Tag Archive for: Ascension

(Out of) Comfort Level

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Armodoxy for Today: Comfort Level

Thermostats control the temperature and in theory, they should make the atmosphere pleasant. Comfort is something we all enjoy, whether physically relaxing or seeking serenity from our mental stimulation.

At the Ascension, the Disciples graduated from their studies with Jesus and were being commissioned to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” These were marching orders into some very intolerant areas. The disciples were receiving these orders from Jesus, who only 40 days earlier was tried, convicted and executed by the ruling religious body of the day. What is known as the “Great Commission,” given at the  Ascension, was taking them out of their comfort level. It was like sending a sailboat outside of the calm harbor on a trip through choppy ocean waters.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, we read in the Book of Acts, that while the Disciples “were gazing into heaven… two men stood by them in white robes and said “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11)  In other words, get your head out of the clouds; there’s work to be done!

“Gazing into heaven” is one way that people hide from reality. Since the time of Christ to the present, there are ample numbers of people who devote their lives to trying to figure out when the earth will end, when Jesus will return, or when the final judgement will occur. This, despite Jesus’ warning, that the preoccupation with end time deciphering is out of our domain, but reserved for God the Father.

The Christian is a restless person. The comfort thermostat is broken for the Christian. It has to be because love, caring, sacrificing, are all Christian actions that take us out of the comfort zone. These actions require us to not look up to heaven, but to look all around us, to the presence of God in our fellow man.

Jesus describes the final judgment as I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was naked and you clothed me, I was ill or grieving and you comforted me. Whenever you did it to the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me. And all you didn’t do, you didn’t do for me.  (Matthew 25)

The same question comes to us today: Why are we standing and looking up into heaven? The Kingdom is all around us.

We pray, Lord, gaze my eyes on Your Kingdom which is all around me. Help me to curb by desire for comfort by finding the pleasure in loving and giving. Amen.

Ascension: Time to Leave

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Armodoxy for Today: Time to Leave

Today is the 40th day after the Feast of Resurrection, or Easter. According to Scripture (Book of Acts) Jesus ascended to heaven on this day.

Three years earlier Jesus, while walking on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, met a couple of brothers. St. Matthew writes of the event:

Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him. Going from there, Jesus saw two other brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them.  At once they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus. (Matthew 4:18f)

In the same manner, Jesus invited the other disciples – eight more – to follow him and learn – to become “fishers of men.”

Ascension Day is graduation day. The Disciples having learned and received training, are commissioned on this day by their teacher Jesus with these words, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)  Note that that it is the group of disciples commissioned, not everyone, not even everyone who lives in Jerusalem, but the twelve disciples less Judas.

The learning process is crowned by graduation. Of course, learning never ends, but the formal sit-down lectures – the parables and sermons – portion is finished. On graduation day, on Ascension day, the Disciples were commissioned and became Apostles, to apply their knowledge to the world.

There certainly is a comfort level that is found in maintaining the status quo. A classroom is a safe place where concepts can be challenged. argued, and debated, but those concepts are only concepts until they are put to practice.

We pray today by acknowledging that, Today the Disciples moved on, each to follow their own path. Whether to Rome, Antioch, India or Armenia, they were each commissioned with the same mission; to preach the Gospel and they left with the same assurance that Christ was with them, to the end of the ages. We ask you Lord, that we find inspiration for our own lives, to apply the lessons of love and harmony in our dealings with others, so that Christ never remain as a figure in a book, even if that book be the Bible, but that he is a living expression of faith in my life and the lives I touch. Amen.

Vortex in the fabric of history

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Armodoxy for Today: Vortex in the fabric of history

Following the Resurrection of Jesus, the disciples anticipated that the world – at least history – would come to an end as is evident by most of the New Testament writing. It was only after a few decades had passed and the eye witnesses to Jesus life, death and resurrection, were getting to be fewer and fewer in number. As that first generation was dying, the Church called for the story of Jesus’ life to be written. The witnesses to Jesus, the writers of the Gospels were not necessarily thinking of compiling only historical facts to create a biography. But for them, Jesus was not a historical figure but someone who was beyond history. That is, he conquered death and so, without a doubt, he was living.

