God of guidance and fount of possibility, We know that each generation faces decisions and situations that those before them could not have imagined. We know that the choices of the past have helped shape the world we have inherited, just as the choices we make today will shape the world we leave behind. Help us to recognize the wisdom of those who came before us, while also discerning which paths we are called to follow and which we may need to leave behind. Remind us that faithfully answering your call will not always look the same from one generation to the next. Give us the courage to make choices rooted not simply in what has always been, but in the love, justice, and compassion you continue to call us toward. May our time as your faithful people be a blessing to those who come after us. May we leave them not only the gifts of our experience, but also the freedom to respond faithfully to the world they inherit and to your presence within it. In your holy name we pray, Amen.