“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” – O Little Town of Bethlehem (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Hymn 279)
Dear Reformation,
By the time most of you are reading this message, my husband and I will be with a group of 50 Lutheran clergy on a pilgrimage through the Holy Land! And will be celebrating the Epiphany of our Lord near the “little town of Bethlehem.” We are part of a group that will be visiting sites in Palestine, Israel, and Greece as part of this clergy tour. (You will be able to follow along with our adventures on the church Facebook group!)
What an incredible gift it is to be able to start a new year with an adventure and journey in the places that are so central to our faith. While most new years do not start with something so significant as a global trip to visit places of scriptural and historic significance, the start of a new year always bring its own opportunities to find moments in our faith anew.
As you journey through these days ahead in this new year, I invite you to look and see where God is at work in your life. Where are you noticing these new opportunities to see and show God’s love? Whether you are close to home or far away, God continues to guide us and accompany us through our days.
Blessings and love to you in this new year!
Pastor Alina Gayeuski