Dear friends in Christ,

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about travel and how it helps remind me of important life lessons. That same trip gave me other insights, as well.

While I was in Cairo, I went to see the pyramids of Giza. I’d wanted to see them for decades, and they lived up to the hype. The morning I went, I walked all around the site, seeing the pyramids from different perspectives and touching ancient stones.

After a while, I needed a break, so I found a well-known restaurant with a splendid view of all the pyramids. Because it was the height of summer heat, there were very few other tourists. In the quiet, as I sat there sipping my coffee, I gazed at the ancient wonder of the world.

For 3,800 years, the Great Pyramid was the tallest human-made structure in the world. According to the traditional chronology, when Moses lived, the great pyramid was already close to 1,000 years old. Compared to the normal structures of the era—modest dwellings, even palaces—the pyramids must have been mind-blowing.

It would have been easy to see those pyramids and conclude that Pharaoh’s might was the greatest force in the world. And yet, when God sought to liberate his people, the mercy of the Lord exceeded armies, wealth, rulers, and worldly power. Mercy triumphed over might.

As I sat there pondering this, I thought about the vexing challenges of our time. Too many politicians crave power over the public good. The rich exploit others to gain even more wealth. People turn a blind eye toward injustice and oppression. Most of us consume more than we need, poisoning our world and harming others so that we can enjoy cheap goods.

Sometimes I am filled with despair. How can we fulfill our Lord’s command to love our neighbors? How can we work toward a better world? How will the mighty be cast down?

Seeing those pyramids helped me remember that, in the end, God’s mercy endures forever. We surely have a role in proclaiming this truth and in aligning our lives with God’s will. But we don’t have to save the world. We already have a mighty savior. What good news that is!

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Dear friends in Christ,

I’ve just come back from a three-week solo travel adventure. On this trip, I visited five countries that were new to me: Comoros, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, and Spain. It was amazing. And it didn’t all go according to plan.

There are lots of reasons I love traveling to see the world. But one of the big reasons is that nearly every trip ends up serving to remind me of a crucial lesson for the Christian life: sometimes our plan doesn’t happen. It may be that our plan and God’s plan are different, or sometimes it may just be as simple as “stuff happens” and we must adjust to new circumstances.

When I travel, I usually have a list of things I want to see or do, with the most important ones at the top of the list. I read about how I will accomplish all these things, and then I set out. But sometimes things happen: a flight is late, a site is unexpectedly closed, there’s a traffic jam, or some other problem.

As I watch my plans evaporate, it can be tempting to get frustrated or even angry. On a good day, I remember that the point of travel is to see new things, not to execute a plan I made back home. Sometimes disruptions or last-minute changes improve my travels in ways I couldn’t imagine. Other times, I miss seeing things I really wanted to visit, and there’s no way to repair the plan.

Perspective is everything. Earlier this year, I was in Japan to see cherry blossoms. I started to get myself worked into a state because the sky was a dull gray instead of the bright blue I had hoped for. And then it clicked: “Scott, you’re in Tokyo seeing amazing cherry blossoms, and they are stunning regardless of the weather.” That’s all I needed. I went back to being delighted in God’s creation.

This lesson from travel applies to larger life, in big and small ways. We can become angry or frustrated that our plan isn’t working. Or we can adjust to the new plan, whatever the cause, and give thanks for God’s presence with us on life’s turns and twists.

I don’t believe the gospel promises that the Christian life will be easy, but the gospel does assure us that God abides with us throughout life’s journey. It’s a lesson I need to learn over and over.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

P.S. Travel photography is a hobby of mine, so if you’d like to see photos from Comoros, Egypt, Morocco, or Spain, have a look.

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Dear friends in Christ,

In the midst of a warm, muggy summer, it might seem odd to be thinking of autumn. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking on my part. But I’m already leaping ahead to September.

In the old days, that is, just before the pandemic, autumn was a common time for seekers to go looking for churches. Lots of guests would arrive on Sunday mornings in September, people looking for a church home. We don’t have enough post-pandemic years under our belts to know if there’s a new pattern, but I suspect we’ll still see an influx of guests in our churches this fall.

Are you ready? While an Episcopal Church Welcomes You sign is a good start, a warm welcome requires warm greeters. A hospitable church will look at its signage to make sure it’s clear which door to enter, how to find the worship space, and where to use the restroom. Children will be welcomed with kid-friendly materials and perhaps a comfy space to worship alongside their grownup siblings in Christ.

Summer is a good time to look at our churches through guests’ eyes. Ever better, invite a friend who’s never been to your church to come and look around—and tell you what they see.

