Is all money, money?

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Several years ago (around the early 90’s) the infamous arms dealer Sarkis Soghanalian was making headlines in the Armenian press by donating to Armenian organizations and churches.
He had appeared on CBS-60 Minutes at the time and was internationally known for his sale of arms and weapons to a variety of different clients.

When there was talk that Soghanalian might donate to the churches, one of our overly righteous, self-appointed defenders of the ethical virtues of the church (a priest, no less) cried foul. How dare we, the church, take “tainted” money from this man? Ill-gotten gains, he claimed.
On the surface, this reasoning sounded good. After all, the church is an agent of peace and there’s a definite incongruity in peace efforts being funded by money coming from the sale of weapons of war. But, what got me thinking deeper on the subject was that the priest who raised the issue was serving in California’s Central Valley. In other words, his congregation made its money by working the land. And so, you have to wonder, how much of the money that came into his church’s plate was from farmers and land-owners who had exploited migrant farm workers? (Yes. Coincidence that tomorrow is Caesar Chavez day?)

And so, we have a double standard here: somehow money from guns is dirtier than money produced at the expense of people who might not rate a spot on the 6 O’clock News? Mexicans risking their lives, crossing the border for a chance to make a few bucks. They live in sub-standard conditions, and because they will, they work for very little wages. And if someone exploits these people they are called shrewd and good businessmen – after all, they are turning over a buck for less than what it would ordinarily cost. How is this any less ill-gotten or tainted than the money from the arms dealer?

So my question – isn’t money, money? If you go far enough, isn’t there some factor that will always put the money in the tainted category?

I bring this up now because I’m concerned about the role of money in our efforts. I have always insisted that we have a product that is worth funding. (Check out the “Miller Interviews” on the In His Shoes area of YouTube.) In other words, we have to stand by our product and believe in it to the point that we can (and should) ask for money for the product. If we are engaged in a ministry, we should ask people for money for the ministry. If we are engaged in helping children of war, we should ask people for money to help children of war. And so on…

What would you think of a store which sold light bulbs, but every time you walked into that store they kept handing you oranges and insisted that those oranges were good oranges? Well, for a while you’d be confused and then you’d get use to it. You’d start coming to the light bulb store to do your shopping for oranges. And eventually, the employees themselves would be convinced that their job was to promote and sell oranges. But, the savvy shopper will figure out that there are better oranges at the produce store and since you’re unsure of your main product – light bulbs – then certainly the better light bulbs must be elsewhere as well.

This is what has happened in our church. We’re selling all the wrong things. We have a product called Armenian Orthodoxy, and instead we’re selling Debutante Balls, Fashion Shows, and basketball games. So what happens – people come to our church searching for the ancient truth that they can ONLY get from the Armenian Orthodox church. They walk in, like they do to the light bulb store, and we tell them, here, have a debutant ball: this is the mission of the church. Or our children come looking for identity and we say “Join our team! We belong to a great basketball league!” Well – what do you suppose will happen? At first, people will be confused but eventually we will have a steady clientele ready to consume the products we offer. Some people will come thinking this is the Debutante store. Others will come thinking it’s the basketball store. Many of the employees will forget what the product is. BUT the savvy shopper, will figure out there are better basketball courts at the YMCA and there is certainly better places to learn about faith than a place that doesn’t want to give it to you.

In your own experience – I know we can all relate to this – you tell non-Armenians that you belong to the Armenian Church and what do they tell you? “You have some great food.” “I love the bakalava… or is that the Greeks?” In fact, just in the Los Angeles area I can tell you if people want the best pilaf it’s at one of the churches, the other has the market on kufta, and still, the other is known for its topig!

Which are the successful ministries? The ones that offer a product they believe in. Does that mean they don’t sell anything else? Certainly not. We’re all realists and we know that money is the necessary tool to get work done. But there are certain ratios that need to be agreed upon from the beginning. Albeit, these ratios may be arbitrarily established, still they are there to guide us. For instance, I have set up an arbitrary ratio in my own ministry between outreach and time allocated to admin. The same can be put in place for funding. If we can raise 80% of our funds from donations directly to our ministry then we can justify 20% of the money coming from non-ministry functions. I think this is reasonable and we’re doing it in our small corner of the world.

In His Shoes and the St. Peter Youth Ministries has been funded primarily by people who believe in the mission we’re engaged in. Even the occasional dinner dance, or concert is supported primarily by people who are supporters of the ministry, so that the events don’t come off as fund-raisers, as much as opportunities for the community to get together and enjoy fellowship and each other’s company.

Now we are engaged in raising money for poverty. Our annual Famine, raised awareness and money for world hunger. Most of the money comes from direct donations – people giving to the cause, that is, to aid world hunger. A percentage of the money comes from indirect solicitations, for instance, the sale of lemonade on the street corner – with proceeds benefitting the Famine. We have to admit that the person buying a glass is more interested in quenching his own thirst than hydrating the dehydrated children of Africa, still, in a small way awareness for the big cause is heightened.
This balance between direct and indirect solicitation is important. It will be the difference between a sincere effort to do our mission and selling oranges, just because we don’t believe in our light bulbs.

A few months ago, we saw a raffle ticket that was being sold by an Armenian organization to bring aid to the Refugees of Iraq. This was a hard one for me – because behind each of those words is a mass suffering. It’s another one of those incongruent situations where people vying for a chance to go to vacation in Hawaii might also be saving a life in the war zone. As I read the raffle ticket I wondered if the Jewish Diaspora during World War II was selling raffle tickets to vacation in New York, with proceeds benefitting displaced persons in Europe? Or even worse, if we had a large enough Diaspora in 1915, would we have raffled off a Ford Model-T so that proceeds could be sent to aid Genocide victim families and survivors?

Obviously, there are many for whom these issues – poverty, ecology, torture, violence, environment, immigration – are not important. And there are many in these categories that have money. And I would even venture to say, once that money is not used to bring aid and comforted, it falls into the earlier tainted category. AND, so the challenge is on us – the Robin Hood challenge – to take from the rich and distribute to the poor. It’s a challenge. It’s also ethically challenging because we ourselves don’t want to be tainted in the process of doing this. So it’s important that we hold our mission always in front of us and not lose sight about what we’re doing and the reason why we’re doing it. And along the way, we need to police ourselves, in case it does get out of hand. I think this is an area that we need to develop as we grow and as we expand. Certainly, if nothing else, I think the addition of these blogs and the dialogue that follows either on line or in our Questions in Faith discussion, is a step in this direction. We don’t want to be like the light-bulb store employees, who have gotten so use to the idea of selling oranges that we’ve forgotten that we have a product that is worth pushing, promoting and selling.

An Angel’s Life Does Not End

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Sunday mornings, I place my cell phone on my desk before entering the church. I figure those couple of hours in the church can be spent without being wirelessly tethered to the world.
But not last Sunday. It was an early Daylight Savings Time – March 9, to be exact. And ever since AT&T fired or shot the Time lady, I’ve been using my cell phone’s clock to coordinate myself with my calendar. So this Sunday, my phone was in my pocket throughout the liturgy. It was a good thing because it was a few minutes after services were over that my phone rang. It was my close friend, telling me his mother-in-law was on her way out. She had been battling cancer for several years and now she was in the hospital.

It was also a day that we had gone to church in only one car. So I asked Susan and Christaphor to join me out to Woodland Hills. At the hospital I found Arlene with her family huddled around her in the Intensive Care unit. One of the last times I had seen Arlene was at the TV studio – I was doing my weekly show and she was doing a promo for the Armenian Bone Registry. We discussed her cancer. We discuss her faith. It’s very interesting how God makes these meetings possible – sometimes using the most unlikely places where we can share and exchange matters of great importance. I walked away from that meeting so impressed by her attitude. She had too much to live for. She wasn’t going to let this dreaded disease get in the way. She approached life in a very big way – with much zest and love: a small lady that filled up the room with her smile and charm.

And so, in this Intensive Care unit, this small body was taking a very rough and hard beating.
It didn’t look like she was awake, but I’ve learned in all these years that it’s not our call to figure out if a patient can hear or not. So I went up to her and said, “It’s me, Der Hayr. Your Der Hayr.” I’m not really sure what gave me that extra bit of confidence to personalize myself to her life, but I felt it was right.

We all stood around the bed, holding hands. I began the Lord’s prayer and then the Gospel passage. I read from John 14:

  • “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

The emotions in the room were running high. A lot of tears, you wouldn’t expect anything less: a life was being cut short. I followed Arlene’s daughter and her husband into the waiting room. We began talking about the twist of life and fate. We were hitting on some of the big issue of life when a cousin came up to us and said, “You’ve got to come.”

We walked back into the room and there was Arlene, at peace. She wasn’t breathing. The breath had left her body exactly a minute since hearing the Gospel message. Her suffering had ended. She was at peace.

I know we were all moved and stunned. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” says God and certainly, the trouble had left the room. Her peace was touching each of us.

