Okay to Live

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Live

This week was an okay week in Armodoxy. We said it was okay to think, to question, to doubt and to have fun, and to top it off, today, we confirm it all by saying, it’s okay to live!

To live! It seems like a given, doesn’t it. No doubt, some of you are asking, why state the obvious? Tragically, it’s not that obvious for many. Religion more often than not, is presented as a prescription for all the don’ts – the regulations – that society imposes on us. Why the Ten  Commandments themselves are mostly – 9 out of 10 – about not doing something. The Old Testament has over six-hundred law, most of which are negatively framed.

Jesus’ message is refreshing because it is a positive message. Go and love! (John 15) Care! Help! Give! The blessing is in the giving more than the receiving! (Acts 20) Do unto others! (Luke 6) His parables are about acting, not withholding (cf. Matthew 25).

Christianity is enabling and empowering. “I have come so that you will have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) It is uplifting and celebratory. Yes, it is okay to live! The first Gospel, that is the first “good news” expressed by the Christian Church was Christ has risen! Death lost its sting! Life won over death and love over hate! The Armenian Church attests to this in its rich celebratory liturgies, and it does so with authority because the Armenian Church was there! We were witnesses to the Resurrection and the Victory. For this reason, the Armenian cross is always bare, as a reminder that life does not end at the Cross but continues!

We pray today, Lord our God, fill us with the joy of the Resurrection always. Keep us focused on the Victory of the Cross. May your precious cross protect us from enemies visible and invisible so we may do that which is pleasing to you always, to love, share and care. Amen.

Okay to Have Fun

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to have fun

What’s the difference between a church and a library? Most people will be quick to make a comparison to the quietness of both environments. In a library, silence is golden and whispers are rare, while in a church, quiet prayers fill the air.

The atmosphere of quiet solitude has stigmatized religion in general, and Christianity in particular, into a serious and solemn expression of life.

Jesus celebrated life. His call was for us see and experience the presence of God in all of creation. He challenged us to see our lives as beautiful responses of the Divine calling. “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6)

Is it any wonder that the Armenian Church refers to the act of the Divine Liturgy – Soorb Pataraq ­– as a celebration? It is neither performed, nor presented. It is a celebration of the greatest gift that God has given us, the gift of life! To smile, to laugh, to be filled with expressions of love and joy is what we are called to do for they soare the greatest means of acknowledging and appreciating our lives.

Pride, envy, anger, greed, gluttony, laziness and lust, are considered the seven deadly sins, because they do not celebrate life. Think of each of these and their manifestations, they lead to sorrow and the sadness.

The Armenian Church is a place where the Divine Liturgy is expressed in musical form to engage all of our senses in a mystical dance in the Divine Celebration. It is okay, to smile, to feel the warmth of love, to sing with gusto, and hug with compassion.

Yes, we may compare church with a library, but understand that in one, silence is a rule and books are the treasure, in the other, whispers are prayers and peace is the measure.

We pray from the Book of Hours of the Armenian Church, Almighty God, make Your light of righteousness and wisdom shine forth upon us and make us sons and daughters of light and of day, so that in godliness we may lead our life and fulfil it without offence; for You are our helper and Savior. Amen.

Cover: Sharing and Teaching Fun in Church, 2004 Fr. Vazken

Okay to Doubt

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Doubt

A week after Jesus had resurrected, the Apostle Thomas stands out from the group of Disciple by doubting the Resurrection. He is not with the others when Jesus appears and when they try to convince him that they have seen the “Risen Lord” he doubts their word. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Thomas is forever more known as “Doubting Thomas” because of this hesitancy to believe and accept what was physically impossible.

My guess is that most of us would be just as skeptical over such news that goes against everything we know through experience. Every person who has been laid to rest has remained in their grave or cremated to ashes. No one, in our experience, as well as in Thomas’ experience for that matter, has ever come back to life. Resurrection begs doubting.

