Pastors Terrill and Sara Sorensen

 Welcome  to you

 Britton Lutheran Parish

Dear Friends:

Do you believe in miracles?  I do.  I experienced one this past Christmas…not a big one and not an attention-getting one like water turned to wine but amazing even so.

It happened on December 10.  Our JAWS youth delivered carol-grams that night.  One group headed to Wheat Crest and other addresses.  One group headed to Spruce Court and a few other locations.  I was with the Spruce Court group and we headed there first.  When we got there the kids poured out of the cars and went on in to the dining room of Spruce Court.  I was a little slower getting in and so by the time I got to the dining room a happy coincidence or miracle (as I like to think of it) had occurred:  it seems our JAWS kids arrived at Spruce Court just moments after the St. John’s Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod youth group had arrived and by the time I got there the two groups were standing side by side and in a moment began to sing…together, of course.

This was a sweet moment, indeed!  Our youth don’t get to do things together.  Often our congregations have been divided by church “policy” and -  if the truth be told - by suspicion of each other and hard feelings from the past.  In that miraculous moment, the two groups rose above church politics and old grudges and all because of the birth of a baby 2000 years ago!  As someone who grew up in the Missouri Synod in a time when that church body couldn’t even get along with itself much less other Lutheran neighbors and as someone now serving in an ELCA parish, I have to tell you I got goose bumps and teary-eyed to see our kids standing and singing together.  The Child of Bethlehem did what generations of church members have not been able to do:  brought us together.   If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is!

This month the Church moves into the season of Epiphany.  “Epiphany” means revealing and during this season of the Church year we hear in the gospel lessons on Sundays of how the One who was born as a baby in Bethlehem is God’s Son,  God himself.  God reveals himself in Jesus Christ.  Often the revealing happens when Jesus performs a miracle.  The Child of Bethlehem who is the Son of God is not just from the dusty pages of history.  He still lives as Lord and King of all…and I believe he still performs miracles among us.   In this season of miracles don’t be surprised if you see some pretty amazing things happen in your life and world all because of a baby…and all because of his cross and empty grave. Where is God revealing his son at work in your life?  Keep watching.