WEBVTT STYLE ::cue { color: #ffffff; } 00:00:00.890 --> 00:00:01.194 Grace, 00:00:01.242 --> 00:00:02.718 mercy and peace to you in the 00:00:02.724 --> 00:00:03.866 name of our Lord and Savior, 00:00:03.898 --> 00:00:06.110 Jesus Christ. Amen. 00:00:07.970 --> 00:00:09.438 The Bible verse for our 00:00:09.524 --> 00:00:11.594 reflection today is from Psalms 00:00:11.642 --> 00:00:13.294 hundred, verse five. 00:00:13.492 --> 00:00:15.262 For the Lord is good and his 00:00:15.316 --> 00:00:17.070 love endures forever. 00:00:17.410 --> 00:00:19.258 His faithfulness continues 00:00:19.354 --> 00:00:20.830 through all generations. 00:00:23.170 --> 00:00:26.566 In the mid 1980s was I remember 00:00:26.668 --> 00:00:30.854 traveling from my city of 00:00:30.892 --> 00:00:32.549 Mumbai where I lived, 00:00:32.890 --> 00:00:34.486 where I was born and brought up 00:00:34.588 --> 00:00:36.802 to the southern part of India, 00:00:36.866 --> 00:00:38.014 Trivandrum, 00:00:38.162 --> 00:00:40.300 where my parents came from. 00:00:41.870 --> 00:00:42.650 In many ways, 00:00:42.720 --> 00:00:45.578 I myself was a 1.5 2nd 00:00:45.664 --> 00:00:48.074 generation person myself because 00:00:48.112 --> 00:00:49.190 I lived in a culture, 00:00:49.270 --> 00:00:50.718 in a place which was completely 00:00:50.804 --> 00:00:53.550 different from the south Indian 00:00:55.170 --> 00:00:58.718 person and family that I was a 00:00:58.724 --> 00:01:01.294 part of. And as it turned out, 00:01:01.412 --> 00:01:02.634 my journey to this native 00:01:02.682 --> 00:01:04.574 village was completely a 00:01:04.611 --> 00:01:06.226 contrast in itself to the big 00:01:06.248 --> 00:01:08.206 city of Mumbai where I lived. 00:01:08.398 --> 00:01:09.954 By the time I reached this 00:01:09.992 --> 00:01:11.906 native place of mine where my 00:01:11.928 --> 00:01:13.330 mother tongue was spoken, 00:01:13.910 --> 00:01:14.978 I found that there was 00:01:14.984 --> 00:01:16.146 no running water, 00:01:16.328 --> 00:01:17.990 there was no electricity. 00:01:18.410 --> 00:01:19.954 I had walked through the village 00:01:20.002 --> 00:01:22.226 to go to the nearest marketplace 00:01:22.258 --> 00:01:23.030 or for that matter, 00:01:23.100 --> 00:01:24.790 even go to our church. 00:01:25.370 --> 00:01:27.046 And the experience for a ten 00:01:27.068 --> 00:01:29.050 year old boy was not 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:30.300 a great one. 00:01:30.990 --> 00:01:32.422 And as morning dawned, 00:01:32.486 --> 00:01:34.746 I was woken up by the sounds of 00:01:34.848 --> 00:01:37.210 women singing and praying. 00:01:37.630 --> 00:01:40.618 It was still pitch dark black in 00:01:40.624 --> 00:01:41.834 the room in which I 00:01:41.872 --> 00:01:43.290 had been sleeping. 00:01:43.790 --> 00:01:45.486 And it was soon clear to me that 00:01:45.508 --> 00:01:47.646 it was not my own house in this 00:01:47.668 --> 00:01:48.698 village that was singing 00:01:48.714 --> 00:01:49.886 and praising God, 00:01:49.988 --> 00:01:51.166 but it was how the 00:01:51.188 --> 00:01:52.446 village woke up. 00:01:52.628 --> 00:01:54.594 There were women singing and 00:01:54.632 --> 00:01:57.074 praising and praying to God. 00:01:57.272 --> 00:01:58.674 And in my father's house, 00:01:58.712 --> 00:02:00.386 it was my grandmother and my 00:02:00.408 --> 00:02:01.346 father's sisters who 00:02:01.368 --> 00:02:02.420 were doing this. 00:02:03.190 --> 00:02:05.478 How could they disturb a 00:02:05.564 --> 00:02:07.430 young boy in his sleep? 