May 7, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, At a time when the headlines seem to be dominated by bad news, I thought it might be nice to share some good news about the Good News. For years, the trends in church attendance and so on have been depressing. There are signs that a revival may be under way, […]
Apr 23, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, One of the things I love about the Gospel according to St. John is that there are a couple of places where the evangelist speaks directly to us, the reader. It’s a bit like in a play or a TV show when one of the characters speaks directly to the audience, […]
Apr 16, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, Tomorrow we begin our annual pilgrimage through the three holiest days of the year: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Eve. In these liturgies, we are drawn into the heart of our faith. The theological term for this foundation on which our whole faith is built is the Paschal Mystery —the […]
Apr 9, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, This Sunday we begin our annual journey through the solemnity, betrayal, sorrow, pain, grief, and ultimate joy of Holy Week. Our week begins with a short collect as we bless the palms this Sunday: Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with […]
Mar 19, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, The Holy Spirit is sweeping through the church, leading us toward revitalization and a fresh desire to make disciples of all nations. I really believe that. The signs are all around. Forward Movement is growing to meet the needs of today’s church. As is always the case, God has blessed us […]
Mar 12, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, During my recent travels, I had an inspiring conversation with a rideshare driver. He had a cross hanging from the rearview mirror, so I asked him to tell me about his church. Then I asked him how he became a Christian, because we were in a country that had a low […]
Mar 5, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Amidst all the chaos and difficulties of our present world, it might seem that Lent is an unwelcome guest. More sorrow! More hardship! But I think Lent is the gift we all need. As for me, I’m looking forward to a season that […]
Feb 26, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, I’m writing to you from Kansas City, where I’m attending the Episcopal Parish Network conference. It’s inspiring to hear about all the wonderful things happening across the Episcopal Church these days. In many places, lives are transformed, and the Good News of Jesus is shared in word and deed. Here at […]
Feb 19, 2025
Dear friends in Christ, Just two weeks from today, Lent begins. Maybe you love Lent, and this is good news for you. Or maybe you dread Lent, and you can’t imagine the burden of this season when the world seems to be coming apart. If the second one sounds like you, I invite you to […]
Feb 12, 2025
Dear friends in Christ: We welcome back Margaret Ellsworth, Forward Movement’s Marketing Coordinator, as our guest author this week. Tomorrow, the Episcopal Church remembers the holy life of Absalom Jones. He may not be one of the most familiar saints in our church, but if you follow Lent Madness, you’ll likely remember his name. A […]