Tag Archive for: Christian Message

No Checked Brain: Think

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Think

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Missing Message: Armodoxy

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Armodoxy for Today: The Message

When we proclaim our faith about Jesus Christ, we often do so about the person and inadvertently forget a fundament element of the faith, namely the message he preached. In the Nicene Creed, adopted in 325AD by the Church and recited in churches throughout the world every Sunday, we proclaim our belief in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and the exclusivity of the Holy Church. We have shorter forms of the profession of faith, one of which is confessed by the godfather during baptism in the Armenian Church. In the Western churches, such as the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, the Apostles Creed is pronounced. In St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer of the 4th hour, we read an even more abbreviated form about Jesus, the Son of God, “Who descended from the bosom of the Father, and took flesh of the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, who was crucified and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father.”

In all of the Creeds and professions of faith, the person of Jesus, the Son of God, is defined. What is missing is his message, or even more simply, mention or reference of his message. I use the word “missing” rather than “omitted” or “forgotten” because I believe the development of these creeds were products of the times and societal needs. In the case of the Armenian Church, her constituency during the early centuries was homogeneous. The people attended church and shared common values and so it wasn’t necessary to reference the message in a creed.

Armodoxy is about taking that ancient faith and placing it in today’s world and society. In a globalized society, where many different messages are vying for your attention, Jesus’ message can easily be dismissed, omitted or even forgotten because of the zealous efforts to proclaim Jesus as superior to other choices. Mature faith understands that it is Jesus’ message, that is unique and superior to all else. In his message we understand the fulness of the statement that God is love. Jesus’ message is what connects us to the beginning of time, and therein we find the Divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. “I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.” (John 7:28)

Let us pray St. Nersess Shnorhli’s prayer of the 4th hour, with addendum, “Son of God, true God, who descended from the bosom of the Father, and took flesh of the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, who taught the message of true love and compassion, with his words and his life, who was crucified and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before You, remember me like the robber when You come into your kingdom. Amen.”

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