00:02:08.490 --> 00:02:11.574 But here it was a new experience 00:02:11.692 --> 00:02:14.246 completely to me. As an 00:02:14.268 --> 00:02:15.490 inquisitive youngster 00:02:15.570 --> 00:02:18.682 a little inquiry into why this 00:02:18.736 --> 00:02:20.282 extended singing and long 00:02:20.336 --> 00:02:23.180 prayers fetched me an answer. 00:02:24.110 --> 00:02:25.674 This is what we learned from our 00:02:25.712 --> 00:02:26.822 Lutheran missionaries 00:02:26.886 --> 00:02:27.814 and catechist 00:02:27.862 --> 00:02:30.026 my grandmother said. When 00:02:30.048 --> 00:02:30.922 I was a child, 00:02:31.056 --> 00:02:33.374 my mother did this in her house. 00:02:33.572 --> 00:02:35.854 And now I do this as a part 00:02:35.892 --> 00:02:37.470 of our family routine. 00:02:37.890 --> 00:02:40.430 It is Jesus who brought us light 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:42.126 and life in the midst of 00:02:42.148 --> 00:02:44.794 darkness in which we had lived 00:02:44.842 --> 00:02:46.750 for so many centuries. 00:02:47.170 --> 00:02:48.640 And so we are His, 00:02:49.010 --> 00:02:50.254 and we have to start 00:02:50.292 --> 00:02:51.694 our day with Him. 00:02:51.892 --> 00:02:53.630 We can never forget Him, 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:56.034 and we have to sing and praise 00:02:56.082 --> 00:02:58.134 Him and pray to Him because he 00:02:58.172 --> 00:02:59.780 is the one who listens to our 00:03:00.170 --> 00:03:00.720 Christ. 00:03:02.770 --> 00:03:04.334 The great practice of my 00:03:04.372 --> 00:03:05.674 grandmother and the theological 00:03:05.722 --> 00:03:07.934 lesson that I learned from her 00:03:07.972 --> 00:03:09.534 did have its influence on this 00:03:09.572 --> 00:03:11.530 ten year old grandson of hers 00:03:11.690 --> 00:03:12.990 because I learned an important 00:03:13.060 --> 00:03:15.200 lesson then and right there. 00:03:15.810 --> 00:03:17.534 Our identity in Christ and 00:03:17.572 --> 00:03:19.150 living a life of faith in Him 00:03:19.220 --> 00:03:21.134 were important and were 00:03:21.172 --> 00:03:22.800 part of who we were. 00:03:23.570 --> 00:03:24.720 But you see, 00:03:25.290 --> 00:03:27.318 as a young boy of the 1.5 00:03:27.404 --> 00:03:29.079 generation kind myself, 00:03:29.770 --> 00:03:31.414 living in a place that was 00:03:31.452 --> 00:03:33.174 totally different from where my 00:03:33.212 --> 00:03:34.674 grandmother and my parents 00:03:34.722 --> 00:03:36.214 were so used to, 00:03:36.412 --> 00:03:37.960 was challenging in itself. 00:03:39.070 --> 00:03:40.570 And holding on to this important 00:03:40.640 --> 00:03:42.300 lesson was not easy. 00:03:43.150 --> 00:03:44.954 The western city of Mumbai had 00:03:44.992 --> 00:03:47.050 different people speaking 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:48.246 different languages, 00:03:48.438 --> 00:03:49.930 a different culture, 00:03:50.270 --> 00:03:52.174 different sets of Hindu gods and 00:03:52.212 --> 00:03:54.190 goddesses and festivals. 00:03:54.530 --> 00:03:55.966 And mostly people from the 00:03:55.988 --> 00:03:57.293 northern part of India that 00:03:57.332 --> 00:03:59.646 lived in Mumbai made a 00:03:59.668 --> 00:04:00.734 South Indian like me, 00:04:00.772 --> 00:04:02.329 who is dark in complexion, 00:04:02.410 --> 00:04:04.190 feel like an outsider. 00:04:05.010 --> 00:04:07.182 Mumbai was completely different 00:04:07.316 --> 00:04:08.558 from the southern city of 00:04:08.564 --> 00:04:10.786 Trivandrum where my parents and 00:04:10.808 --> 00:04:12.305 grandparents were totally at 00:04:12.328 --> 00:04:14.930 home. And in my small mind 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:16.582 the good thing was that at least 00:04:16.635 --> 00:04:19.042 it was not my problem alone. 