Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Youth With Christ


St. Matthew 7:21-27

Key Verse: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (St. Matthew 7:24, NRSV)
 

Growing up in New York, one of the mandated projects in 4th grade was to learn how to raise baby chicks—from what seemed to be a simple task in reality, enabled us to learn essential life lessons. Our teachers would provide the essential materials and give the necessary instructions. Ultimately, it was up to us to bring them home, provide warmth, water, food, a clean environment, and keep them comfortable. We would have to return the chicks to school after a few weeks. We would receive feedback, and the chicks would be brought to the nearby farm. After returning the chicks to school, the difference was seen between the various chicks raised by the students. We learned that proper care and nurturing will strongly correlate to the growth outcome.
            Being part of a diaspora Mar Thoma community, we are blessed to be in churches with multiple generations worshipping together. Though there may be language, cultural, or generational gaps, we can learn much from each other as we journey and grow with our Triune God together. We are blessed to be part of a Bible-based church with a deep tradition, rich heritage, strong faith, and deep-rooted history, which is worthy of appreciation. Sharing this experience and learning together will help foster deep-rooted spiritual growth. Any stunt in nurturing or progress will be reflected in the molding of our younger generations, who are the present and future of the church. There is a strong correlation here. Hence, we are called to be mindful and make the Kingdom of God a reality in our churches and the world in its truest form.
            The selected passage is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The story of the wise man and the foolish man, along with their responses, helps us to understand the importance and benefit of faith with a strong foundation. The construction work of the homes reflected the formation of the referenced two men. Looking into our lives, we see that the strength of our faith is determined by our nurturing, formation, and the attempts we make to grow with God through prayer, witness, the Word of God, and sacraments in the context of our personal lives, friends, family, and church. The collective and prayerful collaboration in developing more authentic and intentional faith communities will only enrich the nurturing of all, especially our younger generations. Developing strong spiritual foundations is necessary to experience the Triune God more deeply and profoundly and journey with Him more meaningfully. 
In a world of spiritual malls, where there are expedient ways of spirituality, we need to ask ourselves: are we genuinely cultivating a true, deep, and genuine Christian faith, keeping in mind the present and future generations of our church? Are we equipping them to tolerate and face the challenges and storms of life? Jesus tells us about the construction of the houses and what happened to the respective houses after the storm. One stood still, the other fell, and great was the fall! Are we listening to the words of Jesus? Are they holding well in our thoughts, words, and deeds? Let us reflect and contemplate.

Prayer
O Triune God, we pray for all our generations, especially our youth. Help them to serve you faithfully amid the varied situations of life. Let all glory, honor, and praise be unto thee, O Triune God, both now and forever. Amen. 

Thought for the Day

St. Augustine of Hippo once said, “A Christian is: a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which Christ speaks, and a hand through which Christ helps.” May we build strong foundations of faith as we navigate through our lives in this world. Let our faith communities be spiritual havens to make this a visible reality.


Rev. Dennis Abraham
Vicar,
Austin Mar Thoma Church &
San Antonio Mar Thoma Congregation       

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