Staff photo by Fritz Busch A Martin Luther College graduate smiles broadly walking out of commencement.

NEW ULM — Martin Luther College (MLC) President Dr. Rich Gurgel displayed obvious passion at times during his sermon at commencement Saturday.

He told graduates they are clay jars, treasure-filled, indestructible.

“He can take your perplexity (bewilderment), and turn it into opportunity. The Lord Jesus has your back, always, every time,” Gurgel said.

He told graduates there will be days when they feel they’ve been struck down, when what they’d planned and worked on for weeks doesn’t turn out like they imagined.

“Yet, you are never truly defeated. Your labor in the risen Lord is never, ever in vain,” Gurgel said.

“Yes, you are doing to be imitating Jesus’ ministry by carrying around a bit of his cross and death. Yet even when we feel the sentence of death, God is using us to delivery the treasure of life to others,” he added.

He said the heart of MLC’s purpose is pouring into one another the treasure of Jesus that brings hope, joy, peace and the hope that it leaks out of them for the benefit of a world of clay jars around them.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed,” Gurgel said.

He told grads their Lord Jesus is always with them and He has already defeated any enemy against them.

“Yes, you’ll often find yourself perplexed in life and ministry–at a loss to know the next step to take–but you do not need to despair. In Jesus, you can never lose, because the living Jesus has your cradled in his arms. He has promised that he will never leave you or forsake you,” Gurgel said.

Graduates, loved ones, friends and college staff gathered in a large group on the sidewalk in the campus center after the service.

Grads about to become pastors, teachers and school administrators talked about starting their journey, sharing Jesus’ love with everybody.

Recognition of those concluding MLC service included Lawrence Czer, Alyssa Heckdorf, Brian Hennig, Grace Hennig, Robert Klindworth, Erin Laabs, Jonathon Laabs, Mya Peshon and Lori Unke. Grace Hennig, Klindworth and Unke all retire in June.