Latest / Voices Of Life / Faith & Technology — Pastor David with Dr. Elias Mercer

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Faith & Technology — Pastor David with Dr. Elias Mercer · Voices Of Life

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  Welcome to the Voices of Life podcast, a ministry
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  of the Church for Life. We're honored to walk
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  with you on this journey of faith, hope, and
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  purpose. Each episode is created to inspire your
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  spirit and strengthen your daily walk with God.
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  Here is your host, Pastor David! Welcome to the
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  Voices of Life, a ministry of the Church for
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  Life. I'm Pastor David, and today we're going
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  to discuss faith and technology. Not just the
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  how technology works, but... into what it means
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  for our souls, our communities, and our calling
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  as followers of Christ. Today we have with us
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  Dr. Elias Mercer. Dr. Mercer is a distinguished
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  technology ethicist and AI researcher whose work
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  bridges worlds of faith, innovation, and human
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  purpose. With a background in computer science
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  and theology, Dr. Mercer has become a leading
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  voice in exploring how emerging technologies
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  can serve humanity without compromising moral
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  integrity or spiritual depth. He is known for
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  his ability to translate complex digital concepts
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  into accessible, value -based conversations,
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  helping audiences understand not just what technology
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  can do, but why. It should be guided by compassion,
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  stewardship, and truth. Dr. Mercer, thank you
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  for joining us. Thank you, Pastor David. I'm
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  grateful to be here. Technology is changing faster
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  than any generation before us, and the church
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  has a profound opportunity to guide that change
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  with wisdom and hope. I want to begin with something
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  foundational from a theological perspective.
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  How should believers understand human creativity
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  and technological innovation? I believe innovation
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  is part of the imago Dei, the image of God. In
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  Genesis, God creates shapes, forms, and brings
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  order out of chaos. Humans made in his image
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  naturally create tools, systems, and technologies.
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  Technology isn't foreign to scripture. Noah built
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  an ark. David used a sling. Solomon engineered
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  the temple. Paul used Roman roads and letters,
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  the technology of his day, to spread the gospel.
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  Innovation becomes dangerous only when it becomes
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  idolatry. But when it serves God's purposes,
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  it becomes an extension of his creativity through
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  us. Technology isn't the enemy. It is the heart
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  behind it. Dr. Mercer, Scripture talks about
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  wisdom. How does biblical wisdom guide us in
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  a world shaped by algorithms and automation?
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  Biblical wisdom is rooted in reverence for God.
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  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
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  AI can process information, but it cannot produce
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  wisdom. Wisdom requires moral grounding, spiritual
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  discernment, and relational understanding. Technology
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  accelerates decisions. Wisdom slows them down.
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  Technology expands our reach. Wisdom shapes our
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  motives. Technology gives us options. Wisdom
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  gives us direction. So wisdom becomes the filter
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  through which we decide how to use the technology.
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  Is that correct? Exactly. Without wisdom, technology
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  becomes noise. With wisdom, it becomes ministry.
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  I find one of the biggest spiritual questions
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  today is identity. How does technology shape
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  or distort our understanding of who we are? Technology
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  amplifies whatever identity we bring to it. Social
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  media can create comparison, insecurity, and
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  performance -based identity. AI can tempt us
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  to outsource thinking or creativity, but scripture
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  reminds us. Our identity is not in our productivity,
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  our online presence, or our digital footprint.
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  It is in Christ. Technology becomes dangerous
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  when it becomes the mirror we use to define ourselves.
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  But when our identity is rooted in God, Technology
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  becomes a platform for purpose rather than a
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  source of pressure. That's a message our generation
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  desperately needs, for sure. Let's go deeper
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  into AI. What ethical responsibilities do believers
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  have as AI becomes more integrated in our daily
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  life? I mean, it's integrated in our search engines,
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  whether we're verbalizing or typing. It's all
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  around us. It even creates images and different
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  types of stories for us to see. I think soon
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  movies, maybe the actors and actresses will be
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  out of a job. So where are we going with this?
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  There are four major responsibilities. One, truth.
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  Ensuring AI is used to spread truth, not misinformation.
