Merry Christmas! As we celebrate the birth of Christ, may the hope, peace, joy, and love of Emmanuel, God with us, fill your hearts and shape your lives. Christmas proclaims that light has entered the world, not to remain distant, but to dwell among us and to transform us.
This season, we send you with this benediction from Howard Thurman, a reminder that Christmas does not end when the decorations come down:
“When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
then the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost, to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.”
Thurman’s words call us to see Christmas not as a single holy day, but as a lifelong responsibility. The Christ born in Bethlehem sends us into the world to live out the good news, seeking justice, embodying compassion, and practicing peace in a weary and waiting world. Long after the carols fade, the work remains.
May this holy season send you forth renewed in faith, grounded in hope, and committed to the ongoing work of Christmas. Grace and peace to you, today and always. Amen.
I hope you enjoy this musical rendition of Thurman’s words by Elizabeth Alexander. When the Song of the Angels.
Pastor Mat (he/him) came to Bethel in the Fall of 2003 to serve as the youth pastor. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Eastern Nazarene College in 2005 and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Northwest Nazarene University in 2010. Currently, Mat is a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Nazarene Theological Seminary in the Black Leadership and Ministry track. Mat married the love of his life, I’Esha, on July 11, 2009. They have three wonderful children. Mat is ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene.
Mat has been serving as Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s lead pastor since 2015. Mat served as an instructor of philosophical ethics, church history, and theology in the Religion and Culture program at Eastern Nazarene College for over ten years prior to the school’s closing. Currently, Mat teaches religious studies as an adjunct at Regis College in Weston, MA and theology as an adjunct at Northwest Nazarene University. In addition, Mat volunteers on several non-profit boards and is a co-leader for Quincy4Justice, Quincy Interfaith Network, and Quincy for Transformative Change. He enjoys reading, riding his bicycle, traveling, swimming, stimulating theological discussions, and cold brew coffee. Mat is passionate about the intersections of theology and justice. He is committed to dismantling white supremacy and patriarchy in the church and society.
Mat’s specific areas of ministry at Bethel include church leadership, worship coordination, staff development, and pastoral care.
