Service, the Last Stop

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Armodoxy for Today: Service

We started this journey at the direction of the Church almost 50 days ago. Advent, meaning coming. We have prepared ourselves for the coming of Christ – the Nativity, or in more distinct terms, the Theophany. Preparation has been emotional, spiritual and even physical with the scriptural passages and the exercises prescribed to us by the Church.

The last stop on the Advent Journey is the passage that comes to us from the Gospel of St. Luke and is read during the last Sunday worship before Theophany. It reads as follows:

Now there was also a dispute among [the Disciples], as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” (22:24-28)

This is the “last station stop,” so to speak, before the celebration of the Theophany. Having learned the lessons of the last six weeks, today we move on to service. Jesus tells us, in no uncertain terms, that he comes to us to serve and sets himself as an example for all of us to do the same: to serve one another. During his last supper with his disciples, he further demonstrates the message of service by washing the feet of the disciples (see John 13).

We find this as the last station stop because in order to serve you must first be spiritually and emotionally ready. This means you must be rid of egotism that will restrict or forbid you from serving others. Christian service is selfless, in other words, it demands that the self be put on hold while you tend to the needs of others. Without the training of the last six weeks, service would be extremely difficult because emotionally you were not at the spot to cast aside selfish pleasures to be able to help someone else. Service comes from an empathetic heart. Empathy is the result of understanding the pain of others, or walking in their shoes.

The path of Armodoxy is simple and interconnected. Today you are one step closer to the great news that Christ is in our Midst. Tomorrow, Theophany will be explained.

Let us pray, O Lord, Jesus Christ, you have given us an example of loving and serving. May we be worthy to be called your Living Body, the Church by loving and caring for others. Allow me to see the hurting world and the pain of people, and answer with my ability to serve others. Give me the strength and courage to express my love to all. Amen.

Lessons from Pasadena: Happy New Year

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Armodoxy for Today: Lessons from Pasadena

Today’s lesson comes not from the Church but from the City of Pasadena. Ten miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, lies the City of Pasadena. The town has the distinct honor of ushering in the new year, every January 1st with the Tournament of Roses Parade. It is estimated that about one-million tourists enter the city to watch the five-and-a-half mile parade which features floats, bands, horses with riders, celebrities and football champions. Another 50 million people watch the television broadcast.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade began in 1893. The floats are constructed of all natural herbs and plants, with over 18 million flowers used annually to construct the displays, taking 80,000 hours of human power.

But of all the remarkable statistics that I can rattle off about the parade there is one that sets it apart from all others. Pasadena has a “Never on a Sunday” rule! The parade takes place on January 1st, unless January 1st falls on a Sunday, in which case the parade is moved to the following day, on Monday January 2nd.  The rule was put in place when Pasadena started having parades in the 1890s to avoid interference with church services. It is a simple rule and an overt expression of the city’s priority.

The new year begins a few days before the Theophany. January 1st is a convenient time to access our life directions and make necessary changes to our course. It is a time to set goals and priorities. Jesus instructs us with the words, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.” The new year doesn’t need to be patched and if it does, not with old habits. You don’t want to carry old baggage into the new year. Begin by a simple assessment of your life and what are the priorities you would like to implement. Think of the lesson of Pasadena’s Rose Parade. Are you ready to implement policies that will prioritize God in your life?

Let us pray. A prayer for the New Year by Rev. Marcy Sheremetta

As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family and our friends. Let us release our grudges, our anger and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains. Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way. Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, color or creed. Let us keep God of our own understanding in our hearts and to chant God’s name each day. Let us lead the world from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth and from wrong to right. Let us remember that we are all one, embracing all, discriminating against none.

May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God’s blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

Fast for Nativity

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Armodoxy for Today: Fast for Nativity

All good things come with discipline. A regular prayer life is essential for the Christian, as is engaging with the Holy Scriptures and regular participatory practice in community worship. Christianity engages the body, soul and mind with its teachings and practices.

Toward the discipline of the body, the Church prescribes fasting. Today, the fasting period for Theophany begins.

