
Theology and Racial Justice with J. Kameron Carter
Racism and Racial Justice with Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Reparations and Racial Justice with Jennifer Harvey

This series is for those looking to deepen their understanding and conversations on racial injustice.

Tune in!

Listen to today’s Forward Day by Day reflection on the Forward Day by Day podcast. Find morning prayer on the Morning at the Office podcast and end your day with the Evening at Prayer podcast. Available anywhere you listen!

In case you missed it…

Pre-order | The Way of Love: A Practical Guide to Following Jesus

Responding to Racist Violence | The Episcopal Church

Most Honored Greening Force: Contemplative Ecology and the Living World | Earth & Altar

Implement Revive Online | Revive

Forward Today: Prayer and action

June 17, 2020Forward Today, Prayer, scott gunn

Dear friends in Christ,

To say there’s a lot going on in our world would be an understatement. Between politics, the pandemic, the economy, and protests over racism, it can seem overwhelming.

On Twitter, I asked for suggestions for topics for today’s Forward Today. One person responded, “It seems like calm in a time of chaos might be something readers need now.” Well, yes, I think that’s it. We need to know the peace that passes all understanding, especially in a world that seems unbearably chaotic.

Every now and then, I’ll hear someone say, “Prayer is not enough. We need action.” I reject the dichotomy. Prayer is action. Praying changes my heart, for sure. And I think prayer can change the world.

Sure, we need actions beyond just prayer. In the past, I have joined protests, written letters, made donations, and much more. But it is prayer that sustains me and keeps me focused on God and on God’s kingdom of righteousness and justice. My hope is that, for Christians, our lives are steeped in prayer. Otherwise, we run the risk of setting our minds on earthly things rather than heavenly things.

Yesterday morning, as I said morning prayer, I was struck by the refrain in Psalm 80, “Restore us, O God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.” We don’t save ourselves by endless striving. God restores us. God has accomplished our salvation in Jesus Christ. Our task is to proclaim God’s love, mercy, righteousness, and justice.

Last Sunday I went to a community-wide service of lament and prayer held in one of our parks. One of the speakers said this: “Our hope comes from the Lord, but we need to be people who bring hope. Christ is not coming out of the sky right now to bring us hope. You have to be the voice of hope. Do not stay silent!”

Let us pray. Let us pray every day. Let us pray every day for the wisdom, courage, and strength to be bearers of Jesus Christ’s hope, mercy, and grace in the world.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Photo: Unsplash

Building Racial Justice

Spirituality and Racial Justice with Michael Curry
Whiteness and Racial Justice with Kelly Brown Douglas
Theology and Racial Justice with J. Kameron Carter
Racism and Racial Justice with Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Reparations and Racial Justice with Jennifer Harvey

This series is for those looking to deepen their understanding and conversations on racial injustice.

Tune in!

In case you missed it…

Pre-order | The Way of Love: A Practical Guide to Following Jesus

From Bishop Jennifer: A Reflection of Personal Experience, Hope and Challenge for the Church on Dismantling White Supremacy and Racism | Diocese of Indianapolis

I’m Still in Lent: On Ash Wednesday and Being Unequivocal | Earth & Altar

Implement Revive Online | Revive

Women and Angels of the Bible—Podcast Series

June 15, 2020podcast

This special podcasts series includes conversations between Lindsay Hardin Freeman, author of the popular book Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter, and Kate Moorehead, author of the newly released Angels of the Bible: Finding Grace, Beauty, and Meaning.

Listen to Eve and the Angel at the Gate on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. (January 16, 2020)

Listen to Hagar and the Angels in the Desert on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. (March 26, 2020)

Listen to Mary Magdalene and the Angels on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. (April 4, 2020)

Listen to Sarah and the Angels on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. (May 7, 2020)

The Forward Day by Day podcast—including these special episodes–is available on all streaming platforms!

Forward Today: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend

June 3, 2020Forward Today, justice, scott gunn

Dear friends in Christ,

As I write this, Cincinnati has been participating in protests the last few days, as people demonstrate following the killing of George Floyd. But the protests go way deeper than that. The United States was founded with the original sin of racism, as slavery was built in to our constitution. All men were created equal, but African-Americans were only three-fifths equal. And I don’t need to recount for you the ways in which white people have profited from the exploitation of black people since then. The median weekly wage for African-Americas was, at last report, about 65% of white people’s wages. That’s just over 3/5, so in some ways, we haven’t made much progress in the original sin of racism. I encourage you to learn more.