As we read about the period following the Resurrection, primarily in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles and in the letters and epistles that follow it in the Bible, we witness a group of people trying to discover meaning and definition in relationship to their living Savior.

The challenge for us today, especially in reading Scripture, is not to see it as a history textbook, but a living epistle that talks to us and breathes on us. The Resurrection of Jesus was a life changing event for anyone who witnessed it or heard of it. In reading the Book of Acts, see the wonder and excitement in the expressions of a community that has discovered a vortex in the living fabric of history, a vortex that transports them beyond themselves, to a higher plane. In Jesus’ words, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13)

Lord, teach me to seek as the merchant sought, to recognize the pearl when it gleams in the dust, and to trade every comfort for the joy of knowing You. May my soul rejoice in the exchange — losing the world to gain eternity, emptying my hands to hold Your grace. Amen.

Heaven Within and Without

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Armodoxy for Today: Heaven all Around

In our last Armodoxy message I mentioned that the Ascension, as described in the Acts of the Apostles, drew the Disciples’ attention upward as they watched Jesus ascend to heaven. Of course, words such as Ascension, ascending, and their derivative, are defined as spatially upward.

But as Jesus teaches, heaven is not merely found up, it is also around, within and without. St. Luke writes, “When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ’See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

The “Great Commission” as it is called, is the direction Jesus gives to his Apostles just before he ascends to heaven. St. Matthew records the event, remembering that only eleven of the original twelve disciples (less Judas) made up the disciple’s group. We read:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Jesus commissions the eleven to continue his sacred work. When we understand Heaven all around us, we appreciate that the Holy Church which Jesus establishes, is reflective of Heaven. We start understanding that the Christian message is projected to the world, to all nations. There is no exception. There is no “favored nation status” for any one or any country. It is a command that his message is universal, and God is of the universe.

When we look up or upward to find Heaven, we miss the Heaven that is around us. We fail to see God’s presence in the flowering petals of a rose, in the miracle of life that is defined by the majestic animals of land and sea, or in the look of hope in the eyes of the child sitting on our lap. We forget that the people we live with and inhabit this planet with, are all created in that same image and carry the God-seed. “Our Father” means we are all brothers and sisters and the natural direction for our attention is to seek peace with one another.

Heaven is peace on earth and good will toward one another.

We pray, Our Father, who is in heaven, open my heart to Your Love, so that I may find You in the people I meet and the relationships I build. Keep me away from selfish desires, so that I may see Your presence all around me, in the Heaven that is within and without me. Amen.

Cover Photo: KTN, 2022

Letting Go: Ascension

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Armodoxy for Today: Ascension from the Other Side

FORTY days after Easter, today, is the celebration of Ascension. Jesus gives the Great Commission to the disciples, telling them to baptize and keep the commandments he had taught them. Before Ascending to Heaven Jesus reminds us, “I am with you to the close of the ages,” (Matt. 28:20). He is with us forever!

We are comforted by these words, because we have come to know him – we have  broken bread with him, laughed with him, cried with him, he has cared for us, healed us, tended to our problems. He has supported us in our vulnerability and our loneliness. We certainly receive much assurance and comfort from a pronouncement that he will always be with us. This is a nice reading from the point of view of the Disciples.

But what about the point of view of Jesus Christ? Have you considered that it was difficult for Jesus to leave us, and what assurance did he have from us?  He was about to leave the children he had cared for. Would they stick to the game plan? Would they take on life the way he thought they would? Would they be safe? Would they stay faithful to all they had learned?

Perhaps the closest parallel might be with parents whose children leave home to start their life? You have cared for them, cleaned their wounds, helped them through the difficulties of childhood and adolescence and offered unconditional love. You’ve been a friend in their loneliness and let them lean on you during their most challenging moments. But there comes a time when they have to break off. It is the order of life. Every beginning has an end. Unless a mother bird backs off and allows her young to fall out of the nest, their wings will never spread to fly. And yes, there is a chance that the young bird will fall onto the ground, but it will never test its capability of flight until it tries to catch the wind.

