Bishop Marcus and Barbara Matthews send Christmas 2009 greetings

Dear Friends, The Christmas season is upon us once again and Barbara and I would like to wish you a blessed holiday full of joy, hope, and wonder inherent in this special season. In spite of the constant press of daily routine upon us and all of the commercial enticements of secular activity, as people of God, we must always remember to keep our immediate focus on the incredible significance and gift of that first Christmas. And what a powerful night this first Christmas was!  Because as Jesus was born into our world that night, so was born hope for each of us and for a people who once dwelled in darkness.

If you are like us, you probably spend at least some time during the holidays reflecting on how God’s grace and mercy have permitted you to once again enjoy the new hope and wonder of another Christmas season. The blessings of family and friends, community and church have all helped us to experience the special love and fellowship of Christ all throughout the year.  As we write this letter, it has been fourteen months since Barbara and I have been part of the New York West Area, and we now feel at home.

In the fourteen months, much has happened.  I have been privileged to travel the entire Area to see how many of you live and serve in a variety of missional settings.  I have seen our youth actively involved in community activities and I have heard from many of our churches how you have been faithfully confronting the economic realities of this past year.  We have prayed for one another and I have heard you share your commitment to help make a difference in Upstate New York so that God’s perfect will might be experienced by all in this area.

In just six months we will unite with the Albany Area churches in Upstate New York to become the Upper New York Area.  Our vision is “to live the gospel of Jesus Christ by being God’s love with our neighbors in all places.” We will be challenged to make room for all to be welcome.  And we will, furthermore, be compelled to live creatively in the context of all the new possibilities that only a true gift of Christ can bring! What an opportunity for us to be a living witness to the special joy, hope, and wonder that is part of this on-going story of Christmas.

We pray God’s richest blessings on you this new Christmas season and beyond!