{"id":7626,"date":"2020-12-04T11:24:24","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T19:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gracepointephrata.org\/fbc\/?p=7626"},"modified":"2020-12-10T10:21:31","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T18:21:31","slug":"theyre-playing-our-song-luke-28-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gracepointephrata.org\/fbc\/2020\/12\/04\/theyre-playing-our-song-luke-28-20\/","title":{"rendered":"They\u2019re Playing Our Song – Luke 2:8-20"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Jeff Peabody writes; \u201cThe little Palestinian town of Beit Sahour is believed to sit atop the site where \u201cthere were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night<\/em>\u201d (Luke 2:8). Two churches claim to mark the spot of the angelic visitation.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s just geography. This year I find myself less interested in the where of the fields because I\u2019m more concerned with the when<\/em><\/strong>\u2014the \u201cat night\u201d Luke briefly mentions.<\/p>\n

The shepherds\u2019 experience of darkness, both before and after their trip to the manger, holds special relevance for a Christmas arriving in the waning hours of 2020.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a pretty dark year. In the midst of already dire global conditions, the pandemic has plunged the world into what has seemed like an endless metaphorical nighttime.<\/p>\n

Jeff astute observations lead us to ask certain questions. What is this song of Christmas? What message did God send to a dark and struggling world two millennia ago?[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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