Doubting has a bad name. Many think it is the opposite of faith. Actually, fear is the opposite of faith. Doubt is the beginning of the questioning and reasoning process that leads us to understand, to accept and believe. It is the beginning of the Faith process. From doubt comes question and an opportunity to reason, think, process and come face-to-face with our fear. Having put away our fears, we come to terms with our Faith.

Doubting is a normal part of our thought and learning process. Stifling that progression of ideas leads to misunderstandings about ourselves and the harmony that we should have with life and the world around us.

It is okay to doubt. It is okay to question. It is okay to think/ponder the great miracle of Life. Accept the invitation that Jesus extended to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

From the Book of Hours we pray, Lord our God, my soul is in Your care at all times, and I trust in Your Holy Cross. I have the multitude of saints as my intercessors before you. You are forbearing toward all, do not disregard those who rely on You, but protect them with peace by Your precious and holy Cross. Amen

Cover: Kick off the Cascade, 2019 Fr. Vazken

Okay to Question

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Armodoxy for Today: OK to Question

Quick, think fast: Who was your favorite teacher in school? Who were the teachers from whom you learned the most? Chance are they were not the straight lecturer, who sat you down, infused your brain with knowledge and then dismissed you 50 minutes later at the end of the period. I’d venture to say the best teachers, instructors or professor was not a lecturer at all, but one who engaged you in dialogue. A teacher who challenged you by giving you material to ponder, wonder, ask questions, and form your conclusions was one who imparted knowledge and perhaps some wisdom.

Asking questions is a means by which we learn. Jesus taught by posing questions, by engaging his students and disciples in a thought process by which they came to know him, to know his love for them, and the high truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. Even the crown of his teaching, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) which is laid out as a “lecture” is a series of Q&A with statements stating the known and answering with the teaching. “You have heard…” Jesus would say with a given, such as “You should not murder, but I tell you…” he answers with his lesson for thought, contemplation and eventual learning.

As a loving and caring God, He asks us to come to Him out of love and a desire to know Him closely. We are all different with very different upbringings, dilemmas and joys face us. It is only natural that we will have questions. Why evil? Why pain? Where is joy? Finding heaven?  To each of us, He grants the opportunity: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Yes, it’s okay to think and it’s okay to ask questions.

We pray Psalm 4 today, Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness. You have given me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. In peace, I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Amen.

 

No Checked Brain: Think

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Think

Since 2008 I have been producing a podcast called “The Next Step.” Each episode is approximately one-hour long, that looks at trends in life through the lens of Armenian Orthodoxy. While I comment about different issues of faith and life, I always try to leave the audience with something to ponder, to stimulate thought and introspection.

One of our listeners once reviewed our show and wrote, “You don’t have to check your brain in at the door to follow Armodoxy.” This became a catch phrase in our intro and our promos. I was honored and flattered that the listener had expressed himself in this manner. In a conversation with him, he explained that many churches invite you in and expect you to “check your brain in at the door” and forget about reason or even common sense.

The Christian Church, and in particular the Armenian Church, has a rich Tradition with a message that is timeless and universal, that is it speaks to everyone. And as populations become more learned and expressive, the Church has to keep up and share the message of Christ as an essential calling to the world. Accordingly, it has to make sense. It cannot defy reason, nor common sense.

The oldest and most essential message of the Bible comes to us from Christ. While portions of the Bible predate the Birth of Jesus, the oldest message is revealed at His Nativity. It is the message conveyed by the angels, who proclaim the presence of Christ in the World. “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14) This message does not need qualifiers. It does not need to be explained or justified. It is the object of Thy Kingdom Come. It is the Will that needs to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we find our purpose within the Kingdom as those who make His Will happen on this earth.

It is simple, logical, reasonable and makes sense! Peace is our goal and finding harmony with one another is the essential means of bringing about peace. Prayer, meditation, fasting, and using the God-given gift of reason and communication are the tools offered to comply with this revelation.

From the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours we pray, Peace and life, our Lord and Savior, the Only Begotten Son of God, give us Your peace, that You grant to your holy apostles by breathing into them Your life-giving and all powerful Holy Spirit, so that having found our peace from all worldly commotions we may become a temple and a habitat for Your grace. Amen.

