February 24, 2026
Dear United Methodists of the Susquehanna Conference,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
During the holy season of Lent, I give thanks for each of you and invite you to renew your commitment to personal and communal prayer. In a time marked by deep division, anxiety, and unrest in our nation and communities, it can be tempting to treat prayer as secondary. Yet Lent calls us back to what is essential. Prayer is not an accessory to discipleship; it is the heartbeat of the Christian life. Outside of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing.
In my latest pastoral video that you can watch here, I speak candidly about the challenges of this season in our public life and the temptation toward cynicism, and I offer a reminder that cynicism is not a fruit of the Spirit. Prayer is how God reshapes us. Prayer is how we remain rooted in hope. Prayer is how we are formed into leaders and congregations who embody Christ’s healing and liberating love.
I invite you to take a few moments to watch this message and to reflect on how God may be calling your more deeply into prayer. My hope is that it will encourage intentional spiritual renewal across the Susquehanna and Upper New York Episcopal Area and in your own life of faith.
We cannot offer Christ’s hope to the world if we ourselves have stopped drinking from the well. May we lean into prayer — not retreating from the world, but leaning toward the Author and Sustainer of our faith. And as we pray, may we be transformed and empowered by the Spirit to become part of God’s answer in a world longing for healing.
Thank you for your faithfulness.
May the peace of God be with you,
Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez
Serving the Susquehanna & Upper New York Area
The United Methodist Church