What we are seeing in our cities across the country is the expression of accumulated rage, grief, and frustration, not just from George Floyd’s death, but from decades and even centuries of sinful racism. Before anyone objects to rage, I remind you that righteous anger is absolutely a valid and good biblical response to injustice. Read about Moses destroying the tablets and golden calf (Exodus 32:19-20). Read about Jesus cleansing the temple (John 2:13-16). Read the words of the prophets in the Old Testament (for example, Isaiah 58 or Amos 5:21-24). Read the psalms.

I don’t know about other cities, but here in Cincinnati, the protesters’ demands are largely reasonable. Mostly they have to do with police oversight and criminal justice reforms. Substantively responding to these demands would be a better response than riot gear and circling helicopters. In other words, I think we—as a nation, as a church, and as individuals—need to listen to what’s behind the protests. We cannot let our views or our reactions be shaped merely by incendiary news coverage, which is always going to gravitate toward the most violent, most sensational moments.

Earlier this week, I went to one of the protests and marched with people. This particular event was organized by young people, high school and college aged. News coverage of the protest I attended focused on visually captivating scenes: angry gestures, militarized police. But what, in fact, happened was that hundreds or perhaps thousands of young people, most under 30, marched peacefully to demand that their elected officials do a better job. Specifically, of course, they want to end the discrimination and violence directed at black people. I have trouble imagining how anyone calling themselves a Christian could object to most of what really happened or to what was really said.

This is long-term work. Acknowledging the long history of racial discrimination in the nation and in the Episcopal Church, our Presiding Bishop said, “We are not slaves to fate but people of faith. Our long-term commitment to racial justice and reconciliation is embedded in our identity as baptized followers of Jesus….That work of racial reconciliation and justice—what we know as Becoming Beloved Community—is happening across our Episcopal Church.”

If you are, like me, a white person, know that dismantling white supremacy and systemic racism is our work. Our church is now, thankfully, offering many resources to help us all carry out a Christian response to the sins of racism and white supremacy. You might consider ways to get involved with Becoming Beloved Community. Learn more about The Union of Black Episcopalians and follow them on Facebook. If you are scandalized by the “political” nature of this week’s Forward Today, check out the Social Justice Bible Challenge to see that there is nothing partisan or “political” about racial healing; it is part of God’s desire for justice, mercy, love, and grace.

Our Presiding Bishop offers encouragement and hope for the hard work ahead. “Opening and changing hearts does not happen overnight. The Christian race is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Our prayers and our work for justice, healing and truth-telling must be unceasing. Let us recommit ourselves to following in the footsteps of Jesus, the way that leads to healing, justice and love.”

I leave you with a prayer from page 260 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Each night, as protests continue, I also pray that protesters and police will be kept safe, and I pray mightily that cries for justice will be heard.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Photo: Unsplash

Racism and Racial Justice
by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva

In this course, activist, author, and Duke University professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva discusses the continuing plague of racism in this country and how to address it with these four presentations:

The New Racism
Colorblind Racism
Race and Class
Action

This course is ideal for individuals and congregations looking to deepen their understanding and conversations on racial injustice.

Tune in!

In case you missed it…

Presiding Bishop Curry calls for justice and love | The Washington Post

We Live Here Now | Earth & Altar

Implement Revive Online | Revive

Downloadable addition to Hour by Hour | Forward Movement

Forward Today: Vitality in your church

May 20, 2020Best Practices, Forward Today, RenewalWorks, scott gunn, Spiritual growth

Dear friends in Christ,

I’ve been thinking about church vitality lately, especially in this time of pandemic. Some churches seem to be getting stronger, while others are struggling mightily. It might seem like we need to reinvent everything about church for this time. But I’m not so sure. Maybe the core principles stay the same, but the way we carry them out changes.

Forward Movement’s RenewalWorks program has done extensive research on spiritual vitality in congregations. There are five best practice principles to increasing spiritual health and vitality in a congregation. Maybe this time of pandemic is an opportunity for each church to ask whether it is doing these things and whether it might be necessary to change how we’re doing them.

Get People Moving. Complacency is a huge challenge in the Episcopal Church. Too many of us do not expect transformation, and we run our churches so as not to rock too many boats. Disturbing complacency and starting each person in a journey of growth is exactly what we need to do.
Embed the Bible in everything. Scripture engagement changes lives. Making sure that every meeting starts with Bible study—and framing all activity at the church through the lens of scripture—will lead people to read and to study the scriptures.
Create Ownership. As one pastor used to say, “I can’t read the Bible for you or say your prayers. You have to do that.” We cannot outsource our discipleship work to someone else. Each one of us needs to take on habits of prayer, study, worship, and service.
Pastor the Community. What does the community outside our church need? This might be a different question than, what do we want to do? Is there a need for tutoring? Shelter? Food? Meeting space? If we can learn to know and to love our neighbors, the world will be transformed one life at a time.
Heart of the Leader. If the person who preaches is faking it, everyone can tell. Lay leaders can work to ensure that their clergy leader is refreshed and renewed. And clergy can make sure that their lay leaders are called to vital work, not carrying the millstone of institutional maintenance.