00:04:19.186 --> 00:04:20.853 All my Mumbai friends coming 00:04:20.892 --> 00:04:22.774 from Trivandrum and belonging to 00:04:22.812 --> 00:04:24.374 my Lutheran church had 00:04:24.412 --> 00:04:25.494 the same problem. 00:04:25.692 --> 00:04:27.174 Our parents were worried about 00:04:27.212 --> 00:04:29.194 losing us to the influence of 00:04:29.232 --> 00:04:31.098 our new culture and 00:04:31.183 --> 00:04:32.300 our new world, 00:04:32.990 --> 00:04:34.060 as we, 00:04:34.670 --> 00:04:36.058 the Malayalam speaking 00:04:36.144 --> 00:04:37.957 1.5 2nd generation, 00:04:38.054 --> 00:04:40.206 struggled to navigate the 00:04:40.228 --> 00:04:42.254 majority Hindi language and 00:04:42.292 --> 00:04:44.640 Hindu culture and fit in. 00:04:45.970 --> 00:04:46.734 In many ways 00:04:46.772 --> 00:04:48.222 this is what the Psalmist also 00:04:48.356 --> 00:04:50.094 finds himself speaking to 00:04:50.212 --> 00:04:51.840 in his day and age. 00:04:52.210 --> 00:04:54.466 Psalm Hundred is all about a 00:04:54.488 --> 00:04:55.970 posture that the people of God 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:57.378 should have while they 00:04:57.384 --> 00:04:57.982 are invited, 00:04:58.046 --> 00:04:59.378 the people of Israel as they 00:04:59.384 --> 00:05:01.140 are invited to take, 00:05:02.550 --> 00:05:04.574 as they approach God's holy 00:05:04.622 --> 00:05:06.438 presence with hearts of 00:05:06.444 --> 00:05:07.698 thanksgiving and songs 00:05:07.714 --> 00:05:08.630 of praise. 00:05:09.130 --> 00:05:10.566 But the people of Israel are 00:05:10.587 --> 00:05:12.274 exposed to different worldly 00:05:12.322 --> 00:05:13.974 influences in their culture and 00:05:14.012 --> 00:05:16.786 time. Foreign gods like Baal, 00:05:16.818 --> 00:05:18.193 Asherah and more. 00:05:18.332 --> 00:05:19.674 The daily desire to be 00:05:19.712 --> 00:05:20.986 influenced by the culture of 00:05:21.008 --> 00:05:22.406 their neighbors the Moabites, 00:05:22.438 --> 00:05:23.078 the Ammonites, 00:05:23.094 --> 00:05:24.506 the Canaanites and more. 00:05:24.608 --> 00:05:26.539 The daily desire to be, 00:05:27.710 --> 00:05:30.214 to gel in, to fit in, 00:05:30.272 --> 00:05:31.562 to mingle with the wordly 00:05:31.626 --> 00:05:33.566 pleasures and also accept the 00:05:33.587 --> 00:05:35.422 ideas and values that are 00:05:35.476 --> 00:05:37.594 opposite to what Yahweh expected 00:05:37.642 --> 00:05:38.720 of his people. 00:05:39.490 --> 00:05:41.950 The feeling that Yahweh was not 00:05:42.020 --> 00:05:43.722 listening to their prayers, 00:05:43.866 --> 00:05:45.246 that their expectations were 00:05:45.268 --> 00:05:46.650 not being fulfilled, 00:05:46.810 --> 00:05:49.166 that probably it was better to 00:05:49.188 --> 00:05:50.346 find their own solutions 00:05:50.378 --> 00:05:51.360 to their problems. 00:05:52.530 --> 00:05:54.822 The psalmist song is then 00:05:54.916 --> 00:05:56.534 reminder to God's people 00:05:56.652 --> 00:05:58.214 that they are to thank, 00:05:58.412 --> 00:05:59.940 praise and fully 00:06:00.330 --> 00:06:01.694 trust God in the midst of 00:06:01.732 --> 00:06:03.150 all these temptations. 00:06:04.690 --> 00:06:05.214 In fact, 00:06:05.252 --> 00:06:06.922 these temptations are relevant 00:06:07.066 --> 00:06:08.480 to you and me today. 00:06:09.170 --> 00:06:11.374 It's no different in 21st 00:06:11.412 --> 00:06:12.522 century America, 00:06:12.586 --> 00:06:14.318 where less than 20 a quarter of 00:06:14.324 --> 00:06:16.222 our population goes to church or 00:06:16.276 --> 00:06:18.266 identifies itself as Christian. 