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  Two, dignity. protecting the value of every human
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  being three justice preventing bias inequality
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  and exploitation four compassion using ai to
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  serve not harm ai magnifies human intention if
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  the heart is aligned with christ ai becomes a
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  tool for healing education accessibility and
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  ministry so the church must be part of the ethical
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  conversation. We need to have our voices heard
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  when it comes down to what is the spiritual religious
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  needs. Absolutely. If the church stays silent,
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  others will define the moral boundaries of technology.
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  So Dr. Mercer, how can technology support spiritual
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  formation? without replacing the personal relational
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  nature of discipleship. I mean, that's that human
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  touch we always talk about and that characteristic
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  and quality that humans have. Technology can
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  support discipleship, but it cannot be discipleship.
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  Apps can remind you to pray, but they cannot
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  pray for you. AI can explain scripture, but it
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  cannot obey it for you. Live streams can connect
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  you to church, but they cannot replace embodied
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  community. Technology is a supplement, not a
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  substitute. But when used well, it can deepen
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  learning, strengthen habits, and expand access
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  to teaching. That's a healthy balance. I can
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  definitely see that. All right, let's talk about
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  distraction. How does constant connectivity affect
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  our spiritual lives? I mean, I think to the families
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  where when they sat down for dinner, they used
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  to have very meaningful conversations and sometimes
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  these families find each other all just texting
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  other people, looking down, not even looking
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  at each other. And that just seems like not only
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  a distraction, but an interruption in the family
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  unit and the spiritual strength and health. of
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  the family distraction is one of the greatest
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  spiritual battles of our time silence is disappearing
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  stillness is disappearing and yet scripture says
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  be still and know that i am god technology isn't
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  the enemy but unrestrained access to it can drown
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  out the voice of god That's why digital Sabbath,
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  quiet hours, and intentional disconnection are
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  essential spiritual disciplines today. Disconnection
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  becomes a form of worship. Yeah, I can see that.
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  You know, I used to make it a habit once these
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  smartphones and everything came about that every
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  Sunday right after church, I would go shopping
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  and I would leave my phone at home. And they
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  say, oh, but what if you're into an accident?
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  What if something happens? Well, what used to
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  happen? I mean, there's plenty of people out
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  there with phones that are going to call, do
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  something. So if I need help, I think there's
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  plenty out there. But, yeah, I used to kind of
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  do a little self -disconnection there. So that's
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  maybe something people need to do. Exactly. Rest
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  is resistance. Okay. That makes sense. Well,
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  as we look ahead. What role do you believe the
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  church must play in the future of technology?
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  I mean, we talk about integrating the church
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  into the discussion. How do we do this and what
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  part do we play? The church must become a moral
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  compass in a world of innovation. We must teach
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  ethics. We must model compassion. We must defend
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  human dignity. We must guide conversations about
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  identity. mental health and purpose technology
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  may shape the tools of society but faith shapes
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  the heart of society the future needs spiritual
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  leadership more than ever and you know and that's
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  a calling we cannot ignore not at all well dr
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  mercer thank you for helping us see that faith
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  and technology are not enemies They are partners
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  when guided by wisdom, compassion, and purpose.
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  Thank you, Pastor David. My hope is that believers
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  will not fear innovation, but steward it. Technology
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  is powerful, but God is sovereign. And thank
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  you all for joining us. May you use every tool
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  available to bring light, wisdom, hope. into
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  the world around you. Let us close this session
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  with a brief prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank
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  you for this time together. We thank you for
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  bringing this information to the people, the
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  families, on how they best can use technology
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  for the betterment of their spiritual health
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  and their religious relationship. We ask that
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  you keep all of us safe. in our travels. Again,
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  thank Dr. Elias Mercer for his comments, and
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  bless everybody that was connected with this
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  podcast. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you again
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  for joining us for Voices of Life, a ministry
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  of the Church for Life. I'm Pastor David, and
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  we'll see you next time. You have been listening
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  to the Voices of Life podcast, a ministry of
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  the Church for Life. We look forward to you joining
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  us again. Have a blessed day.