You can learn a lot more about the Best Practice Principles on the RenewalWorks website. How is your church doing? Have you seen success? Do you face challenges?

The reason for us to do this work is not to earn God’s love or our salvation. That has been accomplished on the cross. No, the reason to become effective disciples is so that we might grow into the full stature of Jesus Christ and share his love with a world in need.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

Subscribe to receive Forward Today in your inbox.

Illustration by Jay Sidebotham.

Make Me an Instrument of Peace:
A Guide to Civil Discourse

Make Me an Instrument is a free, 5-week course designed to help us bridge the divides that keep us from moving forward. Taught by a team of experts in civil discourse, this course includes these five classes:

Civil Discourse in Context with Ranjit Matthews
Tenets for Civil Discourse with Shannon Kelly
Values-Based Conversations with Alan Yarborough
The Complexities of Policy with Rebecca Linder Blachy
Sacred Space for Debate with Marcus Halley

Make Me an Instrument is ideal for those who want to take dialogue between polarized people or parties seriously.

Tune in!

In case you missed it…

Downloadable addition to Hour by Hour | Forward Movement

Giving Away the Church: Reflections on Fresh Ecclesial Expressions | Earth & Altar

Slightly Frantic Liturgy | Grow Christians

Learn more about Revive

Forward Today: Who’s gonna save us now?

May 13, 2020Forward Today, scott gunn

Dear friends,

I am grateful to be Facebook friends with Howard Helvey, a renowned church musician who lives here in Cincinnati. He often posts photos from his walks around the city. This week, he posted a photo that is beautiful, poignant, and not a little provocative.

The photo was taken at the site where Calvary United Methodist Church is being demolished. Someone has written graffiti on the wall of the nave, partly still standing in defiant glory and partly razed into rubble. “Who’s gonna save us now?”

I have no idea what was in the mind of the person who painted this cry. Was it intended sympathetically, in sorrow over a church that will no longer stand? Was it hostile, mocking faith in Jesus? Was the writer channeling a couple of recent popular songs that include this phrase or ones close to it in their lyrics? Was the message a cry of anguish over the church and perhaps the state of our world?

When I initially saw the writing, my first thought was to recall the cries of Palm Sunday. Hosanna! Save us! The desperation of people groaning under the yoke of imperial oppression is palpable in the anguished shouts of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The miseries that bind us now are different, but they are no less real—pandemic, economic disparity, systemic racism, rampant violence—and it is absolutely righteous to shout out, “Who will save us?”

Salvation is a word that I wish we spent more time with in the Episcopal Church. Thinking of salvation as “getting into heaven” is only a tiny slice of what the word means, and even that is a bit of a distorted view. The scriptures use salvation to mean deliverance, health, wholeness, and redemption. Salvation is something that most certainly begins in this life and continues into the life to come.

Who’s gonna save us now? God’s salvation is surely front and center. We yearn to be transformed by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. And salvation might involve each one of us as we choose to be means of health, wholeness, deliverance, and redemption for others. Wearing a mask, offering a word of hope, showing mercy, striving for justice, praying without ceasing, proclaiming Good News—these are all ways we share the saving love of Jesus Christ with a world in need.

Who’s gonna save us now? Jesus, without a doubt. And that’s why our work as disciples and evangelists matters now and always.

Who’s gonna save us now? Jesus, without a doubt. Thanks be to God.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Yes, We’re All Called to Mission

By Kate Gillooly

Jesus didn’t just call 12—he called us all.

And he called us to discern and unleash our gifts, playing our part in bringing God’s kingdom to earth. Congregational development expert Kate Gillooly unpacks this in four video presentations, titled:

We Are All Called to Mission
The Work of Discernment
Spiritual Gifts for Mission
When It Works

This course is ideal for anyone looking to explore mission, especially as it relates to congregational development.

Tune in!

In case you missed it…

Special Podcast Episode (May 7th) | Women & Angels of the Bible:
Sarah Laughs with the Angels

I’m Sorry, Thank You, and the Mystery of Grace | Grow Christians

Download our Coloring Pages | Forward Movement

Women & Angels of the Bible: Sarah Laughs with the Angels

May 7, 2020

Forward Movement Managing Editor Richelle Thompson recently chatted with Lindsay Hardin Freeman, author of the popular book Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter, and Kate Moorehead, author of the newly released Angels of the Bible: Finding Grace, Beauty, and Meaning. This discussion focused on Sara and her interaction with angels.

