{"id":6816,"date":"2020-03-20T05:47:34","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T13:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gracepointephrata.org\/fbc\/?p=6816"},"modified":"2020-12-10T11:49:29","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T19:49:29","slug":"peace-in-the-furnace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gracepointephrata.org\/fbc\/2020\/03\/20\/peace-in-the-furnace\/","title":{"rendered":"Peace in the Furnace – Daniel 3:16-18"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Greetings again GracePoint family (Friday, March 20th)<\/h3>\n

Worship is essential for human flourishing. For one thing, we are all worshipping something all the time. The idolatries that fester, even in a well-disciplined Christian heart, when we are confronted with nonstop news of terror and rumors, can only really be put to rest when we gather with others to \u201cset forth God\u2019s praise, hear his Holy Word, and ask, for ourselves and others, those things that are necessary for our life and salvation\u201d (The Book of Common Prayer).<\/p>\n

As GracePoint Church we are called to be worshippers of God. Because of the coronavirus pathogen we cannot \u201cgather with others\u201d in an embodied state, in other words physically together. Therefore we are adapting and learning what it means to be \u201cthe church scattered.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Sunday, March 22nd at 10 a.m. I encourage you to follow the link below to listen and view a message entitled \u201cPeace In The Furnace\u201d which is a topical message that I hope will encourage you and that God will use in all of our lives.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/0UxPldzx0AU” align=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Speaking into a camera was (and is) a difficult transition for me after 30+ years speaking to a people gathered. W. David O. Taylor perhaps explains this transition best:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the difference between embodied cognition and disembodied cognition, between a dialogue and a monologue, and between getting a feel for the room and sending a unidirectional message out into the internet. To put it in musical terms, how might we transpose what we normally do in corporate worship into the new \u201ckey\u201d of technology?<\/em><\/p>\n

This Sunday, March 22nd you and yours can focus on worship and prayer at 10 a.m. our regular congregational worship time. Remember, that just because we are not meeting together does not mean that we cease being the church. We are just scattered out in our neighborhoods and communities.<\/p>\n

Some suggested items for prayer:<\/p>\n