Tag Archive for: New Year

Advent 43-50: Turn Over

Advent Day 43: Turn Over

On the sixth day of Christmas your true love may give you six geese a-laying, but for most of us, we will be receiving a turnover on the page of the calendar. It’s the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one. In the interest of religious neutrality, the convention for identifying time is BCE and CE (Before the Common Era and Common Era). Some will remember when another convention was used, BC, Before Christ and AD, Anno Domini, that is, in the year of the Lord. The majority of the planet marks time in reference to the Birth of Jesus Christ.

The New Year celebration is a mark in time, a convenient point to reflect on the past and plan for the future. You have done this many times before at this turning point of the old year into the new one. But this year you are on a journey through Advent. You have been awakened to the Teachings of Jesus. As you reflect on the past, include your preconceived notions about Jesus which may have fallen by the wayside as you’ve come in a closer relationship with his words and teachings. Use your journey journal and reflect on how this new understanding moves you into the new day and the New Year.

We end with the final verse, the 24th hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s Confession of Faith, Glorious Lord, receive the prayers of your servant and fulfill my requests that are deemed good. Through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, and St. John the Baptist, and St. Stephen the first martyr, and St. Gregory our Illuminator, and the Holy Apostles, Prophets, Doctors of the Church, Martyrs, Patriarchs, Hermits, Virgins, and all your saints in heaven and on earth. Unto you, indivisible Holy Trinity, be glory and honor, forever and ever. Amen.

Lessons from Pasadena: Happy New Year

Armodoxy for Today: Lessons from Pasadena

Today’s lesson comes not from the Church but from the City of Pasadena. Ten miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, lies the City of Pasadena. The town has the distinct honor of ushering in the new year, every January 1st with the Tournament of Roses Parade. It is estimated that about one-million tourists enter the city to watch the five-and-a-half mile parade which features floats, bands, horses with riders, celebrities and football champions. Another 50 million people watch the television broadcast.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade began in 1893. The floats are constructed of all natural herbs and plants, with over 18 million flowers used annually to construct the displays, taking 80,000 hours of human power.

But of all the remarkable statistics that I can rattle off about the parade there is one that sets it apart from all others. Pasadena has a “Never on a Sunday” rule! The parade takes place on January 1st, unless January 1st falls on a Sunday, in which case the parade is moved to the following day, on Monday January 2nd.  The rule was put in place when Pasadena started having parades in the 1890s to avoid interference with church services. It is a simple rule and an overt expression of the city’s priority.

The new year begins a few days before the Theophany. January 1st is a convenient time to access our life directions and make necessary changes to our course. It is a time to set goals and priorities. Jesus instructs us with the words, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.” The new year doesn’t need to be patched and if it does, not with old habits. You don’t want to carry old baggage into the new year. Begin by a simple assessment of your life and what are the priorities you would like to implement. Think of the lesson of Pasadena’s Rose Parade. Are you ready to implement policies that will prioritize God in your life?

Let us pray. A prayer for the New Year by Rev. Marcy Sheremetta

As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family and our friends. Let us release our grudges, our anger and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains. Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way. Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, color or creed. Let us keep God of our own understanding in our hearts and to chant God’s name each day. Let us lead the world from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth and from wrong to right. Let us remember that we are all one, embracing all, discriminating against none.

May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God’s blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

Twenty Too?

Next Step #708: At the threshold of the new year, an assessment according to the Creed of the Church. Cremation issues – burn or not to burn? Desmond Tutu passes away. Playing Jeopardy. Zvartnots explained. A primer on 3 to 1 love. “Butterfly” wish for the New Year: Twenty won too.
Nicene Creed
Jeopardy (Minute 14) “Creed”
Desmond Tutu and forgiveness
Naregatsi Orchestra – Beethoven’s 5th Symphony with Armenian folk instruments
Two Short Planks
Cover: Two Short Planks, Fr. Vazken, 2021
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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2020 Hindsight

Next Step #656: New Year’s Eve expressions that don’t show up in reflections. Where are all the predictors of 2020 prophecy and how apologetics evolves. Living and doing with passion. Misdirected notions of martyrdom and the danger we’re falling into. Odd-ball occurrence? A look at Luke 19: Getting more of the right stuff. Courage to move forward with wishes for the New Year.
Luke 19:11-28
New Year’s Sermon on Courage
Wish for the New Year
Finding my Voice by Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte
Arpi Alto – https://ginosimusic.com/arpi-alto
Arpi Alto YouTube Channel 
Cover Pixabay 2020
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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This is 2020