Cover: Iron claw machine at Lake Sevan, 2014 Fr. Vazken

The Severity of the Dogs and Pigs

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Armodoxy for Today: Severity of the Dogs and Pigs

The Armenian Church refers to Holy Scripture reverently as “The Breath of God.” Yesterday, I asked you to meditate on the lectionary reading for the Feast of the Holy Translators, a group which includes the translators of Holy Scripture. The passage is from the Sermon on the Mount where our Lord warns the people, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7)

The Church Fathers assigned this reading on the Church Calendar to speak to the sacredness of Holy Scripture. “Be careful!”, cautions our Lord, not to give what is sacred to the dogs!” But the warning doesn’t end there and Jesus continues with some rather gruesome expressions.

In the 16th century, what became to be called the Protestant Reformation in the West, had as one of its selling points the interpretation of Scriptures. Scripture was not understood as the Breath of God but as a Book delivered to us by God. As such, people were free to read and interpret it as they wish. As a result, the same words of Scripture had different meanings to different people. Nationalism, intolerance, wars and killings were justified by Scripture.

In the East and especially in Armenia, Protestantism didn’t come by way of a Reformation but slipped in during the 19th century and spread during the 20th century. Tragically, the place of Scripture as the Breath of God was lost and the currents on in the West have convinced people that the Bible is a book of rules and regulations.

Author Rachel Held Evans notes, “If you are looking for verses with which to support slavery, you will find them. If you are looking for verses with which to abolish slavery, you will find them. If you are looking for verses with which to oppress women, you will find them. If you are looking for verses with which to liberate or honor women, you will find them. If you are looking for reasons to wage war, you will find them. If you are looking for reasons to promote peace, you will find them. If you are looking for an out-dated, irrelevant ancient text, you will find it. If you are looking for truth, believe me, you will find it. This is why there are times when the most instructive question to bring to the text is not “what does it say?”, but “what am I looking for?” I suspect Jesus knew this when he said, “ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.” If you want to do violence in this world, you will always find the weapons. If you want to heal, you will always find the balm.”

It is with this thought that we leave you today and the experience of Asdvadzashunch – the Breath of God.

Cover Photo: Poppies in Armenia, 2014 Fr. Vazken

Bible Listening and Where?

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Armodoxy for Today: Since when Bible Reading?

Social media is full of one-liners that are thrown out like bait, to either catch your attention at the least and to reel you in at the most. Recently I was reeled in, “Don’t ever say, ‘Bible-reading is for monks; am I making my child a monk?’ No! It isn’t necessary to make him a monk. Make him a Christian!” The quote was placed atop a graphic of St. John Chrysostom, a giant of the Christian Church who lived in 4th century. (347-407AD).

Like many pronouncements made by this revered saint, the statement is simple and profound. But something bothered me about it. Of course, it is the admonishment we expect, especially parents or anyone concerned with the Christian upbringing of a child. But something was off, and it was as simple as the date of the quote.

The Bible wasn’t put together until the 5th century. Even more, Bibles weren’t readily accessible by the common person until the advent of the printing press in the 15th century. What did the words, “Bible-reading” mean in this case? Here is a saint of the Church, of the 4th century, urging people to have their children read the Bible, before there was a Bible as we know it today and during a time when literacy was not common.

When I was first ordained a priest, an elderly parishioner of mine brought a hand-written letter asking that read it to her. This was 1982. I did. It was personal in nature. She thanked me and went off. She was a survivor of the 1915 Genocide and had grown up and formed a family in the Middle East. I wondered why did she bring this letter to me? I later learned that in the old-country, priests would be the learned members of a village. It was common for people to bring written documents to the priest for reading, knowing that they would have confidentiality and a fair interpretation of the words. Yes, literacy was not common a few decades ago, let alone almost two millennia ago. And so, I had to find out what was the source of the quote attributed to St. John Chrysostom? What did he mean when he said, have your children “read the Bible”?