There are times in our lives when things just work. This was one of those. Arlene was leaving an incredible message to all of us. She was waiting for this final blessing – she was squaring things with her Maker and at the same time letting everyone know that at the end of the day, this was the ultimate reconciliation one needs to make in life.

As her motionless body lay there, I thought about the last words she heard, “I go to prepare a place for you… I am the way, the truth and the life…” She heard these words with her most treasured possessions standing all around her. She left this world at peace, leaving behind the pain, the suffering and the disease. She received a blessing sure, but at the same time each of us in that room knew that there was something greater happening here. We were blessed by this experience.

As a priest, I find a very profound point of equilibrium – where we give and it comes back to us in many different forms. In all of these variations we find the presence of God peaking at us through the thin veils of human experience, touching us – almost shaking us up – to reconnect to our humanity.

Today was the funeral. I went wantingly. I wanted to be there because it was a miracle that touched me. In the filth and disgust of something called cancer, a beautiful expression was blossoming.

I spoke about the angel Arlene. An angel is a messenger and Arlene was that angel that brought us the message: love never dies. She loved, she was loved and in her relatively short life of 59 years, she lead a very full existence. Her life was one which touched others.

At times like this we use some thoughtless terms such as paying our “last respects.” Or she “succumbed” to the disease. Or she “lost the battle” to cancer. With people like this, there cannot be a “last respect.” Honoring a person like Arlene is to live the example of the life she lived – more than a positive attitude, she had an attitude of love. She cared for and touched others. How dare we end it for her by saying she lost or succumbed to anything? Arlene was a victor, not a victim. Anyone who loves is a winner, because in return she’s gained all of eternity. She has reconciled with the ultimate force of the universe. She is one with God.

We all have a certain number of years – some get only a few, others many and still others get an over abundance. 10, 50, 80 or 100, its really doesn’t matter how many – sure life is sweet and nice, but the real measure is in how and in what way those years are filled. It’s something we all know, but when a life like Arlene’s touches us, it’s just one more opportunity for us to fortify our understanding of the power of love in our lives.

May God rest her soul. I stand today in thanksgiving for having known this very special woman.

Matt. 15: 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Thoughts on the passing of Arlene Titizian (1948-2008)

Responsibilty: the Armenian Church and China

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One of the many clergyman that had his impact on my life and my becoming a priest was Archbishop Asoghig Ghazarian. He served in United States in the 1950’s. Later, he became the Primate of the Diocese of Iraq.

I met Bishop Asoghig on the few occasions when he visited America and he’d come over to our house. He was the priest that blessed my parent’s wedding engagement and through the years they had corresponded with him, staying in-touch enough so that when he would come from Iraq we’d have a chance to visit with him at our home. One day back in 1974 we even had the chance to take him to Disneyland. Though I don’t remember him on the Matterhorn, the image of him on the It’s-a-Small-World boat is still in my head.

In 1977 he passed away. His last wish was to die in Armenia. They brought over the ill prelate on a special plane from Bagdad to Yerevan. I was a student at the Seminary of Etchmiadzin that year. I remember that the venerable Catholicos Vazken I was truly heartbroken and saddened by his colleague’s passing. As a young seminarian, I participated in his funeral. Even more, along with two priests at the ancient monastery of Gayane, I prepared his body through a ritual bath provided for the clergy. I mention this here because his body was a bit different from others, and especially other priests.

You see, Bishop Asoghig had served in China. There he was persecuted and tortured. The same hands and forehead that had once absorbed the sacred Holy Miuron, were bound and beaten by communists and thugs. It was his private hell and, though we met on a few occasions, he didn’t share his stories or experiences with us. Back then I was too young to know, but now looking at his pictures, you can see the blank stare of abuse in his eyes.

I bring this up today because the persecution continues today in China. This week, the Newspress Question for us clergy was about the new religious freedom in China and what is says about our faith. (http://inhisshoes.com/In_Theory/China%20Freedom.htm) Imagine that… China and the Armenian Church? What’s the connection? Well, Bishop Asoghig for one. But Bishop Asoghig was and today China’s violation of human rights and support of regimes supporting Genocide viz. Sudan, is.

China is one of Sudan’s largest suppliers of arms, and in return Sudan is China’s largest overseas oil project. Official data shows that China now takes 40% of Sudan’s oil output. China can and must play a role in bringing an end to the genocide in Darfur.Being descendants of genocide survivors ourselves, there is a moral imperative, no less dictated by our faith that we stand in the shoes of others who are going through the sufferings we’ve endured. And our motivation to do so comes from the possibility of, what might have happened had the world disarmed Turkey at the time of the Armenian Genocide (1915)?

With religious freedom in China, I’m hoping that the same Christian mandate that moves us to search and work for peace will lean heavily on the government to end the Darfur genocide. George Bernard Shaw reminds us, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”

The people who make a difference in our lives, like Bishop Asoghig, are the people who dared to take the responsibility for their lives. They were the ones who cared enough to put it all on the line. As a follower of Armenian Orthodoxy, he was a follower of Christ, taking up the cross no matter where it was planted – in Iraq, China, Armenia or on Calvary. Our responsibility is the same, but the way we can express it is much easier – it means standing up for what is right and being ever-vigilant.

Today, we were very happy and encouraged to learn that US filmmaker Steven Spielberg abandoned his role in the Beijing Olympics, as a host of prominent figures accused China of not doing enough to press its ally Sudan to end devastating violence in Darfur. Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080213/ts_afp/uschinasudanunrestdarfuroly_080213040036
The turn is really ours. As a Christian Church, as the Armenian Church – as the one Church which traces its roots to Jesus Christ himself, do we have any other choice but to rise to the occasion and take this responsibility? We need to walk the walk of Christ, and certainly at this point, talk the talk of Christ. In other words, the Armenian Church is definitely concerned about China, as it should be about everything else in the world. Armenian Orthodoxy is our belief system. Christ cared and his Body follows the directions of its Head.

Take two Nareg and call me in the morning

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At our first Husgoom* service on Wednesday evening, when we prayed the prayer of St. Gregory of Nareg (Naregatzi), between the priests, deacons and people we had a nice rhythm going. (There are few occasions when this happens naturally. Most recognizably during the “kohootiun” portion of the Badarak – when a percussion section with high-hat and tom-toms would fit perfectly.)

The words of Naregatzi are intense, to say the least. The words are simple, yet complex. They seem like compound words but lack bridges. They delicately express some of the most basic emotions of the the human soul. His words come from the spirit and speak to the soul.

This week as we were singing, I got caught up in the tempo and beat. It was hypnotic and at the same time made me pay attention to the detail. I saw the punctuation marks and how they split the flow of the words. And then it hit me that those punctuations are so critical to the understanding of St. Nareg’s prayer and lament.

Like most of the liturgies of our Armenian Church, there is a tendency to “perform” rather than experience the prayers and song. That is, we understand the services as part of a prescription for our spiritual well-being – take a two Naregs, one Shnorhali, top it off with a Badarak once a week and call me in the morning. In the event of difficulty breathing, extinguish incense and use flavored candles instead.

Our work toward defining “Armenian Orthodoxy” is exactly the opposite. The words are not there to be taken (swallowed) but to challenge and motivate us to be one with Christ. Each word of Naregatzi stands as a koan waiting to be explored. Each word can become a key to your heart. Each word can be a door to the Kingdom.

Naregatzi – as well as all of our services and prayers – are not meant to be ingredients in a prescription, nor should they be part of formulas that solve spiritual dilemmas. They are the means for us to take the responsibility of our human condition and find peace.

Below, I’ve placed the prayer of St. Nareg that we sang during Husgoom. Read it through. Then, cut and paste it in a word-processor and split it up at each of the commas or semi-colons. If you have a bulleting function on your word-processor, bullet each of these. You will find small meditations that will perhaps haunt or perhaps calm you. Read one bullet and let it take hold of your thoughts and your soul. This is easier said than done, but don’t try to “solve” a word, rather, let it guide your prayer life.

For instance, one of the verses is, “abolish my pleasures of a deceiver, O ever victorious.” Don’t follow the natural tendency to ask “How am I a deceiver? What do I need abolished? How is God victorious?” etc. Because we already know those things! Think about it, you wouldn’t be in a “Lenten Journey” if you didn’t already realize that you had some issues to work out and the solution to those problems are from a source greater than you!” Instead, take this one sentence and let it soak in your heart as you pray, as you worship, as you live, as you love. Let it be a part of your life, so that when you pay for gas at the gas station or when you are stirring the soup (thinking of somethings mundane), the words “abolish my pleasures of a deceiver, O ever victorious” don’t stand out as words, but are nestled inside of you. Don’t rush anything to “Look for an answer.” Instead, pray with this one line in your heart for a week or two. You’ll find that the words begin to have more of an impact on the things you do, your relationships, your movements, your life. Then move on to the next line – to the next bullet.

This is the way of Armenian Orthodoxy. You’ll find the prayer will stimulate you to move toward God.

