Dear friends in Christ,

Some time ago, I was convicted by the teaching of Jesus we read in Matthew 5:43-45:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”

I’ve never really been persecuted in a serious way, and I don’t think of myself as having enemies. But Jesus’ teaching made me reflect on who I was praying for. So I decided to open up my prayer list.

Every day, I say morning and evening prayer. Near the end of the daily office, there is a place to add our own intercessions to the prayers offered in the liturgy. I now pray and give thanks in four categories:

• Friends
• Enemies
• Strangers
• Thanksgiving

Most of the time, I had found myself praying for friends, for people I know or particularly care about. There’s nothing wrong with that! But I decided to add “enemies” to my prayer list. As I said, I don’t really have declared enemies, but I pray for people I don’t like, people I’m afraid of, and people who might wish me harm. My list includes regular people, politicians, and others.

A few weeks ago, I added “strangers” to my list. These are people I might have met on the street or in a shop, people whose names and stories I don’t really know, but who might need prayers. On cold nights, I pray for people who must sleep outside.

Lastly, over the last few months, I also realized I didn’t have a formal practice of offering thanks to God for the many blessings of this life. So I added this to my prayers. It’s already strengthened my life to remember twice each day all the ways that God has blessed me or blessed others in my sight.

No doubt my prayer list will continue to evolve over time. But I wanted to pass my current practice along, in case it’s helpful in your life of prayer. If you don’t have a daily prayer practice, it’s never too late to start. You can just think of one or more of the categories on my list and pray in the shower, on a walk, on your commute to work, or in a quiet moment of your day.

Let us pray.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Learn about our new leaders for mission and development

Wrestle with faith and money in ChurchNext’s live Lent course

Pray with us every day at prayer.forwardmovement.org

Now with updated prayer material: Expanded edition of Bible Women

Dear friends in Christ,

Tomorrow the church celebrates the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, observed exactly 40 days after Christmas Day. This commemoration recalls the events recorded in Luke 2:22-40. Jesus’ parents took him to the Temple to present him to God, as the Law required for all firstborn sons.

In the Gospel account of the Presentation, we meet Simeon, a man who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until after he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Simeon was waiting. One day, he was in the Temple when he saw two parents bringing their infant son to be dedicated to the Lord. It might have looked like a perfectly ordinary event, but this time was different. You see, Simeon knew that the child Jesus was his Savior.

At that moment, he praised God with words that we now sing as the Nunc dimittis. In Rite Two language, Simeon’s praises are recorded like this:

“Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.”

In an instant, Simeon recognizes the fulfillment of God’s word both in the tiny baby and in his meeting of his Lord. Simeon knows that this infant lives for the whole world; he has come to enlighten all nations.

I love this moment, because there is so much to see and to learn. Jesus is for everyone. God’s promises are faithful and true. But I especially give thanks to God that Simeon could recognize amidst the ordinary routine a most extraordinary encounter with Jesus Christ.

I pray that when I meet Jesus, whether in his people or in the sacraments, I will have the grace to praise God for meeting him. We all meet Jesus, whether in this life or the life to come. Let us join Simeon’s song to proclaim Jesus as the light that shines brightly with God’s grace and mercy for all nations.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

From the Grow Christians archives: Praying Compline with children

Walk with Christ in our new Lent devotional, Encounters with Jesus

Receive your Certification in Episcopal Catechismal Study from ChurchNext

New release: A Generous Beckoning, exploring God’s invitations in Scripture

Dear friends in Christ,

Today the church commemorates the Conversion of St. Paul. The story of St. Paul’s dramatic experience on the road to Damascus is told in Acts 26:9-21. Jesus appeared to St. Paul and challenged him to repent from persecuting followers of Jesus and to embrace the Gospel of Christ’s light.

Imagine what that was like for St. Paul. His entire identity was probably rooted in persecuting others, and he was able to give all that up. Think about what it must have been like when the “new Paul” walked into a room of Christians who would certainly fear him and possibly hate him. And, yet, he loved those early Christians until he earned their trust and was able to be their pastor.

I used to not be a fan of St. Paul. I read some of the letters he wrote, and I didn’t appreciate his perspective. Some of his writings still confound me. But I learned to love St. Paul when I began to see him as an inspired human being, with emphasis on the human part. We’re all messed up, and St. Paul was no different. He’s the first to admit that.

Despite his many flaws, Jesus Christ called him to a new life of grace and mercy. That should be encouraging for all of us.

So today, I invite you not just to remember and give thanks for St. Paul, but even more to give thanks for God’s call to us.

As St. Paul was telling his story in the letter to the Galatians, he wrote this: “when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace…”

That’s just it. St. Paul didn’t do anything to deserve God’s grace or God’s call. Quite the opposite. And you and I have not earned God’s grace, but God showers us with blessings through his love, grace, and mercy.

Let us give thanks for God’s mercy and grace. And let us give thanks for all those moments when people are willing to turn away from evil and toward righteousness. St. Paul is our example here.

Are you ready for God’s call? Will you follow St. Paul’s example and go in a new direction?

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

More from our ministry:

Saint Paul as Mentor, Model, and Encourager: The Heart of a Leader

Explore God’s invitations in scripture and in your life: A Generous Beckoning

Walk with Jesus this Lent: Encounters with Jesus

From Grow Christians: The Larger than Life Ministry of Phillips Brooks