I found an article, “Eight Quotes from St. John Chrysostom on How to Raise Children” and the original to the quote in question was this: “Never deem it an unnecessary thing that he should be a diligent hearer of the divine Scriptures.”

“Bible-reading” was a loose translation of the words, “diligent hearer of the divine Scriptures.” And while this may seem like a mere 21st century upgrade to the words, Chrysostom’s words mean so much more than reading the Bible. Holy and Divine Scripture have a place in the Church. The Scriptures are a tool of the Church. The words of the saint are a call to attend the Body – the church – the Community, the Corporate Worship of the Church, where the “diligent hearing of divine Scriptures” becomes possible.

Historical context is essential to understanding instruction in all walks of life, especially in the spiritual instruction in the Christian Church.

In the Armenian Church, Holy Scripture is referred to as the Breath of God. It is sacred. The Church shares the Gospel through that Breath. It is in a historical context – the long history of the Christian Church – that the Scriptures come alive.

Our prayer for today is a meditation on the words from Our Lord as presented in the Sermon on the Mount and presented to us as the lectionary reading for the feast of the Holy Translators (the Translators of the Bible). Jesus instructs us, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Cover Photo: Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023

Now add Palms to the Mix

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Armodoxy for Today: Palms at Christmas

Madison Avenue, is a street in New York City where many advertising agencies have offices and in the past, much of what we consumed was dictated by the cues sent to us from Madison Avenue. Today more elite methods are used, methods that melt us down to mathematical formulas governed by algorithms. And we react. Christmas, we know is a season for shopping. It’s a season where sales are permissible. And so, if they tell us it’s Christmas in July, much like Pavlov’s dogs, we begin salivating at the chance to bite off some bargains. Amazon Prime Days is happy to oblige, I’m sure.

And since we’re celebrating Christmas in July, I won’t hesitate to draw from another period on the Church calendar, namely Palm Sunday, for today’s lesson. At the first Palm Sunday, that is, when Jesus entered Jerusalem to meet his appointment with the Cross, he saw a scene in the temple which infuriated him. We read in Matthew 21:12-13: Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of thieves.’” This event is sometimes referred to as “Jesus cleansing the temple” because he “cleaned out” all that did not belong there.

The temptation here is to use Jesus’ example and clean house. We may look at Christmas in July and rebel – how dare they use the word Christmas to disguise the promotion of merchandise sale. And certainly, the temptation is an inviting one. The phrase “cleansing the temple” is a description someone gave the story. Turning the tables, is the action Jesus took, which he, and only he, had the right to do. When we come to defend the Christian message or even Christ himself, the first action is not to turn over the table of the other guy, but rather to take a look at ourselves – turn over our own table – self-introspection – and ask, am so clean that I may presume to condemn another? When we view a situation, whatever it may be, our ego stands in the way of a clear view.

Armodoxy is the study of the ancient faith as it pertains to our lives today. Armodoxy is not a rejection of this life, but an understanding to allow us to work in harmony within this life. Jesus did not reject life, but rejected the hypocrisy that arises from self-assurance. He criticized because he could. He is sinless and pure. He pointed to something higher that could be attained in the here-and-now.

Instead of the Pavlovian conditioning of buying and spending at the sound of the word Christmas, let us turn our attention to the One for whom the celebration of Christmas originated. Let us listen to his words, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7)

Christmas in July begins with the acknowledgement that it’s about Jesus. Once acknowledged, we then need merely to listen to his words.

We pray, Jesus, only you are sinless. As such you are able to place your finger on the cancer that plagues humankind. Remove the disease of egotism from our sight so that we may have a fresh and clean perception of what is truly important for our lives. Amen.

Cover: Palms at ChrisTmas, Fr. Vazken 2013

Paying Back Mad Men

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Armodoxy for Today: Christmas in July

The ad came by mail, with my home address on label, though my name was shortened to Occupant. It was one of the few things that still came to me by mail. Red and green writing over a picture of a big poinsettia plant. The writing was in block letters, “CHRISTMAS IN JULY – SALE!” it said. I smiled briefly and thought so little of it that I tossed it in the trash without a second thought. Later that day the same ad caught my eye while scanning through the TV dial, a big candy cane with the words, “Christmas in July – SALE” in beautiful script.