Prayer of St. Gregory of Nareg
Receive with tenderness, O might Lord God, the supplications of mine embittered self!
Approach me with compassion, I who am in deep disgrace; dissipate my sadness filled with shame, O thou most generous with gifts; remove mine unbearable burden, O merciful one; sever mine unbearable burden, O merciful one; sever my mortal habits from me, O thou inventor; abolish my pleasures of a deceiver, O ever victorious; disperse my demoniacal mist, O lofty one; arrest my course of perdition, O redeemer; destroy the evil devices of the captor, O thou seer of the concealed; scatter the assaults of the warrior, O inscrutable one!

Inscribe thy name with the sign of the cross upon the skylight of mine abode; encompass with thine hand the roof of my temple; mark with thy blood the side posts and the upper door-posts of my cell; imprint thy sign upon the trail of the footsteps of thy supplicants; fortify with thy right hand my couch of repose; free from snares the covering of my bed; protect with thy will my tormented soul; purify the breath of life with which thou endowest my body; surround me with troops of thy celestial army; array them against the battalion of demons.

Grant soothing rest like death unto the slumber in the deep of this night, through the mediatory supplication of the holy Mother and all the elect ones.

Closely envelop the windows of the visual senses of my mind, placing its dauntless against turbulent troubles, worldly anxieties, fantastic dreams, foolish hallucinations, that, through the memory of thy hope, it may remain protected beyond all harm; and that, roused anew with full wakefulness from the profundity of my slumber, standing erect before thee filled with soul renovating joy, I may forward this cry of supplication scented with faith, unto thee in heaven, O most hallowed king of ineffable glories, in unison with the hymns of praise sung by the celestial bands; for thou are glorified by all beings, forever and ever. Amen.

(For St. Nareg’s “Lamentations” check out Prof. Tom Samuelian’s website: http://www.stgregoryofnarek.am/)

* Husgoom = literally means “vigil”. The Armenian Church has seven hours of worship. Two of those hours are the “Peace” and “Rest” hour. At our parish we pray the prayers of these two hours and refer to it as the Lenten Vigil, i.e., “Husgoom.”

Life has no thumb drives

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I received an ad from Office Depot just in time for the start of Lent: 40% off USB Flash drives; 2GB or more, it said in the fine print. I looked through the drives and sure enough, the 4GB and 8GB are within price reach. And I suspect, by year’s end we will see standards of 64GB or even 128GB.

What does this mean? Well basically, everything that you’ve been storing on your laptop’s hard drive can now be conveniently placed on an electronic stick and toted on your key chain, around your neck or in your pocket.

I remember when those small (3.5”) floppies were marketed for their size. Before those, my first hard drive – a 5MB Apple drive – was the size of two large Yellow Pages books put together. By today’s standards, it held only the equivalent of two photographs taken on a nice pocket digital camera. But back then, I never imagined I’d fill up that hard drive. But I did. And later, I filled my 20MB drive. Then came the ads for the Zip Drive, “Store more stuff!” and I did. And along the way, with each subsequent generation of technology, I was relieved that my excesses didn’t have to be jettisoned during the migration to a new computer or new hard drive; rather, I could take along and store them safely in folders buried in folders. And I know I’m not alone in my feelings of relief. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have all developed search utilities just for this purpose: to find those bits and pieces from our past that we refuse to clean up or throw out.

So now today – thank God – we can store more, save more and protect more. We really don’t have to deal with cleaning or clearing up. Wouldn’t life be great if we could do the same with all of our “stuff?” But like the poor fool in Luke 12:13-21* discovered, you only get one chance at life. So you better make sure you prioritize your lists and keep those things that are necessary.

Lent is a proactive experience. You have a chance to clear out your memory and your baggage. It’s a time to really bring life down to the bare essentials. What does it really take to live? You know how the questions go… If you had a fire in your home – what would you take with you? If you were stranded on a desert island, what 10 CD’s would you want there to comfort you? If your hard drive crashed, and you had a chance to recover only 10 files, what would they be? These questions are reactive.

Lent is proactive: before things get bad, slow down, lighten up and live. What are the 10 files that are most important to you? Which relationships move you closer to your humanity? What are the things that you would want to present to God at the final check out? What is necessary to exist? What is necessary to survive? What is necessary to live be happy, i.e., live?

Lent is the time to inventory your inner drive. It’s a time to move some of the bones and garbage to the trash bin. Some files don’t even open up with today’s software, you know? Let’s start with those, at the very least.

Ultimately, you have to do your own inventorying. No one else can do it for you. That’s the way we begin the Lenten journey. What a great time we’ve been given.

* Luke 12:13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. 12:14 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 12:17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits? 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:13-21 ASV

Preface to the Next Step

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Preface to the “Next Step”
It is 25 years to the day that Fr. Vazken was born. Pretty much to the minute, too, 25 years ago I bent on my knees and received the apostolic transfer – through the laying on of hands – of the priesthood.
I would like to say that today is no different than any other day that I look at myself and ask the questions of worthiness, but it is an appropriate anniversary: One quarter of a century since I took off the old garment of Hovsep and became Father Vazken. If not different from other days, but it is an opportunity to put some thoughts in writing – to make them more than thoughts.
Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian, ordained me. It was on the 27th anniversary, to the date, that His Holiness, the venerable Catholicos Vazken I was consecrated as the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Nation. In recognition of that anniversary, the ordaining bishop renamed me Vazken.

Archbishop Vatché introduced me to the congregation for the first time as Fr. Vazken and explained that a Christian is not “merely a follower of Christ. A Christian is a restless person… He will endure hardships, criticisms and danger because of his faith.” He went on to explain that the Catholicos Vazken was that type of man and that the name was fitting for me.

It is in this context that I was ordained. I never understood the priesthood as something easy. In fact, while most kids move toward adulthood there’s a period of rebellion and mine came in a different context. It was rebellion against the establishment. I left everything in knew in the United States to go to Armenia to study at the Seminary of Etchmiadzin. The year was 1977, during the cold-war era. I was in Brezhnev’s Soviet Union, studying. Away from family and friends – a hardship brought upon myself by virtue of the profession I had selected.

It was kind of freaky, now that I think about it. It just didn’t make sense, by the standards that people have for the Armenian priest. Why would I get a degree from USC and not pursue some type of business/profession that had some obvious social and monetary rewards attached to it? Why would anyone leave the comforts of the US and go to a country which had so many question marks attached to it? Where mail didn’t get to us for a month and that, only after it had been searched and censured? Where phones didn’t connect within the city, and definitely not across trans-Atlantic lines? Where, in case of an emergency, a ride home might take days, if not weeks? And the guilt of leaving two grandmas that were reaching the end of their lives? Where there would be no movie theaters to go to, because there were no girlfriends to take? It just wasn’t the thing a 21 year old USC graduate would do.

And on top of it all, for what? To be a member of a brotherhood that was as mysterious as the language I didn’t speak? An ancient faith inside the shell of antiquity, looking for definition. A people in the aftermath of the Genocide, searching for meaning and turning to this ancient church, which had no apparent answer to her people’s prayers. Nevertheless the church was the last of the hold-outs. There was no where else to turn. I saw it and see it today as the salvation of our people as a people. It is within this nationalistic framework that I defined the church, but not as the end of all of our woes. In other words, if we were to find salvation for the Armenian nation, we needed to first and foremost find salvation for the people that made up the nation. A nation (the collective) can only be as good as its people (the parts), correct?

The church was the hope for the people. There was hope in the walls of the church, but I was watching that hope and seeing something false – people living for something that wasn’t there or couldn’t be there. Much like the early Zealots who saw Jesus as the liberator of the physical Jewish state, we too, were looking at the church as the liberator of the Armenian nation, but not willing to buy into it to the point of personal discomfort. Much like the Catholic Church which was targeted by one of her priests, Martin Luther, for selling favors in heaven, the Armenian church was and still is, peddling something which it doesn’t have a right to distribute and so, is lost in a struggle to define herself – to herself and to her children, the members of the nation.
Twenty five years ago, the Holy Chrism –the Miuron – dripped out of the beak of the golden dove. The archbishop chanted the hymn – “medzatzayn hunchmamp” – a loud proclamation was made. That Holy Miuron was smeared on my forehead in the sign of the cross as he gave me my new name. His voice cracked in a gesture that you would expect from a father giving his son the right to life.

He gave me the chalice and the right to consecrate the Holy and Pure Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the living and the dead. He tied the belt around me and passed along the apostolic authority to tie or loose sins here so that they may be tied or loosed in heaven.

It has been 25 years since that date. Since the day I came on my knees and proclaimed my fidelity to the Armenian Church and her Orthodox teaching I was joined always in spirit and in body by my soul mate, Susan. My ministry quickly became ours.

The Gospel passage on at my first Divine Liturgy – October 17, 1982 was from Luke 4. I had always taken that as my own personal mission statement. Only today did I notice –while listening to an old tape of my ordination – that this same passage was read during the Ordination Divine Liturgy as well.