A parent who gives their child in marriage may worry; will my child make it? Or, a parent may believe that their upbringing, the foundation they laid, will give the child the ground from where the family tree will grow and blossom. I suspect, this is the feeling Jesus had when he left his children on that Ascension Day, knowing that they were going to meet all kinds of challenges in life, but confident that his prayers, his love and his connection to God gave his children the necessary tools to take on life.

“Lo, I am with you to the end of the ages.” Of course. We have no doubt. And neither did he.

Today, I share a prayer by Yeretsgin Susan on the occasion of our son’s wedding:

Lord, we thank You for Your heavenly benediction in joining our son, and now daughter, in the sacrament of marriage.

Bless and enrich their marriage in love, companionship, mutual support, oneness of heart and progress in faith and life.

Protect their holy wedlock from sin, evil and danger. Foster between them the spirit of understanding, the spirit of forgiveness, and the spirit of peace, that no resentment, quarrel or other problems may cause them to stumble and fall.

Remind them of the lessons they have learned from their loved ones, especially those who have returned to their Maker. Grant them to see their own faults and to not judge each other. Keep their bond of love always new.  May they feel Your presence in their lives through the joy of marriage, that with one heart they may praise and glorify You forever.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Cover: Watercolor, The Ascension Jesus POV

Ascension: The Jesus POV

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Armodoxy for Today: Ascension from the Other Side

FORTY days after Easter, today, is the celebration of Ascension. Jesus gives the Great Commission to the disciples, telling them to baptize and keep the commandments he had taught them. Before Ascending to Heaven Jesus reminds us, “I am with you to the close of the ages,” (Matt. 28:20). He is with us forever!

We are comforted by these words, because we have come to know him – we have  broken bread with him, laughed with him, cried with him, he has cared for us, healed us, tended to our problems. He has supported us in our vulnerability and our loneliness. We certainly receive much assurance and comfort from a pronouncement that he will always be with us. This is a nice reading from the point of view of the Disciples.

But what about the point of view of Jesus Christ? Have you considered that it was difficult for Jesus to leave us, and what assurance did he have from us?  He was about to leave the children he had cared for. Would they stick to the game plan? Would they take on life the way he thought they would? Would they be safe? Would they stay faithful to all they had learned?

Perhaps the closest parallel might be with parents whose children leave home to start their life? You have cared for them, cleaned their wounds, helped them through the difficulties of childhood and adolescence and offered unconditional love. You’ve been a friend in their loneliness and let them lean on you during their most challenging moments. But there comes a time when they have to break off. It is the order of life. Every beginning has an end. Unless a mother bird backs off and allows her young to fall out of the nest, their wings will never spread to fly. And yes, there is chance that the young bird will fall onto the ground, but it will never test its capability of flight until it tries to catch the wind.

A parent who gives their child in marriage may worry; will my child make it? Or, a parent may believe that their upbringing, the foundation they laid, will give the child the ground from where the family tree will grow and blossom. I suspect, this is the feeling Jesus had when he left his children on that Ascension Day, knowing that they were going to meet all kinds of challenges in life, but confident that his prayers, his love and his connection to God gave his children the necessary tools to take on life.

“Lo, I am with you to the end of the ages.” Of course. We have no doubt. And neither did he.

Today, I share a prayer by Yeretsgin Susan on the occasion of our son’s wedding:

Lord, we thank You for Your heavenly benediction in joining our son, and now daughter, in the sacrament of marriage.

Bless and enrich their marriage in love, companionship, mutual support, oneness of heart and progress in faith and life.

Protect their holy wedlock from sin, evil and danger. Foster between them the spirit of understanding, the spirit of forgiveness, and the spirit of peace, that no resentment, quarrel or other problems may cause them to stumble and fall.