The following day, I couldn’t avoid this ad. The words were popping up on my social media pages, letting me know this was not only being promoted by old-school media, but this was a full-blown campaign to bring the old-yuletide cheer to businesses wanting to scoop up some extra funds in mid-summer.

Imagine that I thought to myself, marketers are bringing the Christ name-brand, that is Christmas, to our local neighborhood to sell made-in-China wares to a sympathetic public. To be sure, the economy here in the US is dependent on year-end, holiday shopping. So, some entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the popularity of Christmas and exploiting it by creating an extra season of holly, candy cane stripes and jolly merriment to collect the financial rewards that comes with this new Christmas season. Imagine that I thought.

And then it hit me: This was the Armodoxy formula: The Christian celebrates Christmas every day of the year! This was the goal we set out to achieve when we said celebrate on December 25 and January 6. Christ is born and revealed every day when a Christian lives his or her life according to the tenants of love. The Christian keeps the message of Christmas alive and in focus all year long! Of course, no one is fooled by this Christmas in July campaign. The object is simply to make money. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use the opportunity to focus on the Christmas message in July, just as we should in August, October, March and May.

So welcome to Christmas in July, courtesy of Madison Avenue. What a nice treat in the middle of the hot sweltering dog days of summer? We can imagine snow, sleighs and the cold of winter. And while we’re at it, let’s remember the babe in the manger, the hope for peace on earth and goodwill toward one another. This is the best payback for all the years business capitalized on Christ’s birth, now we have a chance to spread the message of hope and love on the coattails of this ad campaign. Merry Christmas in July!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son at the stable in Bethlehem and once again today in my heart and in your world. May the joy of Christmas never be without Christ today, tomorrow, in December and January, and always. Amen.

Hope Amidst the Violence

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Armodoxy for Today: Keep Dreaming

Political name calling took a quick and sudden break this weekend with the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. While at a campaign rally, a bullet from would-be assassin, ripped through candidate Trump’s ear and left the country, and the world, asking the questions that follow: How can this happen? Why did this happen?

I flashed back to the third-grade classroom, vividly remembering my teacher, Mrs. Pharis, rushing into the room to tell us, “Boys and girls, put your heads on the desk and pray. President Kennedy has been shot!” No, we weren’t in parochial school and yes, she did ask us to pray in a public school with no backlash. The year was 1963 and we were just recovering from World War II, the Korean War, the McCarthy era and were about to enter the era of uncertainty, with the assassinations Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, and attempts on Presidents Ford and Reagan. Vietnam, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Bosnia became worlds within our world where conflict and war propelled these nations to our news feeds, giving us opportunities to weigh in with opinions without us ever understanding the full extent of their pain and suffering. Here we are several decades after those events of the last century, dealing yet another assassination attempt and the reality of hundreds and thousands dying daily in attacks in wars and genocide globally.

The world changes quickly, sometimes with a bullet invading the body, sometimes with troops invading a country. Finding hope and a belief in a brighter tomorrow at times – most – seems difficult, if not impossible. Hope is what keeps us dreaming of better tomorrows.

The Gospel reading this week in our churches comes from Matthew 18, where Jesus challenges his disciples to imagine God’s response to the violence we witness. “What do you think?” he asks, “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

God is merciful. He is saddened by our inability to live in harmony and is forever hopeful of our return, to understand one another and live under the commandment to love.

We pray for victims, our world situation, and we pray for hope, so that we can keep dreaming.

Let us pray, “Lord Jesus, hope of the humanity, keep hope alive within me as I see the evil around me. Give strength to those affected by the bullets and bombs of evil, so that they may overcome the obstacles before them, and continue to dream of better tomorrows. Amen.”

Cover photo: Envato Elements