Luke 4 (NRSV)
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
This is my mission statement. I believe it to be the mission statement of the Armenian Church as well as the Church Universal. If we are the Body of Christ, then there is nothing more that needs to be said. We are committed to the same mission Christ proclaimed at the start of his earthly ministry.
Early in the game, I’m not really sure when the calling came to be a priest, but I do know that in High School – age 15 – I had written a paper for a guidance class where I outlined the process to become a priest. I wanted to a priest at the time, though it was as part of a multiple profession, after finishing med school. I even remember a guy named Mark who mocked me in class for my desire to follow this career path.

Every anniversary of my ordination I listen to the tapes from my ordination. In particular I am fascinated by the sounds and prayers of the service on calling, on the night prior to the ordination. There I am “grilled” by the ordaining bishop with questions about my sincerity and willingness to take on the difficulties of the priesthood. “Do you promise,” he asks, “to take on the challenges of being a servant of Christ and not trade them for the comforts of this world?” He asks my sponsors, Fr. Arshag Khatchadourian and Fr. Levon Apelian –both monks of the church at the time (dzayrakoyn vartabed)- if I had the training and the upbringing to be a priest? I always wondered what secrets they knew that would allow them to answer in the affirmative, but they each would qualify their answers by saying, “to the best of my knowledge.”

I am brought to tears many times while listening to the tape, because of the language of that particular service. It is so simple and compelling. The archbishop goes through a list of 159 heretics who would otherwise be long-forgotten by us, if not for us! In other words, the only people who remember these heretics is us, ironically, as we recount their heresy and then pronounce them as anathema. I think to myself, how wonderful if others could understand this beautiful language. How often we find the excuse of language for not understanding our service, when in reality it is our unwillingness to listen with our hearts that is the problem.

The ordaining bishop, and I don’t think any other could do it as meaningfully or dramatically as Archbishop Vatché, when he seals the list of heretics with the words, “Anathematized and condemned are the group of heretics” who make up the “satellites of the Evil One.”
The drama needs to be there. It is the drawing card. Jesus was charismatic. He attracted not only by his works and person, but by his personality, his charisma. The human soul reacts to the suffering and the singing. In this sense, I feel my 25 years as a priest and the many years prior in the church have been blessed by an incredible cast of characters who laid the foundation for the faith. Unfortunately, gone are these superheroes of the church. These were the leaders that really took the church out of the ashes of the Genocide and brought us to the point where we’re at today.

In that group, I knew and watched so many priests and bishops who were all ‘larger than life.’ The priests who were my pastors (no particular order): Fr. Dirayr Dervishian*, Bishop Aris Shirvanian*, Fr. Sam Aghoyan*, Bishop Yeghishe Simonian, Abp. Torkom Manoogian, and Fr. Torkom Saraydarian, Abp. Yeghishe Derderian, Abp. Tiran Nersoyan, who invited me to New York to take on the task of the editing the St. Nersess Theological Journal, Abp. Shnork Kaloustian, Catholicos Vazken I, Abp. Asoghig Ghazarian, Fr. Isahag Ghazarian*, Fr. Shahe Semerdjian*, Fr. Shahe Altounian* and of course, Archbishop Vatché (*attended my ordination). There is a generation among these priests that is no longer there – no longer accessible. It is sad when you look around among the ranks of the clergy, the brains and intellect may be there, but the spirit is missing. There was a generation of powerhouses that we’re missing today.

The path over the past 25 years has taken us through some strange areas that we would probably never have known if it weren’t for the priesthood. We’ve met people that have been great in the world and political landscape as well as people who made the world and the landscape great.
I remember when George Deukmejian ascended to the Governor’s office in California and Susan and I attended the inauguration. We offered the prayer for the governor at some event – I can’t remember what it was, but remembering that someone came up and thanked us for being the only Armenian priest attending governor’s inaugural events.
We watched Cupertino turn from apple orchard to an orchard of Apples and change the world through technology. I was the priest of the Silicon Valley. We brought together Armenians and non-Armenians in understanding and harmony. We carried the people the day after the Armenian earthquake and the uncertainty of our people’s future. We built a church in Silicon Valley and made it a model of Armenian Church life – where Armenians from every part of the world came and became one, under the umbrella of the Church as the Body of Christ. That church we built was later erected in stone, but the big church we built was the one of a group of people loving and respecting each other.
We moved to Pasadena to accept the challenge of a larger parish. How can we ever forget going into the church in Pasadena for the first time and finding only 35 elderly ladies present for the Liturgy. And we were told that this was a “good day” because the people were expecting to meet their new pastor. We took on the challenge. We got to see the workings of an Armenian School and our children went through the ranks. What an experience! And we expanded, built the school and laid the foundation for the new church. We also learned much about human nature and the extent to which unbridled egotism can go. We saw corruption up close and the dangers of a church which had lost sight of its mission as Christ’s Body.
We built up camps and youth movements. My heart was with the youth because deep down I am a kid. I couldn’t conform to adult life. And when our own kids came into the picture I was truly challenged to question, what is it that we’re giving them? How dare we presume that we’re giving them is any better than what they have? Jesus calls us to become like children and then, rather than pay attention to his words, we immediately want to clone our kids into replicas of us. Why? Have we really created a world that we should be so proud of? With wars, pollution and poverty, maybe its time to take a break and look at our children and say they deserve something better?
Secondly, the plight of the youth has always attracted me because they have always been excluded from any serious discussion of the church. It bothered me and still bothers me when I hear that phrase, “the children are the future of the church.” What does that mean? Its one of those church-clichés that rolls off of our tongue like the one about the “Ladies Society is the backbone of the church.”
Kids reacted and loved the church. The church saw growth on many levels. I always challenged myself to be the person Archbishop Vatché wanted me to be – a “restless” person. “A Christian is a restless person,” he said during his sermon on the day of my ordination. I took to heart his admonition from 25 years ago. Coupled with my belief and the songs that inspired me, I always felt it was better to “burn out than it is to rust” (Neil Young). So much of the church and the priesthood around me was and is rusting that I knew we needed to keep the wheels oiled so we can move forward. We have to be restless with our work and never be content with the status quo.
The last three to four years have been challenging. The new administration has tried to push me into a corner and contend that my priesthood is a local one. He’s tried to pigeon-hole me into the parish priest category, meanwhile, the plight of our youth is being handed over to social and political organizations. One of today’s Armenian papers, “Armenian Reporter” came out with an issue about the AGBU this week, filled with pictures and essays about the young people. It was four years ago that we started the Youth Ministry with a plan to reach out to and for the children: a plan that was only marred by the failings of human personality. It was a plan of educating children through the Sunday School system, having them work through the summer camp program and populating the parishes through service-outreach in their ACYOs. It was a plan that was ordained by my bishop but dismantled by the new administration. Guised under the banner of an “unnecessary program” in our diocese, “After all,” the new Primate expressed to the 2004 Diocesan Assembly, “Every church that I go to is filled with you.”
In a sense, we don’t want to cry over spilled milk, but on the other hand, this is more than a carton of liquid, it’s the writing on the wall that troubles me and the end is coming sooner than we thought.
This year we examined many dimensions of “forgiveness” and how many times have I thought about forgiving the church administration for what it has done, but its not mine to forgive. The destruction is to the entire Church. And that is what is unforgivable – the denying of the work of the Holy Spirit!

And so… the Next Step…
There has to be a Next Step, otherwise we will rust. The next step is just as dangerous as the first step, but it was for this that I was ordained, it is the restlessness that burns inside of me that pushes me to the “Next Step.”

The Next Step begins on the premise that we, the Armenian Church, are not an island. We have needs and we have resources that can be shared with others. It is based on the principles of “In His Shoes” a concept that our kids taught us. To be Armenian and an Armenian Christian means that you have to rise from the mundane. There is more to being Armenian than language. There are parrots that speak Armenian, there are professors who have mastered the language, but that does not make them Armenian! Being Armenian is much more than some words put together.
Many times the non-Armenians are fascinated by our foods. We even get a good chuckle out of it when people attend our churches for the quality of food. A practice we have adopted from the Greeks. “The best shish-kebab is served at St. Michaels.” “You know, St. Gabriel uses real butter in their pilaf.”
Imagine where Christ’s ministry has come if these are the measuring sticks by which we’re defining the church. The Next Step demands that we stand true to the calling given to each of us – after all, we are all members of Christ’s body. It is the calling of the Church as defined in Luke 4 by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is to bring the good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind and let the oppressed go free. It is my calling because 25 years ago the Spirit of the Lord visited me through the Holy anointing.
I choose to call this next step, “Armenian Orthodoxy.” In other words, what is at the heart of our faith? What if we can strip away SOME of the politics and SOME of the egos, can we maybe find the heart of the faith? Can we find the Next Step of where the Armenian Church can go? Where do we, as first, second, third and fourth generation Armenians define ourselves in relation to our Creator and one another? Where and how can we acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
This is the Next Step.
Twenty five years came and went. I know today is just a day on the calendar. Hopefully with God’s help, it can be the day we take the next step toward Armenian Orthodoxy.
26 September 2007