Remind them of the lessons they have learned from their loved ones, especially those who have returned to their Maker. Grant them to see their own faults and to not judge each other. Keep their bond of love always new.  May they feel Your presence in their lives through the joy of marriage, that with one heart they may praise and glorify You forever.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Cover: Water color, The Ascension from the Jesus  POV

Ethnic Churches at Pentecost

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Next Step #775 – May 25, 2023 -The other side of Ascension: Jesus, his love for his friends and letting go. Marriage and letting go of children: establishing their own and catching the wind to fly. The Ethnic Churches: understanding in the West and obstacles to manifesting the Orthodox Tradition. Daring to contemplate Jesus’ humanity: Walking in the shoes of Jesus? Jerusalem and the fallacy of national churches: Simply find the Agent of Process! Ultimately: Quest of Peace, coming up.
Last Temptation by Kazantsakis
Fr. Vazken on Last Temptation of Christ
Daryll Black, I am not a Black Christian
Fr. Vazken on Antiochian Orthodox Church
Building Up the Body of Christ, Bishop Daniel
Jerusalem, Armenian Quarter News
Tina Turner passes away 
Tina Turner
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Changing over to Apostle

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Armodoxy for Today: Changing over to Apostle

There comes a time when children want to leave the nest and part of the parenting skill is finding the opportunity to encourage that move. Sometimes it requires a push, so the young one can catch the wind as they spread their wings. In preparation for their departure parents have given their children the necessary upbringing and education. Of course, the education process continues through life activities and events.

When Jesus stood at the Sea of Galilee and called his disciples to follow him, his invitation was simple: Come. After his Resurrection, at the Ascension, the command was just as simple: Go. He first invited them to come, follow and learn. At the Ascension he said it is time for them to go, teach others.  It is precisely at the Ascension that the Disciples (students) become Apostles (those who are sent = missionaries).

The Apostles received the tools with which to do their missionary work on the day of Pentecost, hokegalust in Armenian, which means “Coming of the Spirit.” As we read yesterday in the Book of Acts 2, the Holy Spirit gave the gift of utterance to the Apostles.

The gift of God is communication. We are not created as robots, but entities with the ability to process thought and communicate it to others. Is it any wonder that the human being is the only member of the animal kingdom that procreates, makes love, facing each other. In the most intimate of positions, the human being has the opportunity to communicate at all levels with thoughts, speech, feel and touch. Language is the skill to communicate with others.

Armodoxy rejects the idea that at Pentecost the gift of utterance was a secret sound-code that was understood by only some. Scripture says that the people who heard the Apostles talking said, “And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? … we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” The sounds that people heard were languages, not non-sensical words or sounds. The gifts of God are always practical; they have a function.

Words express our thoughts and teach, that is, they pass along knowledge. The object of those teaching-lessons is harmony among people. The idea that God would give people confusing sounds, or would want to confound people’s attempts to understand one another is foreign to Christian thought. The gift of the Holy Spirit brings us together, not draws us apart.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. With the Holy Spirit, the Church would now move to continue the work of Christ. The Church is community. There is no such thing as one-Christian. Christianity is about working together, so that “Thy Will be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven” (from the Lord’s Prayer).

Christ taught his Disciples. When the time came and the Disciples were ready to continue the mission, what we may refer to as “spreading their wings,” Christ commissioned them to “Go” and share what they had learned, ensuring the continuity of his message in perpetuity.

The perfect vehicle for this is the group of people, that is community, that reach out to one another with hands, legs and voice, to find strength and work for what Jesus sought: Peace on Earth, good will toward one another.

The Church is one when it reflects this harmony in its teachings.

Today’s prayer will come from the last verses of Acts, chapter 2, the first Christian community after Pentecost:

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (NKJV)

Ascension from the Other Side

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Armodoxy for Today: Ascension from the Other Side

The Ascension story ends with Jesus telling us, “I am with you to the close of the ages,” (Matt. 28:20) in other words and in all practical terms, he is with us forever! We all feel comforted by these words, because in Jesus, we have come to know him – we have  broken bread with him, laughed with him, cried with him, he has cared for us, healed us, tended to our problems and loneliness and supported us during our most vulnerable times – this same Jesus, the Son of God, promises, and therefore he cannot fail us, that he is always with us. We certainly receive much assurance and comfort from a pronouncement such as that when we think that we might have left and forgotten us. This is a nice reading from the point of view of the Apostles. But what about the point of view of Jesus Christ? Do we consider that it was difficult for Jesus to leave us too, and what assurance does he have from us? After all, he was on the other side of the table, with his friends. True, he tended to them, but he laughed and cried with them and took on some of the greatest challenges of life together. What was it like for Jesus, leaving his children? Would they stick to the game plan? Would they take on life the way he thought they would? Would they be safe? Would they stay faithful to all they had learned?