00:06:18.457 --> 00:06:19.694 Whether it's the first 00:06:19.732 --> 00:06:20.202 generation, 00:06:20.266 --> 00:06:21.962 whether it's the 1.5 generation, 00:06:22.026 --> 00:06:22.862 whether it's the second 00:06:22.916 --> 00:06:24.930 generation or more generations, 00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:27.542 we are exposed to a world today 00:06:27.596 --> 00:06:31.030 that has so many gods competing 00:06:32.010 --> 00:06:33.350 for our attention. 00:06:34.170 --> 00:06:36.840 They too claim to be good, 00:06:37.290 --> 00:06:38.630 to be faithful, 00:06:38.790 --> 00:06:40.090 and to be loving. 00:06:41.310 --> 00:06:42.874 Our godly idols could 00:06:42.912 --> 00:06:44.230 be our knowledge. 00:06:44.390 --> 00:06:46.166 It could be our careers. 00:06:46.358 --> 00:06:47.782 It could be our financial 00:06:47.846 --> 00:06:48.374 resources. 00:06:48.422 --> 00:06:49.542 It could be our powerful 00:06:49.606 --> 00:06:50.178 friendships. 00:06:50.214 --> 00:06:51.646 It could be our political and 00:06:51.668 --> 00:06:53.194 ideological views 00:06:53.322 --> 00:06:54.560 and many others. 00:06:56.050 --> 00:06:59.374 All these entices as good that 00:06:59.412 --> 00:07:00.960 we can pursue and follow. 00:07:01.810 --> 00:07:03.778 Our worldly idol of love 00:07:03.864 --> 00:07:06.350 promotes love as transactional 00:07:06.510 --> 00:07:07.262 desiring, 00:07:07.326 --> 00:07:09.118 instant personal gratification 00:07:09.214 --> 00:07:10.514 and satisfaction and 00:07:10.552 --> 00:07:11.409 fulfillment. 00:07:11.909 --> 00:07:13.874 While our worldly idol of 00:07:13.912 --> 00:07:16.406 faithfulness prioritizes a 00:07:16.428 --> 00:07:19.266 faithfulness that is yielding 00:07:19.298 --> 00:07:21.766 results in the here and now for 00:07:21.788 --> 00:07:23.046 the person or for the 00:07:23.068 --> 00:07:24.280 community at large. 00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:26.022 And yes, 00:07:26.076 --> 00:07:26.806 in the midst of all 00:07:26.828 --> 00:07:27.570 these temptations, 00:07:27.650 --> 00:07:30.006 our generations are also caught 00:07:30.038 --> 00:07:32.140 up in the struggle to truly live 00:07:32.830 --> 00:07:34.634 out a life of thanksgiving and 00:07:34.672 --> 00:07:36.620 praise to the true God. 00:07:38.030 --> 00:07:39.957 And you and I also cry out 00:07:40.063 --> 00:07:41.614 for our children and our 00:07:41.652 --> 00:07:43.982 grandchildren. We wonder, 00:07:44.116 --> 00:07:45.870 would they keep their faith 00:07:46.450 --> 00:07:48.126 or would they fall away? 00:07:48.308 --> 00:07:49.646 To the influences and 00:07:49.668 --> 00:07:51.280 idols of the world. 00:07:52.450 --> 00:07:53.806 It can seem like an uphill 00:07:53.837 --> 00:07:56.206 struggle. But not all is lost. 00:07:56.318 --> 00:07:57.460 There is hope. 00:07:57.830 --> 00:07:59.426 For as the psalmist reminds us 00:07:59.448 --> 00:08:02.290 in verse three of Psalm hundred, 00:08:02.440 --> 00:08:04.290 know that the Lord is good. 00:08:04.440 --> 00:08:06.278 It is he who made us, 00:08:06.364 --> 00:08:08.214 and we are his people, 00:08:08.412 --> 00:08:10.870 the sheep of his pasture. 00:08:11.610 --> 00:08:12.262 Our hope, 00:08:12.316 --> 00:08:13.842 just like the psalmist, 00:08:13.906 --> 00:08:16.038 is anchored not on us, 00:08:16.204 --> 00:08:18.380 but is anchored on our God. 00:08:18.909 --> 00:08:19.722 In our God, 00:08:19.776 --> 00:08:21.610 there is hope for today 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:22.938 and for the future. 00:08:23.104 --> 00:08:24.714 Because our God is good, 00:08:24.752 --> 00:08:26.460 his character never changes. 