The LORD says: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
“Dear God, please take care of my daddy, mommy, sister, brother, my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we are going to be in a big mess.” My goal in this series on prayer is to keep it simple, pray like this child, who in few words expressed amazing truth in a very simple yet profound way.
When it comes to prayer, we find ourselves saying: “I do not know how to pray. I do not know what to pray for. I am too afraid to pray out loud.” We admit that each of us has our obstacles to a life of prayer. We may know the names of those who have written on prayer, but none of them can help us unless we pray. To help us move beyond obstacles of prayer, I am going to issue a simple challenge to each of us: Will we commit to pray at least five minutes a day for the next seven days? Will we commit to set aside time in our schedule, clear away all distractions, and make that time a priority? It’s only the activity of prayer that counts, not wishing or wanting to pray, but only doing it. So let’s partner and set aside time to “seek God with all our heart” in prayer - look for Him, learn to communicate with Him, be a person who prays. Remember, “Seven days without prayer makes one weak!”
The first obstacle to prayer is to talk about it, read about it, learn about it, study it and never actually do it. The second obstacle to prayer is lack of willingness to be a student (“learner”) of prayer. Students (“learners”) seek to master their subject matter and seek to be molded by it. The third obstacle to prayer is our expectations of prayer. We always hope God would show up through our words especially in difficult times so that we do not have to feel useless. However, sometimes we sense God saying to us, “the only time you are of any use to me is when you realize how useless you are. The more you can let go of yourself the more you can cling to me. And the more you cling to me, the more it will be me who will make a difference!” This feeling of insufficiency is essential in approaching God in prayer. If we have ever felt insufficient in prayer then I want to encourage us by saying – assuring us that the very feeling of insufficiency is the starting point of true prayer.
Once spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote in his diary: “Writing about prayer is often very painful since it makes you aware of how far away you are from the ideal you write about ... This week all I am reading and writing about is prayer. I am so busy with it and often so excited about it that I have no time left to pray ... While it is true that in order to pray you have to empty your heart and mind for God. Otherwise, prayer gets in the way of praying.”
So I invite us to partner in prayer - at least five minutes a day for the next seven days. Let’s not give in to the temptation to just hear a sermon or read a book on prayer and think we are growing in our prayer life. We won’t grow in prayer unless we pray! Our prayer life will get better only by praying!
Rev. Avedis Boynerian
Armenian Memorial Church, Watertown, USA
Sunday, January 29, 2012
MOVING BEYONG OBSTACLES OF PRAYER (1)
Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church's Board of Elders and Board of Trustees Visiting the Pastor on Christmas
On Sunday, 8 January, after the church worship service, a group of old and new members of the Board of Elders and the Board of Trustees gave a visit to the pastor on Christmas season, remembering that Christ is the real reason.
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| Mr. Manoug Ibitian (Elders Board), Ms. Ani Baboghlanian (Elders Board), Mr. Raffi Chilingirian (Trustees Board), Rev. and Mrs. Hovanness and Vera Svajian, Mrs. Ani Svajian (church secretary), Mr. Samuel Svajian (Elders Board), Mr. Garoudj Aroyan (Elders Board), Mrs. Araxi Mazmanian (Elders Board), Ms. Houry Barsoumian (Trustees Board, Mr. Manoug Chilingirian (Elders Board) |
AMAA Elects New Board Members, President and Officer
In accordance with the appropriate policies and procedures, the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) elected its new Board members, President and officers.
On October 15, 2011, at the Annual Meeting of the Association, held in Los Angeles, CA, the names of the following nine individuals were announced, who were elected by the general membership to serve on the Board of Directors as the Class of 2014: Bryan Bedrosian, Anita Buchakjian, Nazareth Darakjian, M.D., Robert Hekemian, Sr., Louis Kurkjian, Kenneth Kevorkian, Lori Muncherian, Harold Nahigian and Arsine Bedrosian Phillips, Esq. The new Board members were installed on Sunday, October 16, during the AMAA Annual Meeting Worship Service, which was held at the United Armenian Congregational Church of Los Angeles.
On December 3, the Board of Directors elected its officers and approved the Executive Committee as follows: Joseph Zeronian, Ed.D., President; Nazareth Darakjian, M.D. and Peter Kougasian, Esq., Vice Presidents; Thomas Momjian Esq., and Arsine Phillips, Esq., Secretaries; Nurhan Helvacian, Ph.D., Treasurer; Anita Buchakjian, Assistant Treasurer; Berjouhy Gulesserian, Advisor; Levon Filian, Executive Director; Albert Momjian, Esq., Solicitor; and Joyce Stein, Representative of the Stephen Philibosian Foundation.
The AMAA was founded in Worcester, MA in 1918 and incorporated in New York in 1920 with the purpose of strengthening and supporting the Armenian people in their Christian faith and to encourage religious education as well as literary and philanthropic work. Since its founding, the AMAA has expanded its programs of educational, evangelistic, relief, social services, church and child care ministries to 24 countries around the world.
amaanews
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Christmas Concert at Haigazian University
On Monday, December 19, 2011, the Haigazian University Classical Music Club organized their traditional semester concert, which they have been holding each semester for nearly 20 years. The concert was divided into three parts, the classical, the modern and the oriental, with a touch of Christmas added to the mix.