Every major event in the Armenian Church, is preceded by a period of fasting. The practice can take different forms. Whether you fast completely or partially, the matter is between you and God, and no one else. Jesus’ instruction for fasting is clear “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

When you fast you only naturally think of food. Hunger brings pain physically and psychology you experience discomfort because you know that food is only a few steps or minutes and yet you are being deprive of food of your own will. In that discomfort you understand Christ’s words, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

The first day of fasting is truly the hardest because your body is acclimating to the hunger. On the second and third days your body begins to understand that there is a change and accepts the hunger and focuses on strengthening the spiritual and psychological senses.

Theophany is in sight. It is the revelation of God, the Creator, Jesus Christ on earth, in our midst. Being ready psychologically and emotionally has been the journey of the last several weeks. This last week, with the addition of fasting, we bring these all elements together to meet and greet Christ in his Incarnation.

If you were to see Christ in your midst, that is, with you and your family and friends, what would be your reaction? Would you say, “Merry Christmas?” Would you say, “Christ is in our midst?” or would your reaction be more profound? Would you be shocked and in awe? Finding that perfect expression of joy in meeting the Christ Child in our midst is the focus of this Advent Journey.

Let us pray, Lord Jesus, you were born and revealed, bringing Light into the world. Fill the darkness that surrounds me with the Light that is you. Fill my heart with your Love, so that there is no room for hatred, disease and evil. And may I meet you with as a disciple of your love. Amen.

Sons of Thunder

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Armodoxy for Today: Sons of Thunder: Disciples

“The Sons of Thunder” is how Jesus referred to two of his disciples, two sons of a man named Zebedee. (Mark 3)

We can imagine why Jesus gave them such a nickname. Perhaps, like thunder they were uncontrollably loud? Brash? Maybe ready for a brawl? Or perhaps like Thunder they didn’t care if their message was welcome or not, they were ready to yell it out. Aggressive? Confrontational? Jesus called them “The Sons of Thunder, James and John.”

St. Luke records an event when the people of Samaria did not want to receive the message of Christ, James and John seeing this said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

In the Gospel according to St. Mark we see Jesus telling his disciples (chapter 10) that  “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles;  and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” Perhaps a bit of surprise, uncomfort, disbelief might have been the case for the disciples. Not so with the sons of Zebedee who came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, we want You … to grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” Definitely low on the sensitivity scale. Imagine, your friend of 3 years tells you he’s going to die and youre first question to him is about status in the afterlife?

But at the same time, we know that Jesus welcomed them. They were in the “Inner Circle” of friends, who, along with Peter, Jesus invited to join him at some very critical moments of his ministry, such as when he resurrected the young girl, (Matthew 9) or at the Transfiguration which revealed the Light of the Creator (Mark 9).

The Sons of Thunder, in the years after the Resurrection went on to witness for the Resurrected Christ. James became the first disciple to be martyred for the faith, while John went on to be known for the manner in which he articulated the Love of God. He was the author of the fourth Gospel and the letters at the end of the New Testament. This thunderous voice expounded the message of love as the ultimate God connection.

How comfortable are we with the message of Christ and his love? Are we able to unashamedly proclaim it? How thunderous is our voice when we speak about Christ and the Love of God?

We pray from the 10th hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayers, O Christ, who are the Living Fire, inflame my soul with the fire of Your love, which You did send forth upon the earth, that it may burn the stains of my soul, sanctify my conscience, purge the sins of my body, and kindle in my heart the light of Your knowledge. Amen.

Peter & Paul

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Armodoxy for Today: Peter & Paul

During this week, the Church commemorates a group of leaders of the early Christian movement, the Church. The Apostles Peter and Paul are remembered on the same day because they shared in a ministry at Rome, where they were also martyred for their faith.