“The fact is: We know we can get viruses from other people, but we forget there’s a lot of things that are contagious. Joy is contagious. The Holy Spirit is contagious. We can still get a lot of good stuff from each other, too….So even though we can’t be physically together, we should not let that make us isolated. We should remember that we can still pass on great stuff to each other, even if it’s over a Zoom phone call.”

“We are out in the wilderness, out in exile. We have been thrown into isolation, whether we want to or not, fragmented and not sure how things will come together again. But I guess our challenge is to believe and know that they will.”

Read the full interview here.

You can also listen to this conversation in a special episode of the Forward Day by Day podcast, released on May 7, 2020.

Figure 5 Basilica of San Vitale, Abraham with the Angels at Mamre and the Sacrifice of Abraham, 547, Mosaic, Ravenna, Italy

Forward Today: Signs of Love

May 6, 2020Forward Today, love, scott gunn

Dear friends in Christ,

Last week, while I was out walking our dog, I noticed some kids drawing on the sidewalk. Now, kids having some fun with chalk art isn’t all that unusual. But this art was both beautiful and heart-wrenching.

I was walking past the county jail, and the kids were drawing a message for their father, who could apparently see this bit of sidewalk from his cell. It had his name and their names, and a message of love. Beautiful, right? Kids professing love for their father. And certainly heart-wrenching.

All I know is that some kids love their father. I don’t know if he was to be in the jail for a day, or for a week, or for a year. I don’t know what circumstances led him to end up in the jail. What I do know is that the father and his children are all precious people, made in God’s image and worthy of love. Everyone, without exception, is worthy of God’s love and worthy of the love of others.

For the last few days, I’ve thought about this sign of love. On the one hand, it was utterly simple. Children’s art. On the other hand, it was as beautiful as any art ever made in human history, because it was created in love, with a message of love for one person. And yet it touched me and perhaps many others who walked by that patch of sidewalk.

It got me thinking. What if our world was filled with many more signs of love? What would it be like if we expressed our love of God and our love of neighbor in tangible and visible ways more often?

Maybe we follow the lead of those children and write on our sidewalks. We could offer words of encouragement and grace to those who need to hear a word of hope. We could send a letter or a kind email. We could mail a gift.

In short, we could change our world one story at a time. If our world is defined by the news, it will seem hopeless—filled with violence, fear, and degradation. It’s true that violence, hatred, and fear are present in our world. But it’s also true that, in the end, God’s love wins. The empty tomb is a promise of the victory of love over sin, fear, violence, and death. Every sign of love is a sign of hope, a reminder that God has the last word.

Let’s make some signs of love, shall we?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

Subscribe to receive Forward Today in your inbox.

A Covid-19 Spiritual Survival Kit

What can we do to take care of ourselves and others during this difficult time? How can we rely on God to help us survive—spiritually, physically, and emotionally—and to do God’s work in the world? In this course, James Farwell, Stephanie Spellers, Dorothy Linthicum, and Bonnie Perry offer suggestions to help us manage this period of anxiety and social isolation

This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn coping skills and keep spiritually healthy as we go through the Covid-19 experience.

Tune in!

New Release:
Come & See: Reflections on the Life of Jesus

Each day since 1935, Forward Day by Day has offered daily devotions rooted in the Word of God and love of Jesus. Now, for the first time, some of the best meditations from the past three decades are collected into one volume and arranged chronologically, from Jesus’ birth to resurrection. Although the devotions were written in different contexts by a variety of authors, this collection offers a rich tapestry of reflections, some poignant, others pointed, but all committed to a way of love.

Come & See is curated by Sanford Smith, a pastor from Omaha, Nebraska, who began reading and collecting his favorite Forward Day by Day meditations in 1985. Today, at age ninety-five, he still volunteers four days a week as a hospital chaplain but every morning, he puts first things first and opens Forward Day by Day to read and pray.

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the printing of this title has been delayed until late summer. Pre-order your print copy today, but also know that we’ve made the e-book version available early. You can find it on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and at the iTunes store.

In case you missed it…

Free Forward Movement Resources | Forward Movement

Download our Coloring Pages | Forward Movement

Grief and Resurrection | Earth & Altar

Nuevo Amanecer goes Virtual | Latino Ministries of the Episcopal Church

Smart Speakers Now Offering Episcopal Prayer | Forward Movement

Smart Speakers Now Offering Episcopal Prayers

April 23, 2020daily prayer, podcast, Prayer

Both Alexa and Google Assistant have learned some Episcopal prayers. Thanks to a partnership between TryTank Experimental Lab and Forward Movement, you can now say, “Alexa, open Episcopal Prayer” or “Google, talk to Episcopal Prayer” and your device will begin playing the morning or evening prayer podcasts of Forward Movement.

