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Finding Peace Through Awe: The Joseph Story and God’s Presence · Faith at Work

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  SPEAKER_00: What an awesome morning it has been.
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  SPEAKER_00: Would you agree?
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  SPEAKER_00: And this has been awesome for what?
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  SPEAKER_00: Children singing,
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  SPEAKER_00: theater with costumes,
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  SPEAKER_00: and a story that has inspired generations for nearly 2,000 years.
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  SPEAKER_00: This morning truly has been an all-inducing morning.
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  SPEAKER_00: There is some new research.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's out from King's College, London.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it regards the experience of awe, of amazement.
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  SPEAKER_00: And they did a study of participants who were viewing art and
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  SPEAKER_00: paintings and those kinds of things in museums.
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  And they recognized that when people were struck with all of
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  these incredible works
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  SPEAKER_00: of art,
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  SPEAKER_00: that the level of stress hormones in their body dropped 22% on average.
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  And the markers of inflammation in their bodies dropped even
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  more deeply.
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  SPEAKER_00: And their heart rhythms indicated greater relaxation.
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  So,
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  what they learned was that the experience of all clinically
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  brings peace into our lives.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, Joseph...
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  The man that we heard about this morning in our story was in
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  serious need of peace.
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  We just heard the story of how he was so stressed out because
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  he had heard that
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  SPEAKER_00: Mary,
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  SPEAKER_00: his engaged wife,
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  SPEAKER_00: well,
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  SPEAKER_00: she was pregnant.
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  SPEAKER_00: that he hadn't had anything to do with it,
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  which of course would have created an immense amount of stress
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  and anxiety in his
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  SPEAKER_00: life.
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  SPEAKER_00: But after he had considered what he was going to do,
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  Matthew chapter 1 says that an angel of the Lord appeared to
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  him in a dream and
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  SPEAKER_00: said,
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  SPEAKER_00: Joseph,
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  SPEAKER_00: Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.
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  SPEAKER_00: Why?
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
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  SPEAKER_00: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because he will save his people from their sins.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, just think.
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  for a moment what Joseph would have experienced waking up after
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  that dream.
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  SPEAKER_00: I believe it would have been extreme awe,
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  SPEAKER_00: amazement about what he had just heard and experienced.
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  SPEAKER_00: And from the study that we just heard about,
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  SPEAKER_00: clinically,
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  SPEAKER_00: that would have reduced his stress and anxiety
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  giving him peace in the situation and providing him with a
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  sense of what I am
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  SPEAKER_00: calling this morning,
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  SPEAKER_00: we-ness.
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  SPEAKER_00: That experience of God present with him in a very,
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  SPEAKER_00: very difficult situation transformed his solitary sensibility
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  SPEAKER_00: into an awestruck experience of we-ness.
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  SPEAKER_00: God with us.
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  SPEAKER_00: Emmanuel.
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  SPEAKER_00: Jesus in that moment.
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  SPEAKER_00: And he names it, and he names his newborn son.
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  SPEAKER_00: That is what happens in the presence of God for Joseph.
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  And that is what can happen when we,
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  too,
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  are all struck in the presence of God.
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  SPEAKER_00: We, too, can say, Emmanuel, God is with us.
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  SPEAKER_00: We can proclaim a we, a we,
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  And all,
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  we can proclaim that we are no longer alone in our stressful
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  days.
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  SPEAKER_00: As we go from this place having been in the presence of God,
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  SPEAKER_00: may we too lead in awe,
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  SPEAKER_00: proclaiming Emmanuel,
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  SPEAKER_00: Jesus,
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  SPEAKER_00: God is with us.