Peter was one of the disciples chosen by Christ to become a “fisher of men.” He was a member of the original twelve disciples and part of the entourage that accompanied Jesus from town to town. Paul, on the other hand, was a persecutor of Christians in the post-Resurrection era but converted to Christianity following an encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus. Their stories are documented in scripture, in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. This is a continuation of the Gospel of St. Luke. Think of it as a part 2 of the Gospel, where the first part followed Jesus from Birth to Resurrection, the Book of Acts is the story of the post-Resurrection trial of the early Church. Their story is further documented in the epistles and letters which make up the bulk of the New Testament. Most notably, St. Paul wrote letters to the different spawning and growing Christian communities in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica and elsewhere. In his writings he encourages the believes of the new religion, to stay faithful to the person of Jesus Christ, and therefore, to God. He uses stories of his own trials and tribulations, his imprisonment, and his salvation through Christ, to encourage the members of these young communities.

The Epistles of St. Paul are some of the oldest Christian writings, giving us a unique view of the early Church community. By remembering the Apostles Peter and Paul we are called to look at the difference and similarities of these two giants of the Christian Church. They come to Christ in two different ways, they served in the same arena and in the end, they left an indelible mark on the history of the Christian Church and therefore Western Civilization. Their lives and ministries intersected at the point of suffering for the Kingdom. Both were persecuted for their faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

Where is our faith today? As we take the Advent Journey, we should examine the uncomfortable moments in our life, where faith in God might be mocked or challenged? How do we deal with those challenges?

We pray today, Psalm 63, O God, you are my God, early will I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your Power and Your Glory. Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus, I will bless You while I live, I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Stephen

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Armodoxy for Today: Stephen – Advent

Another Christmas Carol with lyrics that often go unnoticed is Good King Wenceslas, who, “looked out on the Feast of Stephen when the snow lay round about deep and crisp and even…” The Feast of Stephen is traditionally on December 26 and the Armenian Church celebrates this first century saint’s day either on the 25th or the 26th, depending on the year.

Yesterday in our Advent Journey we began counting down the 12 days of Christmas and with the “partridge in a pear tree” we started a trip to the physical reality that is the purpose of every spiritual journey. In other words, the spiritual strengthening we receive through discipline has a reason and a purpose: to help us in our daily struggles in this world and to allow us to better understand and communicate with our brothers and sisters.

St. Stephen is known as the first martyr of the Christian Church. In Armenian the word “Nakhav’ka” is used for the first martyr but the word also is used as the first “witness” implying that in martyrdom St. Stephen became the first witness for Christ. In the early Church, faith was demonstrated through actions.

The other distinction that sets St. Stephen apart is that he was the first to accept the call to serve through the diaconate. He was the first deacon, according to the Holy Scriptures. In the Acts of the Apostles chapter 6, we read that the first deacons were selected to assist at the distribution of the meals in the Christian community. Reading this passage of scripture we understand that action, tending to the physical needs of the community is part of the Church’s mission. The Church as the Body of Christ, does not operate in the clouds, its responsibility is with people in this world.

As we approach the message of the Nativity we focus on God becoming Man to reach out to us, His creation. Jesus asks, “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table?” And just as we are ready to answer the obvious, he says, “But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 20:27)

The selection of the deacons in Acts 6 takes place a few months after the Resurrection of Christ. It is most important to note that the Christian Church was taking form, the deacons to help the apostles, the bishops to continue the mission of the Apostles and the priests to ministry to the people.

It is the second day of Christmas: Two turtle doves are a nice reminder of our need to straddle our spiritual and physical realities in our Advent Journey.

We pray, Lord Jesus Christ, you did not abandon us, but set up your Church, your Holy Body, to bring your message home to new generations to come. In the spirit of St. Stephen, help me find my mission and my purpose, to follow your example of serving as an expression of my love. Lord, help me. Amen.

Partridge in a Pear Tree

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Armodoxy for Today: Partridge in a Pear Tree – Advent

Christmas carols happen to be one of my favorite genres of music; however, usually by December 25th most of us have had our fill. Reprogramming our car radio button away from 24/7 Christmas carols might be easy enough, but don’t erasing your playlists too quickly, because today is the first day of Christmas and you know what that means… 12 days of Christmas with drummers drumming, maids a milking, gold rings and of course, a partridge in a pear tree.

