 
 Reverend Clergy and the Faithful of the Holy and God-protected Metropolis of Atlanta My dear brothers and sisters in Christ and co-workers in our Lord's Vineyard,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we are still at the beginning of a new year, I pray that He will bestow upon you His abundant blessings of peace, harmony, wisdom and joy in the coming year and always. It is particularly appropriate at this time of year to turn our thoughts to our plans for the rest of the year. That is why it is especially important to me that all of you begin planning now to send representatives from each and every parish community to our biennial Clergy-Laity Assembly in New Orleans, LA, June 16-19, 2011. Not only is this an opportunity for all of us to discuss what is happening in our Metropolis of Atlanta, but more importantly, to share our hopes and dreams, our vision of the future, for ourselves and our children. Our theme this year will be the environment, "You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands." As His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reminds us today, "Everything that lives and breathes is sacred and beautiful in the eyes of God. The whole world is a sacrament. The entire created cosmos is a burning bush of God's uncreated energies. And humankind stands as a priest before the altar of creation..." Therefore we must cultivate a sacramental understanding of the environment, of Creation. For it is apparent that we exist today in a broken world - in our selfishness and greed, we have used our creativity and technology to exploit God's creation, rather than care for it. After all, God gave mankind dominion over creation to take care of it, not to despoil it. If we have a sacramental understanding, we are able to live in harmony with His creation and with each other, in love and respect. It is vitally important that all our parish communities are represented at the 2011 Clergy-Laity Assembly, because we are not merely isolated individuals or even individual communities - we are all part of the larger Church, the Body of Christ. For this reason, I urge you now to "save the date," and make plans to be present in New Orleans in June. Enclosed you will find further information and registration materials which will also be available on the website. In closing, I thank you for all your efforts as we strive to work together in His Holy Name and to His Glory. May God's grace fill your heart with joy and your days with health and happiness in the coming year and always! I remain, in the service of our Lord, Paternally yours with love in our Lord,
+ALEXIOS
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