Globalization and the Armenian Church

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The Impact of Globalization on
the Armenian Church: An Assessment
by Fr. Vazken Movsesian
Presented at the University of Southern California, 10 June 2005 at a symposium titled, “Globalization and the Armenian Church” on the occasion of a pontifical visit by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
View the Entire Conference at http://vimeo.com/15291175
G
ood morning. I’m truly honored to be sharing this platform with such distinguished scholars as Dr. Miller and Dr. Dekmejian. And I am humbled to be offering these comments in the presence of His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians. I thank His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian for the opportunity he has granted me to make this presentation. I do so with a genuine love and respect in my heart toward the Armenian Apostolic Church – a church I have served for the last three decades – and I offer this presentation with the hopes that we can truly evaluate and better serve this sacred institution.
I’d like to begin today’s presentation by reading to you from an article which appeared in this morning’s Glendale Newspress:
As a young Latina girl stood up to receive a blessing from His Holiness Karekin II, the staff at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital drew near to them. It didn’t occur to her that this clergyman had traveled halfway around the globe, from a landlocked country named Armenia, to be here. She looked at him with a warm smile, one which could have melted the coldest heart. But there was no need to soften anything or anyone that day. Amidst the disease and illness, hope and love were radiating. And even though she didn’t understand every word spoken by the Armenian pontiff, she knew exactly what was happening.
His Holiness, in that moment of prayer and warmth successfully harnessed the energy of globalization and presented an opportunity for the Church to work out its mission…
Globalization is a phenomenon that takes on many forms. Its meaning is unclear. We are only beginning to ponder as to how or what its impact on us will be now and in the long run. But there are a few things that are for certain, namely, that there is no turning back the tide and we – the Armenian Church – need to deal with the implication of globalization if we are to remain a viable force in the Armenian nation.  
On first thoughts, it seems like globalization is the ultimate atmosphere in which the Church can live out its mission – ONE world, and ONEKingdom of God under Jesus Christ are the core of the evangelical challenge. Is this not the words of the founder of the Church, “…and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”  It was the words of Tim Rice’s Judas, who introduced to the public and thereby popularized the notion of Jesus in a world taken by globalization. In the opera Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas asks, “Why’d you choose such a backward time and such a strange land? If you’d come today you would have reached a whole nation Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication….”
Globalization is a double-edged sword: Thanks to globalization we can cut through the barriers of our finitude and transfer the message of peace, hope and everlasting life instantly throughout the globe, but it’s at a cost. The other side of the sword can cut apart individuality, options for self-expression and self-determination – ideas which are vital for the prosperity of any nation.
Let’s talk about the Armenian nation for a moment.
For many, this is an open and shut case – its all part of the same equation. The dreams and aspirations of the Armenian nation are melded into the fabric of the Armenian Church. Let’s first tackle the so called “dual mission” of the Armenian Church. A very simple way of understanding this duality is to look at the invention of the Armenian alphabet. (This year happens to be the 1600th anniversary of this invention.) The alphabet was created for one simple reason – to translate the newly adopted faith of the Armenian people into a language that could be understood. Mesrob Masdotz was commissioned by the church not mere to find a lettering system, but to do so for the purpose of translating Holy Scripture into Armenian. As a result, the Armenian people received their Bible along with a means to document and define their language… As was to be expected, the alphabet was used to translate other writings into Armenian. The history of the people was recorded. Subsequently, Armenia went through its “golden era” where volumes were written – poetry, prose, philosophy, social teaching, as a result of this invention – which was commissioned and brought to fruition because of the Church! In other words, Armenian nationalism and culture flourished thanks to this ecclesiastical invention.
Next, I’d like to also bring into our discussion, the Genocide of 1915 – this debilitating and traumatizing event.
The pride of the Armenian Church is to find roots during apostolic times, or even 1700 years ago with St. Gregory the Illuminator. Armenians have, what we may call “national slogans” – among them perhaps the most famous is “First nation to accept Christianity as a state religion” Sure, the Armenian Church has a history of 2000 years but a life, for all intents and purposes, of only 90 years. In the Turkish plan for annihilation, they went for the jugular vein of the Armenian nation, which was the church. What we have today, what we call the “Armenian Apostolic Church” is built on the ruins of 1915. Add to that the 70 years of communism that invaded the land of Armenians from 1920 to 1990 and you cannot possibly begin to fathom the depth of the hurt and destruction on our church. The first generation of clergy that led the church in post-Genocide times did so with nothing short of a miracle on their side. The likes of Tiran Nersoyan, Torkom Kooshagian, Gevork Chorekjian, Yeghishe Derderian, Shnork Kaloustian, and even in reflection Vazken Baljian, rose to the occasion despite the fact that they did so in and through an infrastructure that was debilitated and even destroyed.
While the Genocide by the Turks and the atheism spewed by the Soviet state were visible and concrete forms of persecution, at least they were perceived as the enemy, but, globalization comes in stealth fashion. It threatens the very essence of the Armenian Church because it threatens the very cause and reason of the Church’s existence, namely the Armenian people and the Armenian nation. This is what we are concerned with today – the people – the nation – this is who is being victimized by globalization and unless we – that is the Armenian Church – know how to harness the energy of globalization, we will find ourselves on the losing side of the battle.
At just about every Armenian Church function, someone inevitably will recite or sing Vahan Tekeyan’s ode to the Armenian Church. Written as a poem, it metaphorically places the Armenian Church in a unique spot in the process of salvation. It talks of the Armenian Church being a secret road to heaven. The poem conjures many romantic images for the reader – images that at one time would spark love and respect for the Armenian Church. Yet the Armenian Church has become like grandmother’s home – a place that you feel comfortable, a place that will offer safe haven, but not necessarily a place you’d want to live. You love her, she loves you, but her home is kind of dusty, has its rules and despite all the pleasantness of the company and good food, it’s just not YOUR life, its not where you’re going to live and define your being.
We know and hear the statistics. As is the case today, the Armenian Church has one of the lowest per-capita church attendance rates of all churches and even national-churches. In a study by Garbis Der Yeghiyan conducted of all Armenian Churches in the Southern California area – including Apostolic (Etchmiadzin and Antelias), Catholic and Protestant – on any given Sunday church attendance is just 1% of the population.
But on the other hand, never has the potential been so great as it is right now. There is a tremendous spiritual void in the lives of people that is being filled with religion of the variety of levels that have been fashioned by globalization. Because the opportunities are there to peer into the traditions of others, we are picking and choosing the best of all worlds – and truly finding options that can elevate the self. While outwardly this sounds healthy, it signals a decay in the collective – that is society. The collective can be compromised, so long as the individual is saved.
Many years ago when I went to Armeniaone thing which struck me as peculiar was the manner in which envelops were addressed. Imagine two brothers writing to each other – one in the US and one in Armenia…

 

ENVELOPES IN USA
John Garabedian
123 Main Street
Hollywood, CA 90027
USA
ENVELOPES IN ARMENIA
CIS
Armenia, Yerevan
456 Abovian Street
Karapetyan, Hovhaness

 

