Welcome Speech - Commencement Exercise (Graduation) 2012

HONORABLE PRESIDENT, Matron, Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Board of FPCGI, Board of PCG Itarsi, Dear Pastors, Guests, Colleagues, Delegates and all Friends.

I count it a privilege once again this year to stand and welcome you to another Commencement Service of Central India Theological Seminary. The goal of education is the acquisition and discovery of truth. Jesus declared to Pilate His mission as being a witness to the truth. Of course, Pilate was not in a position to accept such a position as worthwhile; for brute force and wisdom are two different worlds. History is witness to the fact that brute force has often tried to silence the voice of wisdom; while the purpose of wisdom has always been to introduce order into a world full of chaos. The word is supposed to calm the storms. Man lost that power when he fell from truth and disobeyed God’s word. But, the Word of God Himself incarnated as man and men marveled that even the winds and the storms obeyed His word. They obeyed, not just because He is God, but because the Wisdom and Truth of God has its finality in Him in bodily form.

Truth is a difficult word in the modern context of things. The world is a dark habitation of skepticism, doubt, suspicion, mistrust, and fear. We aren’t even often able to trust each other within the very Body of Christ. Falsehood is a deeply rooted problem. But, God has not willed it so. Jesus said that we must have salt among ourselves. We are called the children of light and called to walk in the light. We are called to stand out and hold out God’s word among a crooked and perverse generation. God expects us to drop our masks and behold Him with an open face, in the liberty of the Spirit. He wants us to look into the Law of Liberty and be transformed thereby.

Towards this end, we strive in our Seminary to guide and lead our learners to the discovery of truth. We have also extended our borders to embrace learners beyond the four walls of seminary, and we have done that by means of our distance education department and theological publications.... A clear understanding of God’s truth liberates God to move in greater proportions in our life. We can only walk in the light. And, so we are grateful to you all this morning for joining us in this cause of the Kingdom. We thank you for being a part and parcel of this vision of excellency in Christian education. And, we appreciate that you have come here to share in the joy of our fruits. This graduation marks the completion of a term in education for the graduating class. But, certainly they know it that the learning goes on.

Most Welcome and May God Bless You ALL!

16 November 2012, Central India.