Tag Archive for: Christianity

Veterans

Armodoxy for Today
Veterans

A veteran is a person who has had long experience in a particular field. Generically, we use the word to refer to military personnel, especially those who actively served in the military. The veteran is someone who loves country much more than his or her life. That is, the veteran is willing to lay down his or her life for the country, for something that is greater than the self.

In the Gospel of John (15), Jesus say, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He is referring to his own sacrifice, and his words define true love as a function of selflessness. He places value on friendship (harmonious living with one another). That value is measured by life itself – a willingness to sacrifice life for the benefit of the greater good. The sacrifice made by veterans has the greatest value of anything or any action, because the measuring “currency” is more precious than silver, gold and even platinum. That’s why we refer to it as paying the ultimate price: life itself.

Veteran’s Day is celebrated today. It is yet another chance for self-evaluation. There is a simple test to take on this day. Ask yourself, What are the things that are most important to me? What are the things for which I would be willing to give up my life. Now ask yourself, if I’m willing to die for it, am I willing to live for it?

If we are willing to die for Christ, then the more important question we must ask ourselves is, am I willing to live for Christ? Armodoxy is the proof that living out Christian principles is much harder than dying for them.

We pray Psalm 27, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shalI I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after, “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” Amen.

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Emotional Surrogacy

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #728: Spiritual Surrogacy, from a child’s teddy bear found on the streets of post-war Artsakh, to Christian ideas of transferring responsibility.
Artsakh: Power of Prayer
Marina Mchitarian-Lazaridou, PhD.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Concert for George)
Ashot Aroustamiants Yeg Im Tarus
Leo Tolstoy: Confessions and Other Religious Writings
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Empath’s Christmas

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #705: Interview with Alina Samuelian of FLY – Freedom Loving Youth, after her recent outreach in Gyumri. Hear this energetic empath give her first-hand account of life and living conditions in areas of the world hit by tragedy. From Syria to Lebanon to Armenia, FLY reaches out to those in need. Here’s their story articulated by a front-line worker. All this, in the context of Jesus and the “Great Banquet”
Christian Giving, Luke 14:12-24
Freedom Loving Youth
Armenian Earthquake 30 years later
2021 Toy Drive
Children’s Memorial
Peacemakers – Gabriel & Katie Jay
Earlier interview in Armenian
Isabel Bayrakdarian
Cover: In Gyumri FLY meets with mother and son

Connecting with FLY
Website
Facebook: Freedom Loving Youth-FLY
Instagram: freedom.loving.youth
YouTube
Venmo account: @fly-freedomlovingyouth
Firewood Fundraiser

Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Apologies Abound

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #693: Apologetics is the intellectual defense of the truth of the Christian religion, usually considered a branch of theology, by definition. Justifying what is beyond understanding and the challenge to communicate ideas, despite differences of opinions, is this next step. Expressions of His Holiness Karekin II to the Conference on Freedom and Peace in Holy Etchmiadzin.
Conference on Freedom and Peace in Etchmiadzin
HH Karekin II address to the Conference on Peace
Text of Address
Christian Apologetics
Tiger and the Donkey story
David Benoit Freedom at Midnight
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Post 911 & Tech

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #692: Dinah Washington sang “What a difference a day makes” … here we are 20 years times 365 of those days, a world touched by terror and by advances in technology. Implications for our lives, identity, and for our Faith. Kilobytes to Terabytes… California’s election process and the role of organized religion in delivering the product. What product?
911 Memorial
911 Memorial in lights
911 20 years later
California’s Recall Election
Armenian Christianity Today: Disasters
What a Wonderful Life
What a Difference a Day Makes
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Oxi-Oxy

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #690: Oxymorons given to contemplation, reveal more than the meaning of a phrase or idea, but a look at incongruous and seemingly conflicting ideas. Take a stab and take some time, from the polecat perfumed to some basics in Christianity, a call beyond the child (I Cor 13)
Samples
Now that’s Rich
Cheap Grace” Bonhoeffer
Cost of Discipleship“, Bonhoeffer
Charlie Watts passing
Rolling Stones
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Thought Process

Next Step #686: A thought process that takes you from the reality of war to an answer found in the song of a people. Leaving the neighborhood: Christianity on the border. With Azeri aggression front and center, and a silent world community, Fr. Vazken leads the listener through this short journey, not down a rabbit hole, but to an end with identity nourished along the way. Defining identity through memory. Finding hope
Azeri latest attack
North & South Korea restore hotlines
Olympic Videos
Fiji Rugby Team Singing after winning gold
In His Shoes Mission
Hope for Haiti Now
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Fossil Uncovers The News

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #684: “Out of the mouths of babes” comes a question with a profound answer: Life after death for the Christian. Remember Yellow Pages? Claimed as the “original search engine” is also the original pay-to-create news service: Deciphering through some of the religious “competition.” Apostolic vs. Gregorian.
Are all “Brands” the Same?
Nicene Creed
Phonebook visual
iAct
Peter Gabriel on Djivan Gasparyan
The Passion of the Christ
The Last Temptation of Christ movie
Djivan Gasparyan on Armeniapedia
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Authenticated Faith

 

Next Step #676: Faith authenticated by questioning God. Liberation Theology and its message today. Discovering our ethics from an authenticated faith. Camel, water and murder. Blacks to McKinley/Armenians to Biden, across a hundred years.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone
Letter to President McKinley
James Cone and Black Liberation Theology 
In Search of An Armenian Theology of Liberation (Window)
WD168 this week 
Roberta Flack 
Cover photo: Stained glass from 16th St. Baptist Church, Birmingham
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Mister & a Sister

 

Mister & the Sister
Next Step #664 – February 25, 2021 – Mr. Potato head loses his top. Silliness abounds as the world death numbers increase; Calculated moves for profit. Connecting to the Expulsion story. The COVID-19 vaccine gives a metaphor for us to find faith in the post-pandemic era.
Potato Head News
Reclaim Conference
Register for Reclaim Conference
Lenten Journey with Fr. Vazken 
60 Minutes on Syria
Inner Peace for Busy People
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for http://InHisShoes.org