Think about THESE things!
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Paul to the Philippians, 4:8)
There’s a lot to think about nowadays, but I really like Paul’s advice to think about those things that bring a bit more life, peace, and joy into the world. Do this, Paul says, “And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (4:7) I’m in!
And, that’s exactly what we’re doing in the Sunday Forum, and I’m having a blast!
Each Sunday (9:10 – 10:00), we are engaging topics and ideas that have to do with deepening our approach to the spiritual life, and throughout October, I am giving special attention to the richness of Anglican traditions and why I find The Episcopal Church to be such a beautiful and life-giving way of practicing our Christianity. My experience is that these presentations can spark wonderful questions and discussion. I hope you can join us!
I was reared in The Episcopal Church, but I have many spiritual mentors in other traditions. The richness of other churches and traditions inspires me. My goal is not to encourage everyone to become Episcopalians! I just want people to find ways of practicing their faith that bring them life and joy, and I love talking about why this ancient way of faith and practice in the Episcopal tradition feels like such a wonderful gift to the world and to me personally. I have a lot of fun talking about these things, and I especially love the questions and discussion that result. My guess is that you’ll love it, too.
We have many in the Sunday Forum who are longtime Episcopalians, as well as many who are very new to The Episcopal Church. Since St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound is in an interim time and will soon begin searching in earnest for its next rector, this is great time for all of us to return to the essentials of our faith, to this beautiful way of practicing Christianity, and to some of the distinctive ways in which St. Andrew’s can be a gift to the people of Wilmington and beyond.
The Sunday Forum happens every Sunday, and my hope is that what goes on in there will make an important difference in people’s everyday lives. We’re living in a time of some significant stress, so our mission in the Sunday Forum is to bring a bit more peace, joy, encouragement, and renewal of life into the world by nourishing souls like yours with real spiritual food. Regardless of the Sunday topic, I hope you will join us when you can.
This comes with love and gratitude for you all,
Gary D. Jones
Interim Rector
