(This letter also appears as "Matt's Musings" in the January edition of Intersections, our church newsletter)

To my dear friends and companions on the journey of faith, the Richmond Church of the Brethren, may God’s boundless love, Christ’s grace, and the Spirit’s peace bless each one of you. 

As much as I appreciate the important seasons of Advent and Christmas, awaiting and celebrating the in-breaking of God into our lives and our world in radical ways, I’m also a big fan of the less-liturgical holiday of the New Year. It provides me (and you) with an oft-needed vantage point to look back, to look within, and to look down the road ahead.