Whereas we here in the United States and the West are familiar with the name of the individual being on the top of the addressing sequence, the reverse is true in Armenia, where the country and state were on top. It was a subtle difference, in that subtlety  a set of values was being projected. Without running the risk of boasting the virtues of communism, there is something to be said about the sense of community that is being lost at the cost of individuality. Thanks to globalization we have created a society and a world that is self-centered rather than community centered. And so – anything and everything necessary to keep the PERSON ON THE FIRST LINE is permissible.
We are familiar with the term “Cafeteria Catholic” which evolved from the phenomena of Catholics who were comfortable in church skin even if there were holes that were left open. For decades, since the invention and marketing of birth control pills, contraception has been used despite sanctions against it by the Church. Likewise, there are Cafeteria Christian – especially today – ones who can pick and choose according to the comfort level within the framework of the gospel. Hence, someone who is against same-sex marriages and stem cell research can feel comfortable being referred to as a Christian even though they’ve ignored the Matthew 25 imperative to feed the hungry, visit the prisoners and help the indigent.
Definitions are garbled because of globalization. Absolutes are gone and all religions are seen as paths to the same end, no matter how destructive or unproductive they may be. We have heard many times the justification given to various forms of religion, by saying all paths lead to the same place. We all remember President Bush’s statement following the 9/11 disaster, when he equated Allah with the God of the Jews and Christians, without giving any consideration to theology or dogma. And while the idea of a universal creator or divine architect which runs across many countries, continents and nationalities may be politically correct, it personifies a god, rather than discussing the essence of a life force which is common among all human and natural life.
There’s no turning back the trend. For the first time in history, sitting in a chair in the United States, you can chat with members in a variety of traditions, you can contribute to their causes, comment on their teachings and if the spirit moves you, kneel and offer a prayer in any language your keyboard and/or voice recognition software allows you to do so. And if the resources are available, you can meditate in the Himalayas, whirl with the Dervishes, hang with Rastafarians, get a Scientology reading – all while racking up frequent flyer miles that can be spent on gifts celebrating the Birth of Christ in December or January.
In 325, the Church Fathers met in Nicea and formulated a creed which became and continues to be the defining proclamation of a Christian. That is, without making a value statement, the Nicene Creed articulates the basic faith of what is to be called a Christian. Anyone who deviated from the points of the Creed was unable to be considered a Christian. Today, the Creed is still at the center of Church teaching, along with an anathema against all those who might profess otherwise. The lack of enforcement of those anathemas coupled with the tide of globalization has weakened the institution. In a sense, we are ‘augmenting’ –if you will – the creed of the Church with a host of doctrines that feel right and even appropriate. I saw a humorous bumper sticker the other day which expressed this very eloquently: “Your dogma ate my karma!” Think about it… That’s a bi-product of globalization.
So along with Cafeteria Catholics and Cafeteria Christians, we find a new phenomena in the Armenian community is “Cafeteria Spiritualist” and this is spreading rampantly. This offers everyone the best of all worlds. The phrase, “I’m not religious, I just believe in God,” characterizes this movement. Because spirituality is a need and a desire of the human heart and spirit, it needs to be fulfilled with the energy and juice that comes from beyond. A quick peak in Armenian newspapers will testify to this, and readers find no incongruity of a paper which may don the image of the Catholicos on its cover and inside be filled with ads for psychics and paranormal phenomena.
And this incongruity increases exponentially. On something as devastating and destructive as the Armenian Genocide, a vast majority of Armenians today will argue for recognition of the Genocide. We will lobby, write, sing, write and even pray for justice. Meanwhile we see no incongruity in staying silent as the killing in Darfurescalates. Just as Armenians were quiet during Rwanda and Cambodia before that.
The economic and political ramifications of globalization have put the United Statesand its large allies in behind the steering wheel as globalization drives forward. Our need to be justified and accepted by world powers is important for the political wars but they wear away at the psyche of the Armenian people and nation. Yes, the very people our Church is suppose to serve and free from the bonds of dependence on their path to self-determination are now DEPENDENT on others. So where is the process of self-determination for the Armenian nation? Every April 24 we march out on streets demanding recognition and the insult is added to the injury when the responses come back in the negative. Meanwhile, a Church which is based on the concept of justice and equity, which should be striving for the perfect stands dormant as the death continues to mount in other countries – all suffering from the same fate of Armenians.
Our children are seeking answers to the difficulties life is hurling at them, at an enormously accelerated rate. Money, materialism, prosperity have all been equated with happiness according to the trends of globalization. And the church does no service to the youth by only accentuating these patterns of conformity and greed. Sexuality is the nothing new, but the confusion that is being thrown out at them with intolerance and groups that are hiding behind the Bible rather than professing the truth of a loving God. Finally, ethically, all paths do not lead to the same place. This is not meant as a prejudiced or judgmental statement, merely a statement of fact that concepts of good, love, devotion, commitment, truth and justice are truly worthy of our pursuit. This is what I meant by harnessing the energy of globalization.  We have the means to present a message that is in the Armenian Church but is unknown to the world.
Some 10 years ago, while serving the Armenian Church community in San Jose, we shared our church building with a congregation from the Indian Orthodox Church. (The Indian Orthodox Church is in communion with the Armenian Church, and traces its Apostolic roots to St. Thomaswho evangelized in Indian in 52A.D.) With the blessings and permission of our Primate, this congregation would celebrate the Divine Liturgy at our parish’s altar. When their Catholicos came to visit, in a gesture of appreciation they invited me to the celebration. At the gathering, the Catholicos asked me to have a seat next to him. I was surprised, honored and humbled. But what he had to say changed the way I understood our role as members of the Armenian Church.
The Indian Catholicos took off his pontifical ring, handed it to me and asked that I read the inscription inside. To my amazement, I saw Armenian letters spelling the name ‘Vazken I’. Quickly, the pontiff explained to his community (and to me) that this was a gift to him from the venerable Armenian Catholicos Vazken I. “We in the Indian Orthodox Church,” he explained, “have always enjoyed Christianity and a uniquely high status in India. We have been respected by the Maharajas, the royals and elite. We have never known Christianity without joy and celebration. But the Armenian, they have never known Christianity without suffering and hardship. They have struggled and suffered to maintain their faith. We can learn a lot from the Armenians.”
At that moment I felt a very clear mission for the Armenian Church on the world scene. Imagine that, the Armenian Church was unique in its suffering. But that suffering is much more than a reason to attract the pity by others, rather it is our compliance with Divine Teaching, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
A change in metaphor – from victim to victor – can be a pivotal point for us in the Armenian Church.
When His Holiness reached out to the little Latina girl, he did so as a partner in her suffering. He harnessed the energy of globalization.
We no longer need to be victims in the new metaphor. Rather as victors, the Armenian Church has a much larger role in the life of nation – it becomes pertinent and therefore a viable option for the congregant. It takes on a new purpose and stature in the history of the world.
It is interesting to sit through the Armenian Church liturgy, and then through the various hours (jamerkootiun) of worship and count the number of times the phrase, “Khaghaghootiun Amenestzoon” (Peace unto all) is repeated. It is disproportionate to the number of times that it is used by other churches. Isn’t it strange that a people that have only known hardship and suffering, who have been raped and pillaged would dare to offer PEACE to anyone? Could it be that the peace that is being offered is much more than a physical peace, but truly a tranquility that surpasses all words and understanding?
And what do we do when we spread this peace – we replace self-centeredness with community-centeredness. There is an opportunity to share – to become a part of a bigger entity, to serve the goals and aspirations of others. One of the hallmarks of Armenian communal life is the table. In Armenia where the Church is flourishing – there is this idea of “sharing the pain.” The Church is “real” when it is working and living. It does so by having confidence and faith in its own teaching.
The way I became involved with the youth in Glendale was about 6-7 years ago when Linda Maxwell called me. She was running Bliss Unlimited and hiring many Armenian young girls and boys. She asked them about the Armenian cross they wore on their necks and none were able to give an answer as to what it meant. They new it had to do with Jesus. When they were asked if they went to church, they replied, yes. What do you do there? We light candles. Why? And so… Linda called me. It should be mentioned that Linda is a practicing Buddhist, but the necessity for her to align her kids with a faith that was understandable to them was at the core of her actions. Linda had harnessed the energy of globalization. It reflected the confidence in her faith to the point of allowing, even inviting, others into her life.
Likewise, the Armenian Church serves the Armenian Nation when it first and foremost accepts its own calling and acts according. To me, the dual nature of nation and Church is expressed very simply: The Armenian Church is a Christian Church with its highest calling to work the message of love and hope as expressed by Jesus Christ. If it does so, the Armenian Nation will and must be strengthen.
Two years ago, a group of young Armenian men and women got together and came up with a new metaphor to express the direction of their efforts. They settled on a name, calling themselves “In His Shoes.” What is unique about this group is that they wish to express the best of what their past has to offer, but they want to do so in a positive light for their peers and friends. The metaphor is simply to stand in the shoes of those who feel pain. And there is no one else better equipped to do so than the Armenians. The Armenian nations has “been there and done that.” And throughout the persecutions and sufferings, it was the Armenian Church which stood next to them as a safe guard, an inspiration and a bastion of hope.
On April 24 this year, this same group of young Armenians went on a march in the desert. They donned a simple shirt with the mathematical equation 7×77. It was in reference to Jesus’ command to forgive those who hurt you – how many times? Seven times seventy seven! By forgiving, there is no room for denial. The Genocide is not up for discussion. And in accepting, the youth have a chance to take control of their destiny.
I bring this up, because we need to harness and use the energies that are part and parcel of our tradition. Globalization is on everyone’s lips. Globalization is destroying the Armenian nation by giving it the false hope and dreams that destiny is real, that its survival is in the hands of others, that self-determination is only an illusion. The Church cannot be a party to such trickery; rather it is called to witness to the faith and tradition that brought it to this crucial juncture in history. In so doing, the Church becomes the viable and essential institution in the life of the community and the soul of the individual.
Thank you.
© 2005 Fr. Vazken Movsesian
USA
www.inhisshoes.com