Perhaps the closest parallel question might be asked of the parent whose child leaves home to start his or her life? You’ve cared for your child all of their life. You have cared for them, cleaned their wounds, help them through the difficulties of childhood and adolescence and offered unconditional love, been a friend in their loneliness and let them lean on you during their most challenging moments. But there comes a time when you have to break off. It is the order of life. Every beginning has an end. Unless a mother bird backs off and allows her young to fall out of the nest, it will never spread its wings to fly. And yes, there is chance that the young bird will fall out of the tree onto the ground, but it will never test its capability of flight until it tries to catch the wind.

A parent who gives their child in marriage may worry, will my child make it? Or, a parent may believe that their upbringing, the foundation they laid, will give the child the ground from where the family tree will grow and blossom. I suspect, this the feeling Jesus had when he left his children on that Ascension Day, knowing that they were going to meet all kinds of challenges in life, but confident that his prayers, his love and his connection to God gave his children the necessary tools to take on life. “Lo, I am with you to the end of the ages.” Of course. We have no doubt. And neither did he.

Today, I share a prayer by Yeretsgin Susan on the occasion of our son’s wedding:

Lord, we thank You for Your heavenly benediction in joining our son, and now daughter, in the sacrament of marriage.

Bless and enrich their marriage in love, companionship, mutual support, oneness of heart and progress in faith and life.

Protect their holy wedlock from sin, evil and danger. Foster between them the spirit of understanding, the spirit of forgiveness, and the spirit of peace, that no resentment, quarrel or other problems may cause them to stumble and fall.

Remind them of the lessons they have learned from their loved ones, especially those who have returned to their Maker. Grant them to see their own faults and to not judge each other. Keep their bond of love always new.  May they feel Your presence in their lives through the joy of marriage, that with one heart they may praise and glorify You forever.

Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Cover: Water color, The Ascension from the Jesus  POV

The Commision Here

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Armodoxy for Today: The Commission Here

The “Great Commission” as it is called, is the direction Jesus gives to his Apostles just before he ascends to heaven.

Saint Matthew records the event, remembering that only eleven of the original twelve disciples (less Judas) made up the disciple’s group. We read:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Jesus commissions the eleven to continue his work, beyond the world they were accustomed to. Here, the Christian message is projected to the world, to all nations. There is no exception. There is no “favored nation status” for any one or any country. It is a command that his message is universal. Furthermore, he sets baptism as the entry point for the community and emphasizes that his commandments are the fuel of the Christianity. His commandments were summarized, “Love God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matthew 22:36-40) And finally, he gives his unfailing word that he is with us forever. His love and care is unwavering and is ours beyond time restrictions.

Yesterday we read the narrative of the Ascension, today we read the actions, the descriptor of what Jesus expected from his church. It is important to note that this commission is not given to all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem or anywhere else. He does not include the rest of the students, often referred to as the 72 disciples, in this group. No, it is directed to a very special group that will soon become the nucleus of the Christian Church.

When we refer to the Apostolic Church, we are talking about the Church that links itself to this event. Each of those eleven (and later 12 with the addition of Mathias) went to different areas in the world. Peter went to Rome, Thomas to India, Matthew to Ethiopia, Jude Thaddeus to Armenia, just to mention four of them. Each of carrying out the commission. They ended in hostile areas, and all of them, except for John, were martyred. John, ended up exiled on an Island.

We will explore their individual stories, but for our discussion today, it is important to note the Apostolic Commission. It is the foundation of the Christian Church. And as we approach the feast of Pentecost, we will see how this small band of diverse people, who were considered appalling by the system, whose leader was sentenced to death, became the ones who carried the most influential and important message of all human history.

The Ascension is Jesus ascending to heaven. Yesterday I asked you to look not up to heaven, but all around. Today, with Jesus’ message and commission to the disciples we start understanding that the  direction of life is in the here and now. The mission of the Apostolic Church was and is to bring people to the message of love that Jesus taught. And yes, in that love we find that Jesus is with us now and forever.

Cover: Hills surrounding Datev Monastery