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Good afternoon, everyone.

It's been a very busy morning.

I want to thank all our guests.gov.

At this time, I asked my colleagues and those in the audience to please silence our cell phones.

Also pursuant to Rule 42, I remind all in this chamber that no demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public will be permitted.

Thank you.

Mr.

Turk, will you please take a roll call vote to ascertain the presence of a quorum?

Councillor Braden.

Yes, here.

Here.

Councilor Kaletta Zapata.

Councilor Culpepper, Councillor Durkin, Councillor Fitzgerald, Councillor Flynn.

Councillor Louis.

Councilor Mihia.

Councillor Murphy.

Councilor Pipin.

Councilor St.

Anna.

Councilor Weber.

And Councilor Warrell.

A quorum is present.

I've been informed by the clerk that a quorum is present.

Now it is my pleasure to ask Councillor Flynn to come forward and introduce today's clergy.

Pastor Enoch.

Pastor Enoch, if you'd like to come forward as well.

I have the opportunity and the privilege to invite Pastor Enoch to provide a prayer to the Boston City Council and to the and to the residents of the city.

I wanted to invite the pastor to be with us today for the incredible role in leadership his church plays in the in the city of Boston, especially throughout the Asian community in Greater Boston as well, the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church.

I've had the opportunity to attend some of their services over the years.

But I I wanted to ensure that the voices of this church are heard, the prayers are heard.

But I also wanted to highlight the important role and support of our Asian, Asian American brothers and sisters across Massachusetts, across the nation, and also as we address anti-Asian racism that we're seeing, I do think it's important to join the pastor as we pray for peace in our city.

Pastor, it's an honor to be with you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor, and thank you for having me, counselors and esteemed members of the public.

Which is about half the time I usually do on a Sunday.

But on behalf of just being a part of Boston, uh, the Chintown community, uh member of the Chin Town Coalition Executive Team for several decades, um, and just a longtime part of our church, Boston Chang's Evangelical Church, which has been in Boston's Chinatown since 1961.

And uh for just on behalf of my senior pastor Thomas Lee, it's an honor to be here.

We do pray for the city leaders and government weekly in our services, because the word of God tells us to uphold you all for the incredibly important, challenging, and uh vital work that you do.

So allow me to pray, uh, as guided by the words of our sacred text of the Bible.

So invite us to pray.

If you're welcome to join, oh, you're welcome to stand in my church.

We stand, we kneel, whatever is comfortable, uh, whatever you want.

You can also, if you're not a member of a faith can be just listen and see how it affects our lives.

But I'm gonna pray through four passages of the sacred scriptures of the Christian text as we just lift up our voices for these counselors and their staff and really all those in power to serve people.

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the great opportunity to stand here in a democracy, in the opportunity to vote, and the opportunity to have a voice.

It is so precious that I think sometimes, unless we have the privilege to really travel to some parts of the world, we it is so easy for me and perhaps others to take for granted the incredible freedoms we have here, help us to cherish it.

And as we pray for these counselors and pray for our city, I'm reminded of the words of scripture in Leviticus 1915, where you shall do no injustice in court.

You shall not be partial to the poor or to further the great, but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

I pray that there will be no deference to the rich and a great compassion for the poor, that there will be justice and impartiality in all that these counselors do, as well as our mayor and the state and the country.

So help us to really understand what it means to be fair and just in the eyes of a holy God.

I also pray for this council in the words of Proverbs 3 27, where it says, Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it.

We pray for the proper and respectful use of power.

I know people think sometimes city government is sort of like a the lowest rung, and people think of the federal government, but there is incredible power in the city, and we pray that these men and women would steward that with great humility and indeed love for their fellow people in our great city, whether they're citizens, whether they're sojourners.

And we pray that when they have the power to do good, let their impulse be to do it, unless something holds them back because of fairness, justice, resources.

But let each of these counselors have an impulse to do good when it's in their power, not just them, but really everyone in our great city.

Lord, I'm also mindful of the words of that amazing woman in the book of Esther, chapter 4, verse 14, where she was challenged by her cousin.

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise from another place.

But you and your father's house may perish.

And who knows whether you have not come to this kingdom for such a time as this.