Reproductive Ethics

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An open discussion regarding Reproductive Ethics was held at the St. Gregory Armenian Church in Pasadena. The discussion was aimed at young Armenian professionals. Following are excerpts from the opening remarks made by Fr. Vazken Movsesian, Pastor of the parish.
Tonight we’ve gathered to discuss one of the more important and pertinent matters of our day. By reproductive ethics we include all those issues that pertain to the reproduction of our species. Tonight’s discussion will include artificial insemination—which may take place between a husband and a wife, or with borrowed sperm and eggs, or the egg and sperm of someone totally unrelated, as is the case in surrogate motherhood. Part of our discussion will also focus on birth control, whether contraceptive or abortive. And we will discuss the Armenian Church in relation to those these topics.
Let us begin by addressing the question as to why the Church is concerned with these matters. After all, these issues are biological in nature, why involve the Church? Ultimately, we are speaking about the beginning and ending of life. For us, God is Creator. God also allows us to share in the creative process. The sex act is one such way that we come to terms with the creative energy given to us by God. 
We also know that the sex act in itself is not merely a mechanical process. In fact, it does carry with it a multitude of emotions and feelings. The human species is among the few (perhaps only) species that engages in the reproductive act face to face. We call it “making love” implying that it is more than mechanical. It involves pleasure. We exchange some of our most profound emotions during sex, such emotions that include desire, passion and lust. It can get dangerous. As a pastor, I also know that relationships are in their most volatile period when sex becomes an issue. 
Throughout history, even before the Church, society has tried to regulate sex, because it does produce life – babies are formed. As a society, we collectively regulate the child bearing. The institution of marriage is one way society regulates (or regulated) sex. Traditionally, in our society, marriage implied the union of two people of the opposite sex. Crudely, marriage has also been thought of as a means of legitimizing children. That is, there is an obligation and/or responsibility that we have to our children. 
Again, the Church must be involved because the family, the nucleus of society, is at stake. But what about marriage between members of the same sex? Isn’t marriage also a commitment to a loving partner? If so, do children necessarily have to be involved as a product of that union?
The Church has had many teachings about sexual practices. Abortion was definitely equal to murder. Homosexuality was a sin. Sex was only for procreation. Therefore sex without the intention of procreating was a sin. Gratification was not a motive for sex.
Society is not stagnant. It has progressed. The Church has not progressed at the same pace. Sexual identity has changed. In the time of the Bible, women were property. The Bible was written primarily from a male perspective. Until recently, women were not thought to have the same spiritual emotions as men. 
The role of women has dramatically changed. In just the past century women have received the right to vote, they have economic rights and therefore economic independence. Their relationship with men has changed. It is not uncommon today to find that the woman is the main breadwinner in a family. With these changes, women have also voiced their need to be satisfied and gratified by sex.
Meanwhile, in our lifetime, as a country we experienced major changes in the moral fabric of our society. In the 1960’s institutions were questioned. We had anti-establishment sentiments. In the 1970’s with Nixon and Watergate, we saw a distrust for the great institutions. Marriage was one such institution, which has been shaken during the last few decades.
Now technology has evolved to a point where we are given opportunities and options. Conception no longer is dependent on intercourse. Husbands and wives who were childless, and had adoption as the only means of acquiring children, are now given an option through artificial insemination. And we didn’t stop with husbands and wives… What about single parenting? If a woman was economically able to manage a child, why include a man in the process? If two women have a loving relationship, why could they not bring a child into the world? Things that were sacred, secret and taboo, are now being openly discussed. 
The Catholic Church came out with statements and doctrines about birth control and abortion. Yet how many Catholics practice the teachings of the Church? Some extreme fundamentalists took it a step further and justified killing the killer by bombing abortion clinics. And now we get to the Armenian Church. What are we saying? What have we said? Add to this the “amot” (shame) factor and you may think that these issues aren’t relevant to the Armenian Church. 
In May 1996, it was announced that Armenia will not impose a ban on abortions. You may justify this statement by saying that there is a separation of church and state, However, in 1997 it was reported that new born children, in record numbers, were being abandoned by their parents in Yerevan hospitals. The same report mentioned that a special room is provided in the hospital where priests of the Armenian Church baptize the foundlings. What does this tell us? That the Armenian Church has a sphere of influence in Armenia unlike any other institution in Armenian society. Therefore, its critical that the Armenian Church give the guidance in shaping policy when it comes to reproductive rights.
The issues we have brought to forum are only the tip of the iceberg. In the years to come, with the advances of technology and the our openness to accept them, the choices we will make individually and as a society will be loaded with ethical dilemmas. Here the Armenian Church must be ready to address the issues. Issues are no longer black and white. Sometimes the Religious Right forgets this. No woman wants to have an abortion. It’s a painful process both physically as well as emotionally. But, what about cases of rape? Of incest? Of father’s raping their daughters? 
Technology now allows us to look into the womb. We are able to terminate pregnancies which will bear children with gross deformities and mental disabilities. But where does genetic engineering end? Who defines birth defects? Can someone claim brown or blue eyes as undesirable and therefore abort a fetus?
What about artificial insemination? Is it everyone’s right to bear a child? And with cloning in the very real future, will it be possible to serve up children in a cafeteria fashion? 
Technology and our open attitudes are forcing us to look deeper into the creative process. All life begins with God. So the Church is vital – part and parcel – of such reproductive discussion. This evening is a beginning. The Armenian Church is you and me. Inspired by the scriptures, moved by the Traditions, we must make the Church of Christ a reality in the lives of our people. As a Church, we are a living entity. We should be talking to people and assisting where needed. The Armenian Church has a message of love and hope. It’s a message that can speak to issues that concern us today.
Yes, it is uncomfortable to discuss these issues. Sometimes we are tempted to look for a quick fix. But as we will see this evening, issues are not that clear cut. Religion (and the Armenian Church in particular) must be all-encompassing. It has to permeate into every aspect of our lives. Christianity speaks to our lives with the love Christ demonstrated. He is not a judging God, but a God of compassion. Let us call on that compassion as we discuss issues of reproductive ethics.

Martin Luther King, the Armenian Church and… Why We Can’t Wait…

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How Much Longer Can We Wait?
Martin Luther King, the Armenian Church and… Why We Can’t Wait…

Excerpts from Sermon Delivered by Fr. Vazken Movsesian
18 January, 1998, St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, Pasadena, CA

In the second chapter of the Gospel of John we read the story of Jesus’ first miracle. It takes place in Cana, Galilee, where He changes water to wine. Today, let’s shift our focus to the timing of the miracle. Jesus sees that there is a need and takes care of it. There is a wedding party, they run out of wine, Jesus changes water to wine and the guests are satisfied. This is a simplistic approach to the story, but it’s the timing and the need for the miracle that I wish to talk about today.