00:08:27.870 --> 00:08:29.126 That holy triune 00:08:29.158 --> 00:08:30.798 God is essentially good, 00:08:30.884 --> 00:08:33.049 just as he said when he created 00:08:33.130 --> 00:08:34.640 all things to be, 00:08:35.169 --> 00:08:36.799 especially you and me, 00:08:37.569 --> 00:08:39.165 created in his image and 00:08:39.188 --> 00:08:40.430 in his likeness. 00:08:41.169 --> 00:08:42.877 Our Lord was so good 00:08:42.963 --> 00:08:43.982 that he wanted bad, 00:08:44.036 --> 00:08:45.854 sinful people like you and me 00:08:45.972 --> 00:08:48.080 to be returned back to Him. 00:08:48.930 --> 00:08:50.094 And this He only did 00:08:50.132 --> 00:08:51.920 because He is good. 00:08:52.370 --> 00:08:55.046 And this good Lord now loves us 00:08:55.108 --> 00:08:56.674 with His grace and His mercy, 00:08:56.722 --> 00:08:59.030 a love that endures forever. 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:01.440 This He showed through His Son. 00:09:01.810 --> 00:09:03.390 For as scriptures say 00:09:03.540 --> 00:09:04.926 and teach us, 00:09:05.108 --> 00:09:06.574 for God so loved the world that 00:09:06.612 --> 00:09:08.590 He gave his only begotten Son, 00:09:08.740 --> 00:09:10.334 that whoever believes in Him 00:09:10.372 --> 00:09:11.582 shall not perish but 00:09:11.636 --> 00:09:13.040 have eternal life. 00:09:13.730 --> 00:09:15.466 And this love was so enduring 00:09:15.578 --> 00:09:16.794 that He would suffer 00:09:16.842 --> 00:09:17.806 for you and me, 00:09:17.908 --> 00:09:19.854 that He would die on a cross for 00:09:19.892 --> 00:09:21.566 you and me so that we could be 00:09:21.588 --> 00:09:23.550 brought back to the Father. 00:09:24.610 --> 00:09:26.374 And this good and loving God 00:09:26.412 --> 00:09:28.226 is faithful over generations. 00:09:28.418 --> 00:09:30.258 He is the same God yesterday, 00:09:30.354 --> 00:09:32.114 today and forever. 00:09:32.242 --> 00:09:34.326 God is faithful to his word. 00:09:34.428 --> 00:09:35.766 God is faithful to 00:09:35.788 --> 00:09:36.642 his character. 00:09:36.706 --> 00:09:38.034 And God is faithful 00:09:38.082 --> 00:09:38.846 to his promise. 00:09:38.898 --> 00:09:40.874 Just as He promised that He will 00:09:40.912 --> 00:09:42.634 build the church and even 00:09:42.672 --> 00:09:44.022 the gates of Haddis 00:09:44.165 --> 00:09:45.894 Hadith would not prevail 00:09:45.942 --> 00:09:46.860 over it. 00:09:47.790 --> 00:09:50.474 That is why you and I are here, 00:09:50.672 --> 00:09:52.330 because God is faithful. 00:09:52.490 --> 00:09:55.022 He has called you and me to be 00:09:55.076 --> 00:09:56.558 part of his holy community. 00:09:56.644 --> 00:09:57.886 And that is why you and 00:09:57.908 --> 00:09:59.440 I are here today. 00:10:00.130 --> 00:10:02.014 We are testament to 00:10:02.052 --> 00:10:03.230 his faithfulness. 00:10:04.069 --> 00:10:07.842 And this is what we seek to pass 00:10:07.896 --> 00:10:10.850 on to our next generation that 00:10:10.920 --> 00:10:12.980 we know of a God who is good, 00:10:13.430 --> 00:10:14.062 enduring, 00:10:14.126 --> 00:10:16.050 in love and faithful 00:10:16.130 --> 00:10:17.270 over generations. 00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:19.574 About five years ago, 00:10:19.612 --> 00:10:22.498 my grandmother passed away till 00:10:22.514 --> 00:10:24.870 the end, just like you and me. 00:10:25.020 --> 00:10:26.374 She sought to live her life 00:10:26.412 --> 00:10:27.906 as a faithful believer. 00:10:28.098 --> 00:10:29.242 Just like you and me 00:10:29.296 --> 00:10:30.586 she also would agree that 00:10:30.608 --> 00:10:32.426 she was not always good, 00:10:32.608 --> 00:10:34.470 she was not always loving. 00:10:34.630 --> 00:10:36.730 She was not always faithful. 