Dec 30, 2020
Dear friends in Christ, I love several lines in Phillips Brooks’ beloved Christmas carol, “O little town of Bethlehem.” The last phrase in the first verse is especially poignant to me this year, “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” Our God came to dwell among us, and in so … Continue reading Forward Today: Our hopes and fears are met in Jesus
Dec 23, 2020
Dear friends in Christ, This Christmas will be like no other in recent memory. There will be no packed churches, no Christmas carols belted out with brass and choirs, no acres of poinsettias in the chancel, and not even any large family gatherings. It would be understandable if we focused on our losses this year. … Continue reading Forward Today: Christmas can’t be canceled
Dec 16, 2020
Dear friends in Christ, One of my favorite liturgical customs comes along every year just before Christmas. In the last days of Advent, there are special prayers to be said during evening prayer starting December 17. They are called the Great O Antiphons, because each of these prayers begins with O. You can find the … Continue reading Forward Today: Oh, it’s time for the O Antiphons
Dec 10, 2020
We get a lot of questions about how we’re doing at Forward Movement these days. The short answer is that we’re well. So far, none of us has been ill due to the coronavirus. Starting in early March, we scattered from our office, and our staff has been working in their homes since then. Working … Continue reading Our Ministry in a Global Pandemic
Dec 9, 2020
Dear friends in Christ, I hope you’ll forgive this intrusion into Advent, but we need to talk about Christmas for a minute. It’s coming. Part of our hope-filled Advent is attending to the logistics of Christmas celebration, and we want to be ready to do whatever we can to receive again the gift of God-with-us. Not … Continue reading Forward Today: Looking toward Christmas
Dec 9, 2020
Growing Christians: Celebrating Saints & Holy Days at Home This book is the perfect guide to celebrate at home all of the important holy days in the Episcopal Church. The book features the best of our reflections from Grow Christians, our faith at home blog, on major feasts, holy days, and fasts. Each entry includes the … Continue reading Gifts for Children and Families
Dec 8, 2020
The Way of Love: A Practical Guide to Following Jesus One path to the Way of Love is through seven key actions: Turn. Learn. Pray. Worship. Bless. Go. Rest. This practical guide explores these words in the context of our life of faith and offers encouragement to begin or deepen spiritual practices to strengthen our … Continue reading Spiritually enriching Christmas gifts
Dec 2, 2020
Dear friends, I’m here to say it’s not too late to enter into the fullness of Advent! Maybe because of the strange Thanksgiving holiday or just the general weirdness of this year, the start of our liturgical year snuck up on you. As I wrote before, I’m especially grateful for Advent this year. In a … Continue reading Forward Today: It’s not too late for Advent!