Tomorrow, in this country, we will be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday. As you know, he was a great Civil Rights leader and one of the champions for Black America and for many of us who grew up during the 60’s. You may be familiar with his “I have a dream” speech, but he is remembered more for his actions than his dreams. A few days ago, I revisited one of his books, “Why We Can’t Wait.” It is a book which explains the need to rectify the discriminatory policies of the government and the need to end racism. Reading the book, it becomes obvious that We Can’t Wait. There is no excuse for racism and an end must be found. How? By making the change ourselves – God above, and we on this Earth.
Martin Luther King was able to take the basic tenants of Christianity and apply them for the liberation of a people. His call was for a non-violent revolution, one, which began in Montgomery with the bus boycotts and continues, in many senses, today. King was not a pacifist. Sometimes, we categorize people who can motivate and effectuate change without bloodshed as pacifists. Look at the changes Jesus made to our lives, I’d hardly call him a pacifist. Jesus was among the first non-violent revolutionaries. He went against the system, without physical force, and was able demonstrate a greater power.
Martin Luther King called on us to look at our deepest moral, ethical and religious convictions, to make the necessary changes in our society. Service to humanity was the highest form of worship for King. He asked us to walk the walk of Christ. He was a minister of the Gospel. He saw that a liberation of a people depended on God above and we here on Earth.  And I tell you that in any decision you need to make, always ask yourself, what would Christ do? How would Christ handle a particular situation? Would Christ discriminate against someone because of the color of their skin? Would Christ oppress a person and prevent them from maximizing their potential? In fact, just the opposite, we see today that Christ maximizes the potential of any situation. He changed the water to wine. There was need and He took care of it.
In the same way, Martin Luther King saw the need and he addressed it with the resources available to him. In the 30’s and 40’s, in the Fresno area, Armenians were also discriminated against. They couldn’t get jobs and couldn’t put food on their table. Some changed their names to hide their Armenian identity. But unlike the Armenians, for the Blacks, changing their name wouldn’t help. They couldn’t change the color of their skin. There was no reason to wait. The need existed. Martin Luther King addressed it.
Look at our world today. Can you imagine that we are already in 1998. Life goes by so quickly. Everything is so fast paced. We see changes in our lives and surroundings and this brings anxiety. We want answers for our deepest spiritual questions. This week the Pope will visit Castro’s Cuba. Could we have thought that this would have happened? Could you have thought that the former Soviet Union would have fallen the way it did? What happened when it did? People started to look for their spirituality. Not that they weren’t spiritual beings before independence, but the opportunity didn’t exist for them to exercise their basic rights of expression. Much like these young boys who serve at the altar – it’s not that they didn’t want to serve in their Armenian Church before, its just that the opportunity didn’t exist. In Armenia, after independence, the search for spirituality came as a natural extension to the freedom they acquired. And what happened?
The Armenian Church was there when people started searching, but it was ill prepared to handle the volume and the manner of freedom. She wasn’t ready for the tremendous work. Meanwhile, other groups and cults entered Armenia. Why? There was a need and they capitalized on the opportunity. Can you blame them?
We’re talking about needs and timing. We’re talking about there being a need and taking care of it. Changing water to wine – a need that was taken care of. The Civil Rights Movement – a need that demanded addressing. The Armenian Church is being held captive today. It is a different form of slavery. It oppresses and prevents the church from maximizing its potential.
The Church is being held captive by the secular whims of some heirarchs, leaders and our people. Why are our people staying away from our churches? Why are they going elsewhere? How much longer are we going to wait? How many souls are going to be lost before we make some changes? Is this not the time to change the water to wine? Is this not the time to move ourselves to action? How much longer are we going to wait?
Look at the reality of the Armenian Church. Our lovely Catholicoi say that the church is one, but you and I know the reality. Right here in Pasadena, a few blocks down the street, another priest, ordained by the same rites, will celebrate the same liturgy, in the same language. Do you see one church here? How much longer are we going to put up with this non-sense? We could close our eyes and hope that it will go away, but it won’t. We go to Diocesan conventions and see only a small minority under the age of 60. How much longer do we need to wait before we make a change? We see in our neighborhoods the kids being picked up by buses from other denominations and cults. How much longer will we wait?
In all things, and especially in the Armenian Church, we tend to blame others for our ills. As we see today, the only way that someone can hold you in the bonds of slavery is by your own approval. King taught us to stand up for our basic self worth. His words were given to us Armenians earlier by the likes of Khirimian Hayrig and Yeghishe Charentz, who emphasized the need for us to rely on our collective energy and strength. Who else can we blame but ourselves?
The name of our Church is the Church of the Armenian People. This church is yours. Its in our hands—yours and mine. We need to take control, because we can no longer wait. The Armenian Church is not run from Armenia or Beirut, it driven by the one who shed His blood for this Church and He said that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. These are words that do not lie. Our faith is in God and Christ is the head of this Church. If we put God at the center of our church and our lives, there is no reason why the Church will not live. The reason there is a split in the Church is because there is no faith in God. If we believed in God, we’d be working together for the liberation of the soul rather than the acquiring of more property. If we believed in God, language would not be an issue. We wouldn’t care if we spoke Armenian, English, Arabic or French in this church, because we’d be speaking the language of love, which is the only language God cares about.
The time for action is here. The time to change the water to wine is here. The revolution has already started. Today, in your presence you are seeing the beginnings of change. It is the reason why you have crowded into this church today. You know that Christ is here. It’s the reason why the number of altar servers and Sunday School increases. You feel the workings of God all around you in this sanctuary. You’re tasting the sweet wine.
Today, I’m asking you to rise—rise up from our collective slavery. We can no longer wait for catholicoi and bishops to make the changes that our Holy Church deserves. We can no longer relinquish our rights. Let’s work hand and hand. I ask you first and foremost to pray. In your prayer life, keep the needs of this church at the forefront. Next, I ask you to support this ministry. If you believe in what we are doing, support it with your work, volunteering spirit and your money. Don’t be a pacifist. It’s going to happen because it’s already happening. With God above, with the inspiration we receive from the Gospels and champions of justice such as Martin Luther King, the time is right for the water to change to wine.
©1998 Fr. Vazken Movsesian
 

Catholicos Mgrudich Khrimian (Hayrig)

Finding strength in the Human side of Saints

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Finding strength in the Human side of Saints
Excerpts from Sermon Delivered by Fr. Vazken Movsesian
August 24, 1997 and printed in the “California Courier” Newspaper

With the Assumption of St. Mary still fresh in our minds, I’d like to talk once again about the Holy Mother-of-God this week. Last week, we spoke about how St. Mary gave her “first fruit” Jesus to the world and we blessed the fruit of our labors as symbolized in the grapes. The following day, one of our parishioners called me and asked me to look at the current issue of Newsweek. As you know, this week the cover story was about St. Mary. If you haven’t seen it yet, I invite you to read it. The article gives an excellent brief history of St. Mary and the development of Church thought surrounding her. More importantly, read it because you’ll get a look at a new trend and movement that is taking place within the Roman Catholic Church.
According to the article, members of the Roman Catholic Church have collected over four million signatures and sent them to the pope. They are asking the pope to “exercise the power of papal infallibility to proclaim a new dogma of the Roman Catholic faith: that the Virgin Mary is “Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces and Advocate for the People of God.”

It’s fascinating for me, because here we find a major American magazine giving a large portion of its space to an article about faith. It talks about the concerns of the Catholic Church. When I read these types of stories, I am amazed primarily because it shows the maturity level at which the Catholic Church operates. I can’t help but compare it to what we in the Armenian Church are occupied with. Here the Catholic Church is dealing with issues of faith, while we still talk about the nonsense of things like church unity or what time and manner in which to read the requiem announcements. It shows the level of our faith.

There is a tremendous spiritual awakening happening throughout the world. People hunger for spiritual nourishment. Perhaps today, more than any other time in history, because of the manner in which we work and define ourselves, people are in need of connecting with their spirit side. Look at the difficulties we experience in life. Look at the fast pace at which life is marching by. We are searching for stability. We are looking for spiritual unity. And the more we search, the more we understand that our spiritual nourishment and the unity in our lives can only come from God-the essence and creator the spirit. St. Mary gives us an opportunity to find the strength and peace that God provides.

As we mentioned last week, St. Mary is referred to as the Mother of God. (Please realize that the cults cannot use this title on St. Mary. If you want to find out if one of the groups that has been coming to your homes is a cult, ask them about the word, Asdvadzadzin (Mother of God). Can they ascribe it to Mary? The Jehovah’s Witness, for instance, can’t. It’s a good litmus test for cults.) In any case, St. Mary has a unique place within the Armenian Church. Our understanding of Mary also differs slightly from that of the Catholics.

When it comes to the saints, unfortunately, let us not say we forget rather, we don’t emphasize enough their humanness. We sometimes deify them so much, that we forget their greatest attributes are found in their humanness. Saints are not worshipped in the Armenian Church. They are held up as true followers of God. They are looked upon as examples of the good life. The inspiration and strength that we find in their lives is that they were human, not that they were gods. The saints, beginning with St. Mary, were humans who had frailties, who had difficulties, who were tempted to do otherwise. Yet, in their stories, we find that they rose to the occasion. They were able to transcend their humanity by striving and being united with God.

The same can be said regarding the person of Christ. In the Armenian Church, we say that Christ is complete God and complete man. Unfortunately, we don’t emphasize enough His humanity, for after all, we have much more in common with His humanness. We fear. What is fear? Christ sensed fear. He sat in a garden and wept because of the trials and tribulation he was about to undergo. What does it mean to be alone? We feel lonliness – where no one understands us. Christ felt alone. We want to know what is bravery? What does it mean to rebel against injustice, to know that the truth will prevail? Christ rebelled and worked for justice. What does it mean to be crucified? To have all your friends desert you and be punished for something you didn’t do? Christ went through sufferings and crucifixion. These are all characteristics of being human. And by passing through these human traits, by being crucified, then we can better understand His divinity. In other words, you can’t experience a resurrection, until first you are crucified.

We have all passed through crucifixions in our lives because we are human. After passing through the sufferings of this world, we set our gaze upon the divine and know that one-day we will be worthy of the divine realm. Our sufferings will be put aside and we will be find the comfort of unity with God.

Here is the strength of the saints. This is how we should see our saints, St. Mary among them: not as gods, but as people – people who went through difficulties but were able to rise to the occasion. The beauty of St. Mary is that she was human. She was called by God and reacted. She could have done otherwise, instead she said “yes” to God and in so doing rose to the occasion. She wasn’t God. She could have said “no.” She saw her son suffer, she felt the pain and difficulties of life, but she took her humanness and approached the oneness of God. That is the challenge before us today.

The saints give us an opportunity to look at life in a different way. They allow us to see what is the example of a good life, being connected to God. They allow us to see what our lives can be if we rise to the occasion by saying yes to God. The saints are like us. They laughed, they cried, they suffered but were able to keep a tie with the Divine. That is our challenge. We are like the saints. God asks us to rise to the occasion. He asks us to take our humanness and approach the oneness of God.

Unfortunately, if the Catholic Church makes this move of announcing St. Mary as Co-Redemtrix it will be a blow to the Ecumenical movement. Here will be yet another point of dissension among the Christians of the world. But as we know, the Ecumenical movement is similar to the unity-in-the-Armenian Church issue. It’s all political. It just makes nice conversation, but will not happen given our current faith. But that’s another sermon. Today, be inspired by the example given to us by the saints. We have so much to gain from their humanness. Use it as a vehicle to rise from your humanness and approach the godliness to which God invites us.

(c)opyright 1997 Fr. Vazken Movsesian