00:10:37.230 --> 00:10:39.020 But it was not about her. 00:10:39.390 --> 00:10:41.418 She had come to know and witness 00:10:41.594 --> 00:10:45.117 to a God who was true to her, 00:10:45.284 --> 00:10:47.246 who was good to her, 00:10:47.428 --> 00:10:49.630 who was loving and faithful. 00:10:50.290 --> 00:10:52.714 And this is what many in of her 00:10:52.772 --> 00:10:55.506 generation of outcast Hindus in 00:10:55.528 --> 00:10:56.846 the villages of Travandrum 00:10:56.878 --> 00:10:58.082 had come to experience, 00:10:58.216 --> 00:11:00.654 hear and learn from the gospel 00:11:00.702 --> 00:11:02.222 message that came through LCMS 00:11:02.286 --> 00:11:03.922 missionaries in the early nine, 00:11:03.976 --> 00:11:06.470 hundreds in South India. 00:11:07.930 --> 00:11:09.526 And this gospel message they 00:11:09.548 --> 00:11:12.214 embraced they embraced a God who 00:11:12.252 --> 00:11:14.021 had embraced them in their 00:11:14.076 --> 00:11:15.750 own outcastness. 00:11:16.490 --> 00:11:17.442 A good, 00:11:17.596 --> 00:11:19.980 loving and faithful God 00:11:21.069 --> 00:11:22.822 who embraced all nations, 00:11:22.966 --> 00:11:25.514 all tribes and all people. 00:11:25.712 --> 00:11:27.542 This God revealed in scripture 00:11:27.606 --> 00:11:29.590 became a part of their identity 00:11:29.670 --> 00:11:31.246 through their though through the 00:11:31.268 --> 00:11:33.069 faithful witness of their 00:11:33.140 --> 00:11:34.510 previous generations. 00:11:34.930 --> 00:11:36.334 And so now it was this 00:11:36.372 --> 00:11:38.186 generation's job and mission 00:11:38.298 --> 00:11:40.026 to pass on that faith 00:11:40.138 --> 00:11:42.110 to my generation. 00:11:43.490 --> 00:11:45.422 And my generation found this 00:11:45.476 --> 00:11:47.550 gospel message and the community 00:11:47.620 --> 00:11:49.306 formed around this gospel 00:11:49.338 --> 00:11:52.074 message to be an encouraging 00:11:52.122 --> 00:11:54.634 place to be a stabilizing, 00:11:54.682 --> 00:11:56.146 foundation in the midst 00:11:56.178 --> 00:11:58.182 of our own challenging life 00:11:58.236 --> 00:11:59.860 realities. As a one point 00:12:00.250 --> 00:12:01.790 five and second generation. 00:12:02.690 --> 00:12:05.006 It is likewise our mission today 00:12:05.188 --> 00:12:06.926 to pass on this faith that we 00:12:06.948 --> 00:12:08.794 have so graciously received 00:12:08.922 --> 00:12:10.800 to our next. 00:12:11.250 --> 00:12:13.486 And as we gather together today 00:12:13.668 --> 00:12:14.958 and also tomorrow for the 00:12:14.964 --> 00:12:16.702 Multiethnic symposium and 00:12:16.756 --> 00:12:18.110 reflect on how our future 00:12:18.180 --> 00:12:19.946 generations are to be invited 00:12:20.058 --> 00:12:21.534 to carry forward this 00:12:21.572 --> 00:12:22.650 faith journey, 00:12:22.810 --> 00:12:24.334 let us draw strength from our 00:12:24.372 --> 00:12:26.998 God, who is unlike any other. 00:12:27.164 --> 00:12:28.418 Let our conversations, 00:12:28.514 --> 00:12:30.230 discussions, reflections, 00:12:30.570 --> 00:12:32.326 sharings and networkings and 00:12:32.348 --> 00:12:34.454 everything be anchored in 00:12:34.492 --> 00:12:36.214 our God, who is good, 00:12:36.412 --> 00:12:39.094 loving and faithful to 00:12:39.132 --> 00:12:40.230 all generations. 00:12:40.730 --> 00:12:42.086 And let us partake in this 00:12:42.108 --> 00:12:44.342 journey to bring thanks 00:12:44.476 --> 00:12:46.360 and praise to our God. 00:12:46.970 --> 00:12:47.910 Amen. 00:12:48.730 --> 00:12:49.962 Now may the peace that passes 00:12:49.986 --> 00:12:51.114 with all human understanding 00:12:51.162 --> 00:12:52.846 keep your hearts and minds in 00:12:52.868 --> 00:12:55.290 Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.