Tag Archives: a season of prayer

Forward Today: Move every human heart

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Dear friends in Christ,

As the US election draws nearer, each day’s news seems to bring more stress. Regardless of our political views, we can agree that our leaders could do better. Poverty is on the rise. Disease runs rampant. Violence seems endemic. I could go on.

So what are we Christians to do? I’ve written about this quite a bit, and with good reason. This topic comes up again and again in conversations, online and in person.

First, we can pray. Prayer is not the only thing we should do, but it is an essential practice for every Christian. We can pray for our own strength and courage. We can pray for the needs of the world. And we can pray for our political leaders and candidates, especially the ones more repugnant to us.

Second, we can speak out. If the church and its members stay silent, we leave the moral voice of the public square to others. It is crucial for people to hear a word of hope, mercy, compassion, justice, love, and grace. Where else will people hear this, if not from the church. Deafening silence changes nothing. A voice crying out in the wilderness might make all the difference in the world.

Third, we can get involved. Vote! If you are worried about free and fair elections, volunteer as a poll worker. If you are concerned about the plight of the poor, contact local non-profits and ask what they need. And so on.

But it all begins with prayer. Today is the second day of a nine-day season of prayer for an election. I invite you to join me and Episcopalians all over the world in praying.

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What a prayer! May every human heart be moved.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

 

 

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Season of Prayer

candleForward Movement is calling Episcopalians and all others to join with us in A Season of Prayer: For a Mid-term Election. This is a two-week period in which we will pray each day with a particular intention for this time in our national life and a collect from The Book of Common Prayer.

This time of prayer begins Sunday, October 21, and continues through the day after the election. Join us on Forward Movement’s social media channels (Facebook or Twitter) in offering or sharing each day’s prayer. These resources are available in English and Spanish and can also be used as a bulletin insert for the Sundays of Oct. 21 and 28 and Nov. 4. Please encourage your congregation and your friends to get involved.

At a time when nearly everyone agrees that we are being consumed by fear and division, this is a prayerful, intentional opportunity to change the conversation. While we will certainly differ in our politics, we can surely join together in prayer. We hope you will join in this season of prayer.

Prayerfully,
Your sisters and brothers at Forward Movement

Bulletin Inserts / Encartes para boletines

Week 1 / Semana 1 
Week 2 / Semana 2
Week 3 / Semana 3 

ICYMI: Week of 10/14/16

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Welcome back to In Case You Missed It, our blog roundup of the latest stories around the #Episcopal world. Here are some of the topics that captured our attention this week.

Last Sunday, we launched A Season of Prayer: For an Election, an effort to engage in a prayerful and nonpartisan way with this contentious election season. As Scott Gunn wrote in a recent edition of the Forward Today newsletter, “For Christians, there is always one thing we can do, every one of us. We can pray.” Each day, we’ve been posting a prayer image on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Adelante Dia a Dia. Here’s what they look like:

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We’ve truly been overwhelmed by the response to these. Across our social media platforms, we’ve heard testaments to the power of prayer and seen the #Episcopal community in action. We’ve also seen users share their own specific prayers and images, such as this one from St. Michael’s, NYC:

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On Monday, we posed a new Question of the Week:

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We got a ton of great answers to this one, with Mary, Mary Magdalene, Paul and Peter leading the way. Some creative responses:

“David, whose passion and pathos before God created a graciousness which made his name, ‘Beloved of God’ unique in Holy Scripture.”

“Jonah. He’s a reluctant prophet who has a tantrum when God does what God says. I find him relatable.”

“Peter—both of us are hardheaded.”

Check out more responses and weigh in on the Forward Day by Day Facebook page here.

And as the #Episcopal conversation starts to turn toward Advent, it’s time to get excited for… Advent calendars! We leave you with a sample of the new 2016 edition from Susan Elliott and Jay Sidebotham, which you can now order here:

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Have a great weekend!