“Whether people are at home or on the go, these options for moving through the daily office will be both useful and inspiring,” said the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement. “As a bit of a geek, I’m excited about this marriage of technology and Anglican tradition to equip disciples for daily prayer.”

Depending on the time of day, Alexa or Google Assistant will play either the morning prayer or evening prayer podcasts, which include the full liturgy of the daily office along with the assigned psalms and readings for the day.

“We are eager to see how this initiative catches on, so that we can learn more about how to bring spiritual practices and technology together,” said the Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija, director of TryTank. “Our early tests show that it quickly became a regular part of people’s daily routine.”

The podcasts themselves are the brainchild of the Rev. Canon Wiley Ammons, rector of Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Jacksonville, Florida, who co-hosts the episodes with the Rev. Lisa Meirow, curate at All Saints Episcopal Church, also in Jacksonville. A Morning at the Office and An Evening at Prayer are available on all major podcast platforms.

Forward Movement’s work of discipleship has used contemporary methods since its founding. “In the 1930s, pamphlets were an excellent use of technology to reach people, and now we use all the latest digital platforms and technologies. Reaching the smart home device market is another frontier to explore,” Gunn said.

TryTank Experimental Laboratory for Church Growth and Innovation is a joint project between Virginia Theological Seminary and the General Theological Seminary. TryTank offers inventive approaches to the challenges facing the Episcopal Church. Visit www.trytank.org to learn more.

Forward Movement is a ministry of the Episcopal Church that inspires disciples and empowers evangelists. With offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forward Movement has been serving the Episcopal Church since 1935 by producing resources such as Forward Day by Day, books, apps, pamphlets, conferences, podcasts, and courses. Visit www.forwardmovement.org to learn more.

Forward Today: Sustained by prayer

April 22, 2020daily prayer, forward day by day, Forward Today, Prayer, scott gunn

Dear friends in Christ,

As I write to you in what feels like the tenth year of being stuck at home, I suspect you are experiencing much of the same swirl of emotions that I feel. Sometimes I am enjoying this time at home, especially since I usually spend so much time traveling. Sometimes I am bored. Sometimes I long for a return to normalcy, even as I know that “normal” will probably be different now. And sometimes I grieve the things I cannot do because of the coronavirus crisis.

I have good days and bad days, and maybe you do, too. Several things keep me going, and one of them is regular prayer.

If you have an abundant prayer life, wonderful. Maybe you wish you had a deeper life of prayer. Or maybe you have been in the habit of daily prayer in the past, but it just hasn’t seemed to work these days. We all wax and wane on our journey as disciples. There’s no shame in admitting we’ve wandered into the desert and we need to find our way to the oasis.

Someone years ago gave me good advice on prayer. Don’t wait to feel like praying. Start praying, and the feeling will come along later. We might imagine that next week we’ll feel holier or have more time. But the reality is that today is the day we can change. So let’s change today. It’s never too late or too soon to start praying.

Forward Movement has lots of resources to help you along the way. We have morning prayer and evening prayer podcasts. We have an app for Android or Apple that offers Forward Day by Day and the daily office. We have a whole website devoted to daily prayer resources. And of course, there’s our flagship offering, Forward Day by Day.

If you’re used to getting Forward Day by Day at your church, maybe they’ll be getting you your own copy at home. You can also subscribe and receive Forward Day by Day in your own mailbox or by email. If you end up with an extra, you can always give it to a friend.

And, of course, we don’t need anything to pray, really. We can just talk to God. If you talk to God regularly, I hope you’ll share your joy in prayer with others. And if you don’t, give it a try. God is always ready to hear our prayers, even when we’re not so sure we’re ready to offer them.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

Subscribe to receive Forward Today in your inbox.

Introducing Matthew
With Vicki Garvey

For six weeks this Easter, meet with other students from around the world for a free, live, online class on the Gospel of Matthew with Vicki Garvey, a respected teacher and author and former Canon for Lifelong Education at the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

In this class, Vicki will teach us about the author, origin, setting, and message of the Gospel of Matthew. Classes will meet live on Thursday nights via zoom from April 23-May 28, 2020, and they will last an hour.

This class is ideal for people participating in the Good Book Club 2020, and for anyone interested in learning more about the Gospel of Matthew.

Tune in!

New Release:
Come & See: Reflections on the Life of Jesus