Next Step #604: With the new decade, more searches for relevance – finding Faith after Sunday morning and throughout the week. Theophany – a point of singularity for your Faith. The Lion King’s gesture of praise and the blessing for a group on Christmas Eve. Bonhoeffer’s “Cheap Grace” and Christmas gift giving customs. Eighth Day “Milking Maid”. All the things you don’t need to say at Theophany.
Hover State Chamber Choir
VW: The Last Mile
Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Motorcycle in the Smithsonian
Bonhoeffer, “The Cost of Discipleship
This is 20/20” Anderson Cooper and Barbara Walter
Cover Photo – Winter, Bing photo
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Playing Catch-up

Next Step #553: Launching into the New Year with prayer: Fasten your seat belts. Protestant & Catholics: Relieving threats to Orthodoxicity. Jesus’ metaphors today: figs and elevators. White Christmas in Utah. Mark 11: Prescription for living. Keyboard Prayer from the 1980’s. Grieving: Setting aside time for reflection. Controlling the Dash. New Year prayer/wish.
Khatchadour Khatchadourian: Oror ou Nani or Kickstarter page
Christmas Outreach Report
Thomas Aquinas Podcast
Mark 11
Technical Director: Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Theophany Coming

Next Step #552: Welcome to the New Year! The Revelation of the Trinity – not that difficult to understand: Lessons for Theophany. Challenges to achieve critical mass with a Hindu example. Space explored beyond our Solar System and on the Far Side of the Moon. Year end Walking In His Shoes.
John Coltrane, “Favorite Things”
New Horizons’ new discovery
Landed: Other Side of the Moon
5 Million Women Human Chain of Protest
3 Celebs die same day/same age
In His Shoes at Christmas Message
Why January 6?
Cover: Arboretum Lights 2018 Fr. Vazken
Technical Director: Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Babe in from the Cold

 

Bringing the Babe in from the Cold

Next Step #551 – December 27, 2018 – In limbo twixt Christmas and New Year, Fr. Vazken reflects on looking inside the manger and seeing what lurks beyond. The imperfect circumstances become the perfect story in the Nativity narrative. There is joy, eagerness, wonder, obedience and peace, and yet, beyond the dangers of materialism and the filth of drugs and addiction have claimed the lives of too many. A very personal plea to look past the Baby. The measurements of strength.
A Christmas Song by Jethro Tull
In His Shoes at Christmas Message
Muhammad Ali Bouts
Cover: Moonlight over Mendocino by Fr. Vazken 2018
Technical Director: Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Kodak Moment No More

Next Step #500: The New Year kicks off with a look at one of the giants that didn’t make it to 2018. Unable to adapt and slow to accept changes, Kodak presents a prophetic picture as the Spirit of the Future. Fr. Vazken talks about the church, the challenges to the community of believers and a Darwinian understanding of survival. Commitment to the disenfranchised and the circle of Christian understanding.
Ernek Te Ais Nor Tari by Rouben Hakhverdian & Lilit Pipoyan
Kodak Wikipedia article
Celebrity Deaths of 2017
Carl Sagan “Pale Blue Dot” (short video) (book)
Edited News: www.Yahoo.com
MLK Retreat: www.InHisShoes.org/MLK
Photo: “Frogs, Legs & Film” (c)2018 Fr. Vazken Movsesian
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Extra Towns on the Map

Next Step #448: Theophany Eve edition. Syncing with God’s Cosmic calendar. Looking inside the manger to become an image in an icon and delivering better gifts than frankincense, gold and myrrh. Armodoxy’s stand for the New Year and Fr. Vazken’s Christmas message. Water Blessing at Theophany – what happens when a Mayor gives her obligatory message and takes Christ out? Expected from a mayor but from a church? The possibility of Christianity without Christ – not a slow process.
Looys i Luso – Lusine Zakaryan
Truth Bomb Mom
Reclaim: Embracing Faith
AC101 – December 25 or January 6
Waterblessing at Adventist Hospital
Photo: In His Shoes Statement in Art
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Look for The Next Step on blubrry.com
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