Tag Archive for: Discipleship

Discipleship – Lent Day 36

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Lenten Recipe

Recipe 36: Mutabbel

Lenten Journey Day 36 – Discipleship 

It would have been appropriate to start this Lenten Journey the topic of discipleship. I have intentionally left it toward the end of the Journey, because as I sure you will agree, discipleship means something different to you today than it did 35 days ago.

The word disciple means student, or a follower of a person. In the Bible, disciples were those who were in Jesus’ company, those who were learning from him. Some of this group went on to become apostles. Apostle means one who is sent. Once they had learned from Jesus, the disciples were commissioned to go out to the world to teach and preach.

Being a disciple of Christ means you are one who learns His teachings. You praise Him because you have applied his teachings to your life and the improvement in the quality of your life is overwhelming. At the beginning of this Lenten Journey I asked you to inventory the many aspects of your life: What is necessary to live? What is truly important in your life? By inventorying you can monitor importance levels. You will have a frame of reference. You can note changes in value and attitude.

Today we switch gears. We are now at a point – discipleship – where we are moving from theory to practice. Lent is no longer a burden but is something to look forward to, as a time for change, as a time for reflection, as a time of growth. I would venture to say that you are at a point where your outlook and attitude is noticeably chanced. Perhaps you would call it a mature outlook and understanding of the self and purpose for the self. How do we survive? How do we make a difference in our own lives? How about in the life of our community? Of our family? And even, the world? These are the questions we start asking now. We have a more mature understanding of faith: Less “me, me” and more “what can I do to help others?” “How can my sacrifice affect the bigger picture in life?” “How can I put something into the larger collection of what we call life? In this understanding, in this maturation process, Discipleship now has a different meaning, for it is not a question of merely following Jesus. It is not even a question of learning what He had to say. It is about actually becoming, living that faith, becoming the person and people God wants us to be.

The message that our Lord Jesus Christ brought to us 2000 years ago was a simple one that God is accessible, that God is there. And it does not matter who you are. It does not matter what social class you’ve come from. It does not matter what your past has contained or not contained. There are no more excuses. God has been revealed and in that revelation, He is now reachable. We cannot touch Him but we can understand Him in a new light. We understand Him as pure love, something that touches us and something with which we touch others. It is the message of sacrifice, of faith, hope and love. Most importantly it is a holistic message that to be a Disciple of Christ today means something different to us because we approach Christ holistically. We do not merely focus on His message, we do not merely look at the person of Christ, but collectively the person, the message, the sacrifice, the giving, the God nature is all there for us. So as disciples of Christ we use all of our senses.

We hear His message. We read the message with our eyes but likewise we bear witness to the message that is around us. We see the waves at the ocean, the mountains, the beautiful flowers and the smile of our children. We use our nose to absorb the aroma of His creation, the beautiful fragrances of God’s wonder. We appeal to our sense of touch. We reach out to people who need a hug, who need a hand. We also find that with those hands that are extended to us are bodies that are waiting to be hugged, waiting to be kissed, waiting to express that love holistically. Finally we appeal to our sense of taste in the Holy communion. It is that final recognition that we are disciples, as our fathers teach us, come and taste the Lord for indeed the Lord is tasty.

We are the disciples of Christ. We have learned love. We now live love. We must share that love. “By this they will know that you are my disciples”, says our Lord Jesus Christ, “that you love one another”.

Today’s prayer is based on a thought from neo-orthodox theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on  Discipleship:

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Discipleship

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Armodoxy for Today: Discipleship

This weekend the Armenian Church celebrates the “72 disciples of Jesus.” Before you accuse me of having my thumb on the scale, adding an extra 60 to the group we’re all familiar with, read the details in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 10), “The Lord appointed seventy-two others also, and sent them two by two before Him into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.‘”

Discipleship in the Gospel was a calling given to a group of students, in this case of Jesus, with a mission. Jesus sent these 72 disciples with these words, “Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

With these words, Jesus sets the tone for Christian missionary activity. It is focused. It is selfless service. It is to spread the Gospel which, as we hear in the passage, it centered in peace.  With this same invitation many people have followed the call of Jesus, some into the clergy, others, have embraced it as a way of life as their personal lay ministry.

It is from this passage that Christianity was delivered and spread. In the case of the Armenian Church, when we reflect on its apostolic roots, today we are reminded that the holy apostles, be they Thaddeus, Bartholomew or one of the others, were part of this mission. Everything we know of Jesus, His Love and His teachings was delivered to us because of the work of these faithful disciples of Jesus, working through this Holy Body, the Church.

The word “disciple” may conjure images of men in the apostolic age. DaVinci’s “Last Supper” is perhaps one of the most famous depictions of Jesus with his twelve disciples. Today’s focus on the 72 help us go beyond the stereotypical images. In the passage we read, note that the 72 are referred without reference to gender. In the early Church discipleship was accessible by all.

At every moment of our lives, we are invited to be disciples of Christ. Never look further than yourself to find the necessary openness to the divine teaching of Jesus Christ.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the most prominent Protestant theologians of the 20th century, was killed by the Nazis during World War II, for his defense of the Jewish populations. He was outspoken about the despicable and horrid treatment of that population. His weapon of criticism was the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he went to his death in defense of that Gospel. He wrote much about discipleship.

On this weekend where we focus on discipleship, I leave you with these words of Bonhoeffer on discipleship and Grace. Here are words for contemplation, for meditation:

True discipleship is characterized by obedience to Christ. There is “cheap” and “costly” grace. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession. It is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. In contrast to cheap grace, costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus. It comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Cover photo: Disciple at Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, 2014 Fr. Vazken

Lenten Journey Day 36 – Discipleship

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Lenten Recipe

Recipe 36: Mutabbel

Lenten Journey Day 36 – Discipleship 

It would have been appropriate to start this Lenten Journey the topic of discipleship. I have intentionally left it toward the end of the Journey, because as I sure you will agree, discipleship means something different to you today than it did 35 days ago.