Jesus taught that welcoming strangers is really important. That’s especially true in our churches, where we have the opportunity to offer the blessing of hospitality to people who may be going through lots of transition.

Forward Movement offers Invite Welcome Connect with a list of ideas, but most of what we need to do only requires common sense and intentionality. The warm days of summer are the perfect time to prepare for the cool days of autumn. Now is the time for us to be ready to welcome the next seeker, to offer them the hospitality that Jesus wants us to share.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Dear friends in Christ,

Nearly every day, reading the news brings disappointment, anger, or worry. Whatever our political persuasion, I think we can agree that we wish our political situation were transformed. It would be easy to be consumed by the worries of the world.

Lately I’ve been profoundly grateful for the Psalter. Reading the psalms does not make the problems of the world vanish, but the Psalter does give me hope. The psalms remind me that my hope is in God, not in earthly things. Psalm 62 begins:

For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.

Our salvation comes not from earthly rulers or shiny things, but from God’s eternal love for us and for the whole creation.

My point today is not to minimize the sorrow and injustice of the world. Rather, my hope is that we will be strengthened by our trust in the rock of our salvation so that we may dwell in God’s presence. And from there, perhaps we will be emboldened to confront injustice and to offer consolation to the sorrowful.

Chasing the news cycle alone is a surefire path to despair. I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t stay informed! But when my first focus is on my daily prayer practice, I can take in the news and balance it alongside the Good News of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.

A good practice is to spend as much time with the Psalter as we spend in the news. Then we can rest in God’s strength, the God who loves us so very much. And our God equips us to be bearers of grace and mercy in the world.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Dear friends in Christ,

I’ve just come back from leading a prayer retreat. Forward Movement offered this time to folks as a pilot event as we consider offering spiritual practice retreats. But this wasn’t just a test: the time together with real people doing real prayer led to real results.

Over three days, we spent time in conversation and prayer. We practiced several kinds of prayer, and there was plenty of time for quiet and reflection along with group time. I was inspired hearing people share their prayer practices and the impact of a life of prayer. God really is amazing.

As I reflect on our time, several things stand out. One is that every person’s journey is different, and it’s not uncommon to have a “dry spell” in which one feels less connected to God. Over the course of our lives, our prayer practices will almost surely need to change with us.

Even a seasoned person can learn new ways to pray, and I think most folks at the retreat were stretched in some way or found some new accent in their practice. In other words, we all do well to stay attentive as God calls us into new practices.

If you have not yet developed a daily prayer rhythm, it’s not too late! Forward Movement offers several resources to help you discover or new a daily habit of prayer. Rhonda Lee’s excellent book, Seek And You Will Find, offers a guided introduction to several ways to pray. Our prayer website offers the Daily Office and Forward Day by Day, and that same content is available as a free app. We have podcasts. And plenty more!

Do you feel like you could go deeper in prayer? You probably can. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to a wise spiritual friend or to your priest. Or reach out to us at Forward Movement. Prayer changes the world, one life at a time.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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Dear friends in Christ,

I’ve just finished attending a meeting of Forward Movement’s board of directors. It’s a great team of people, leaders who are committed both to their own discipleship and to reinvigorating the life of the church.

Everyone always reports they are refreshed and renewed as we wrap up our meetings. It’s been that way consistently for the whole time I’ve been serving at Forward Movement. Why? Because we anchor our meetings in prayer, scripture study, relational connections, and a sharp focus on our organizational mission. In other words, we keep the main thing the main thing.

We try really hard to practice what we preach at Forward Movement, both with our staff and our board. We’re not perfect, but when we manage to get it right, it keeps us… moving forward.

At this moment in the life of the church, we are seeing a smaller but potentially stronger church. Our hope is to go even deeper as disciples so that we can all be empowered to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world. We are working hard to determine what the church most needs so that we can offer the resources and support that will help our church live out the Great Commission. If you have suggestions for the work of Forward Movement, please let me know!

We met at St. Philip’s in the Hills in Tucson, AZ. They are thriving—vibrant with new members, thriving ministries, deepening formation, and expanding service to those in need. They keep the main thing the main thing. That is, they are all in on Jesus.

This board meeting we just finished was an especially rich one, because we stayed focused. It really made a difference. I see what happens when I get distracted, and you might have noticed the same thing in your life.

I hope you’ll receive my happy report not as bragging, but as letting Christ’s light shine before others. We are not so amazing, but God is totally amazing. If we can all remember that, our whole church will be stronger and our Gospel witness will be more credible.

Yours faithfully,

Scott Gunn
Executive Director

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