Between December 25 and January 6 there are 12 days. It has been said that in early centuries, pilgrims who would go to pray at the sight of Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem would travel to the River Jordan, to offer their prayers at this place of His Baptism. The travel time by foot was approximately 12 days. In some churches the visitation of the Magi (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) is celebrated on January 6 justifying the elaborate gifting pattern during the 12 days of Christmas is expressed in the song. For the Armenian Church, the Nativity and the events to the Baptism are remembered on January 6. But calendar considerations are not what drives Armodoxy (#56). The 12 days of Christmas are the last sprint we have on the Advent Journey we began over a month ago.

Listen to the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” It is one of the favorite sing-along songs because each verse builds on the previous verse. We begin today with the partridge in a pear tree. Each day is a gift of value. Each day has a beauty to it, albeit in the eye of the beholder, but we can all agree that there is beauty and value to be found in each gift.

As we wind down our Advent Journey we come back to the tangible world we inhabit. Christianity is about the spiritual plane, yes, but it is grounded in the physical dimension as well. In other words what we learn from the spiritual lessons, we have to apply to our life in this world. For instance, we learn about loving one another, but this is not a concept, it is a way of life and therefore, we must practice the “loving one another” on the relationship we have in our lifetime.

As we go through the last 12 days before Christmas, we see a real world that is hurting. There are wars, some small, some large, but all of them are devastating. They strip us of our humanity. We live in a time where the need for peace is essential to our survival as a civilization. Countries and governments have the capability of obliterating our world and our planet many times over. These countries and governments are made up of people. The partridge in pear tree is a call to all of us to be attentive to the need to harbor peace and goodwill among one another. The greatest threat to our planet and our existence as a human race is our inability to understand one another. Jesus Christ, revealed in our midst, is for us to understand that we are all his children, as such we are all united with one another through blood and spirit. If God so loves us, and if God seeks to understand us, and if God gives us a path to understand Him, then the only logical next step is for us to love and understand one another. This knowledge, is the first step toward peace.

We appeal to the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Immanuel

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Armodoxy for Today – Immanuel – Advent Journey

Birthing pains are a signal that new life is close at hand. We have been through this Advent season preparing ourselves for the arrival of Christmas and the message of the Christ Child. These last days of the Advent Season are the birthing pains in our spiritual journey. Christmas lies ahead. Jesus Christ, is about to enter into our lives, how do we greet this awesome event? Armodoxy demands that we interact with the Nativity message beyond a nod and a tip of the hat. We are called to celebrate Christmas in a manner that points to the reason of the season.

In Holy Scripture we find three narratives of the Nativity, in the Gospel of Matthew, Luke and John. Only St. Mark, the oldest of all the Gospels omits the Nativity narrative. It is the Evangelist St. Matthew who clearly expresses with the words, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows,” and with that preface he gives the narrative, “After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”

The birthing pains in our Advent Journey have now begun. We are at the point of no-return. We hear the message of the Gospel. He who is being born is the Savior. Immanuel, God with us, Creator, He who is without beginning and without end, in His Love for us is coming to be in our midst.

For Joseph, he had to deal with the social norms of the day which might have embarrassed him to take the Mary as his wife. For us, we deal with the social norms of today, which might betray us to the same kind of fear and embarrassment to proclaim an unwavering faith and commitment to the Christ Child that is coming. The message given to Joseph is now our message: Do not be afraid!

The first step to make your dream come true is to wake up, and Joseph did exactly that. He moved to action and named his dream-come-true, Jesus. Like Joseph, today we wake from our sleep and move to action. We proclaim the Child as Jesus and understand that our salvation is tied in with to this moment of singularity, when the virgin conceives, and a Son is born.

It is the birth of Jesus Christ, and we are here to honor him with the greatest gift that we can offer him, our love and commitment to his teachings.

Today we pray an intercessory prayer to St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. O Asdvadzazin, today you bring to our world our Savior. Along with Joseph, you put fear aside and proclaimed the presence of God in our midst with the birth of Jesus Christ. Pray for us, at this moment that we may stand in awe of God’s infinite Love for us, that we may cast aside doubts and fears, and grow in faith for the blessings we are about to receive. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Two to Many

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Armodoxy for Today: Two to Many – Advent Journey

As we move closer to Christmas on our Advent Journey, it becomes apparent that we will be meeting for Christmas on December 25th and then again on January 6th. Yesterday we spoke about the Winter Solstice, the birth of the sun and the Birth of the Son. Sometimes people, in their zeal to strike a conversation about Armenian Orthodoxy, will make a statement to the effect that Armenians are fortunate, they have two Christmas’ to celebrate. The statement is somewhat true, for in reality the Armodox understanding is even greater than two celebrations.