The word disciple means student, or a follower of a person. In the Bible, disciples were those who were in Jesus’ company, those who were learning from him. This group went on to become apostles. Apostle means one who is sent. Once they had learned from Jesus, the disciples were commissioned to go out to the world to teach and preach.

Being a disciple of Christ means you are one who learns His words. You praise His life because you have applied his teachings to yours and the improvement of quality (in your life) is overwhelming. At the beginning of this Lenten Journey I asked you to inventory the many aspects of your life: What is necessary to live? What is truly important in your life? By inventorying you can monitor importance levels. You will have a frame of reference. You can note changes in value and attitude.

Today we switch gears. We are now at a point – discipleship – where we are moving from theory to practice. Lent is no longer a burden but is something to look forward to, as a time for change, as a time for reflection, as a time of growth. I would venture to say that you are at a point where your outlook and attitude is noticeably chanced. Perhaps you would call it a mature outlook and understanding of the self and purpose for the self. How do we survive? How do we make a difference in our own lives? How about in the life of our community? Of our family? And even, the world? We have a more mature understanding of faith: Less “me, me” and more “what can I do to help others?” “How can my sacrifice affect the bigger picture in life?” “How can I put something into the larger collection of what we call life? In this understanding, in this maturation process, Discipleship now has a different meaning, for it is not a question of merely following Jesus. It is not even a question of learning what He had to say. It is about actually becoming, living that faith, becoming the person and people God wants us to be.

The message that our Lord Jesus Christ brought to us 2000 years ago was a simple one that God is accessible, that God is there. And it does not matter who you are. It does not matter what social class you’ve come from. It does not matter what your past has contained or not contained. There are no more excuses. God has been revealed and in that revelation He is now reachable. We cannot touch Him but we can understand Him in a new light. We understand Him as pure love, something that touches us and something with which we touch others. It is the message of sacrifice, of faith, hope and love. Most importantly it is a holistic message that to be a Disciple of Christ today means something different to us because we approach Christ holistically. We do not merely focus on His message, we do not merely look at the person of Christ, but collectively the person, the message, the sacrifice, the giving, the God nature is all there for us. So as disciples of Christ we use all of our senses.

We hear His message. We read the message with our eyes but likewise we bear witness to the message that is around us. We see the waves at the ocean, the mountains, the beautiful flowers and the smile of our children. We use our nose to absorb the aroma that comes from all of the goodness that is around us, the beautiful fragrances of God’s wonder. We appeal to our sense of touch. We reach out to people who need a hug, who need a hand. We also find that with those hands that are extended to us are bodies that are waiting to be hugged, waiting to be kissed, waiting to express that love holistically. Finally we appeal to our sense of taste in the Holy communion. It is that final recognition that we are disciples, as our fathers teach us, come and taste the Lord for indeed the Lord is tasty.

We are the disciples of Christ. We have learned love. We now live love. We must share that love. “By this they will know that you are my disciples”, says our Lord Jesus Christ, “that you love one another”.

Today’s prayer is a thought from theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on the idea of Discipleship:

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Abp. Vatche Servant of God

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Armodoxy for Today

Archbishop Vatché, servant of God.

“You did not choose me” said Jesus, “But I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” (John 15:16) In his farewell discourse with the disciples, our Lord Jesus addresses them with these words.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we see Jesus beginning his public ministry at the Sea of Galilee where, “He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

A few men have accepted the calling and have executed their duties such that they have realized the fruit of the harvest promised to them. One such man was Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian, who fished and caught men for the Kingdom. I am one of those who was fortunate enough to be caught in his net. Archbishop Vatché was my spiritual father, the one who ordained me into the sacred priesthood 40 years ago. Today, he passed on to be with the Lord.

Archbishop Vatché was the senior most clergyman in the entire Armenian Church. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1951 at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia in Lebanon. He studied in Edenborough, Scotland, and was invited to the United States to serve as a pastor of a flock in New Jersey. His personal calling took him Canada and then to the Western Diocese where he served as our primate from 1971 to 2013. During his tenure the Diocese grew from a small office to a complex. His accomplishments were many and he gave, as our Lord says, “Fruit that will last.”

We often hear about the Armenian Genocide and stand in awe of the generation that underwent and endured the atrocities. We often forget the generation that followed, the ones that picked up the broken remnants, and raised the church, like the phoenix from the ashes. This was the generation that was charged with rebuilding the church. This was the generation that, like God, had nothing and created something. Today, what we have as the Armenian Church, is thanks to this generation which put it all on the line to ensure that future generations would have a home where they could learn and live their Christian Armenian identity. Archbishop Vatché was from that next generation, and endowed with a gift of attracting people with his charismatic personality which was unsettling, uncompromising and demanded the best from all of us. He commanded the room he entered. He left a large imprint on many of our lives.

Please join me on my weekly podcast The Next Step as we spend some time with personal reflections of the life and legacy of Archbishop Vatché.

Today, we pray the requiem prayer of the Armenian Church, “O Christ, Son of God, forbearing and compassionate, have compassion, in your love as our Creator, upon the souls of your servants who are at rest, especially upon the soul your newly departed servant, official of the church and my spiritual father, Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian, for whom we offer this prayers. Be mindful of him on the great day of the coming of your kingdom. Make him worthy of mercy, of expiation and forgiveness of sins. Glorify him and reckon him with the company of your saints at your right hand. For you are Lord and creator of all, judge of the living and of the dead. And to you is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.