Nine students participated in the concert, which started with classical pieces by Brahms, Hayden and Chopin, played beautifully on the piano and the violin. This was followed by some notable modern songs, including “Somewhere over the rainbow” and “River flows in you,” as well as a vocal rendition of the ever-popular “You raise me up.” Adding a new dimension to this semester’s concert, the program also included oriental music, namely three celebrated songs by the Rahbani brothers as well as the song “Bleil ou Shety” played on the ‘oud.
Completing the concert with a bit of Christmas cheer, the audience enjoyed listening to a duet of “Silent Night” and sang along to the beloved Christmas carol “Joy to the World.”
Christmas Chapel at Haigazian University
One of the most popular chapel services of the year at Haigazian University is the annual Christmas chapel, which reminds people of the reason for the season. On Wednesday, December 21, 2011, the university auditorium was packed with faculty, staff and students, as well as several guests from outside the university.
Everyone was greeted by the cheerful music played by the seven-member band, which included three former HU students who came especially for this chapel. Reverend Greg Lee-Parker, the campus minister, welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming before proceeding to show a short Charlie Brown cartoon that answers the question “What is Christmas all about?”
The next ten minutes were spent joyfully singing Christmas carols including the classical “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” “What Child is This?” and “Do You Hear?” One Haigazian student read a beautiful passage from Isaiah chapter 9 and then the band played a very touching song called “Merry Christmas,” which a father had written for the daughter he was waiting to adopt.
Lee-Parker delivered his message on the first Christmas, revealing some interesting facts uncovered by a New Testament scholar about the town of Bethlehem in that period. He also emphasized the real meaning of Christmas and what impact it can have on our lives.
To conclude this Christmas service, everyone sang “Silent Night” accompanied by the sweet musical tones of the flute and the violin and finally ended with “Joy to the World.” Lots of delicious and homemade cookies, brownies and cakes were waiting at the back of the chapel once the final note had been sung.
Marchers carried placards reading "We are all Hrant, we are all Armenian"
At least 20,000 people have marched in Istanbul to mark five years since the murder of prominent Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Christmas Concert of the Armenian Evangelical Armiss Choir
Unders the patronage of H.E. Mr. Vrej Saboujian, the Minister of Industry, and organized by the Armiss Cultural Committee of the the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, the Christmas Concert of Armiss Choir took place on Tuesday, 3 January, 2011, at 8pm, in the Armenian Evangelical First Church.
After the welcoming speech of Mr. Hrayr Jebejian, the choir presented several pieces, conducted by maestro Garo Avessian and accompanied by Ms. Maria Palazian on the piano.
The choir comprised twenty nine members.
Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church's Chanitz Youth and Veterans Caroling on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Thursday 5 January, around 35 Chanitz youth and veterans, with 4 groups, visited more than 95 families and houses, singing carols and bringing the Good News that Jesus Christ is Born.
Քրիստոս Ծնաւ եւ Յայտնեցաւ,
Ձեզի Մեզի Մեծ Աւետիս:
Krisdos Dznav yev Haydnetsav,
Tsezi Mezi Medz Avedis.
Some of the photos of two of the groups that visited the families and houses.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
A Merry Christmas to Our Readers
Քրիստոս Ծնաւ եւ Յայտնեցաւ,
Ձեզի Մեզի Մեծ Աւետիս:
Christ is Born and Revealed,
To You and to Us a Great News.
Religious and Cultural Diversity in Europe
On Friday, November 25, 2011, a lecture on “Religious and Cultural Diversity in Europe: New Challenges for the Study of Religions” was held in the auditorium, for the Haigazian University Cultural Hour.
Dr. Arda Ekmekji, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, welcomed the guests and introduced the topic at hand, discussing how Europe has changed in the last century in terms of ethnic and religious diversity.
To provide his suggestions for this interesting challenge, Dr. Wolfman Reiss, a professor of theology from the University of Vienna, was invited to come to the podium.
Reiss began his lecture by describing the two traditional approaches to the study of religion, namely studying the history of religion and the systematic comparative studies of religions. He then traced the changes in religious study in the 20th century, how the focus was moved from the historical approach to a comparative one and more recently with the added dimension of social and political topics.
Reiss then expanded on the role that religious scholars have in contemporary society, providing research to help elucidate actual on-the-ground issues that Europeans face today. An example he provided is the increasing number of Muslim children in Austrian kindergartens, which reaches up to 40 percent in some areas. “To provide the state with an appropriate basis for decisions, information is needed,” stressed Reiss.
In light of this need, Reiss proposed an application-oriented study of religion that “dedicates itself to contemporary societal, political problems of our time.”As a study, it can serve society by giving advice, while leaving the actual decision-making up to the politicians and the lawmakers.
Reiss then proceeded to outline the implementation of such a study, using his own execution of it at the University of Vienna as an illustration. Among other things, he warned that such students “have to preserve the highest level of impartiality in their study.”
Reiss also mentioned some criticism of this application-oriented approach, citing some of his contemporaries in the field. He then concluded by sharing some of the research that has been done in Vienna, as well as future projects such as an excursion to Egypt next year to investigate the Coptic Christian situation.
The lecture was followed by a long Q&A session and ended with refreshments served in the Mugar Hall.
Badaniatz Junior Youth Group of the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church Visiting the Birds' Nest Orphanage
On Saturday, 24 December - the Badaniatz junior youth group had their Christmas event at the Birds' Nest Orphanage in Byblos, Jbeil. They had worship session with the kids, as well as social fun time and games. This way, the junior youth shared the Christmas message of joy, peace, love and hope with the kids staying at the Birds' Nest.