December 25th in the West and January 6th in Armenia are only dates of convenience, that is, dates on which the Birth of Christ may be marked and celebrated with official festivity, whether a worship service, a concert, or a party. Calendars are convenient means by which we measure time. There are groups that organize services by other calendars, for instance the Julian calendar, in which case their December 25th is on our January 7. Even within the Armenian Church there are differences of calendars. In Jerusalem the feast of Theophany – the Revelation of God – which we celebrate on January 6 is celebrated on the 19th of January.

Armodoxy, cuts through the conversion tables and date calculations and presents a very simplified – even more meaningful – proclamation of the date of Christmas. For a Christian, Christ is born every day. Imagine a world in which every day is celebrated as Christmas? The fundamental Faith that was expounded by Jesus Christ was exactly this! You don’t preach one thing, and live another way. You don’t turn on God today and forget about Him tomorrow. Christ is born and in our midst every day. The Christian lives with the celebration of God and man reconciled. The Christian every day strives for the message heralded by the angels on the night of Jesus’ birth, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward one another.” (Luke 2:14) Looked at it another way, is there a day in our lives when we would not proclaim the Christmas greeting that Christ is born and revealed?

We learn today that Christmas is on December 25 and on January 6, but it also must be on February 11, August 31, September 7, in a word, every day. Armodoxy converts the two days of Christmas one final time to many days, to every day. It is with this understanding that we now proceed into the final days of the Advent season and our journey through it.

Let us pray, Lord God, help us to live as Christians every day of our lives. Celebrations of your birth are important markers on our calendars and reminders of a salvific event. Allow me to live my life so that I am marking every day as a day of celebration of the love you have for me and humanity. Amen.

Solstice

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Armodoxy for Today: The Solstice

A few years back, I found myself in a village in Rwanda working with genocide survivors. We conducted some informal interviews, became familiar with their daily activities and then, as the sun went down, people wound down, and pretty soon, 7:00PM, in the dark of the night, people were in their homes preparing for their evening rest. There was no sound throughout the village. I thought it odd that people would be preparing to sleep at this early hour. And then it occurred to me, that without electricity, without the artificial lighting that the electricity provides, for all intents and purposes the day was over with the sun set.

Today we celebrate the Winter Solstice. It is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. From the Summer Solstice to this day, the days have gotten shorter and shorter, and now, moving forward, there will be more hours of daylight per day to live and enjoy. In a world without electricity, you might imagine how welcomed the longer days ahead would be, so welcomed, that this day would be celebrated as the “birth of the sun.” Indeed, the sun stays out longer giving more possibilities for work, play, socializing, that is, possibilities for life!

To facilitate the spread of Christianity, the date of the Birth of Christ was moved to December 25 in the Roman Empire during the fourth century. Celebrating the birth of the Sun was replaced with the Christmas festivities, in honor of the birth of the Son! Meanwhile in Armenia, during the fourth century, the Winter Solstice was not celebrated to the extent it was in the Roman Empire. The date of Christmas was not changed and January 6 remains as the celebration date for Theophany. There are more factors for the different Christmas dates, but for today, suffice it to say, that Armenia was not touched by the date change. Until today, the Armenian Church celebrates the Nativity and Baptism of Christ on the same date, January 6.

The Solstice points to the cosmic time clock that has seasons and times changing over the globe. It’s a reminder that some of the great treasures of our Faith are found in the simplest phenomena of nature. Whether the birth of the sun or the birth of the son, there is a common thread that runs through both, namely, light. They are both gifts of light to the world.

How we process this revelation in the Christmas message, is how Armodoxy fits in to our cosmology. Join me tomorrow as we continue in the Advent Journey.