An Interview with Mrs. Seta Karagoezian, on the Occassion of the Preparations for the 60th Anniversary Events of the Armenian Evangelical P. & E. Torosian School

In 2011, the Armenian Evangelical P. & E. Torosian School will celebrate its 60 years of providing quality Christian Education, preparing generations of Armenians, inspiring students to be law-abiding citizens and educating them with Christian values and principles. On this occasion, we had an interview with Mrs. Seta Karagoezian, the principal of the school, to give details about the upcoming 60th Anniversary events.

(Interview by Raffi)



Raffi - Can you tell us about the history of the Armenian Evangelical P. & E. Torosian School?
Seta - Here's a brief history of Torosian
The growing number of Armenians in the Amanos area inspired Rev. Yenovk Hadidian to start a school. Thus in 1951 (Kindergarten section only) was started in a groundfloor appartment of a buiding nearby.
Of the current building, the piece of land belongs to AMAA, and the building expenses of the two floors came as the generous donation of Peter & Elizabeth Torosians. Later in 1981 the third floor was added by the committed efforts of Mr. Ogustin Bedir.
From the founding date, year after year classes were added to the school and grade 9 was completed in 1972-1973 academic year.
The school is still faithful to its mission, rendering good Christian Education to new generations. Although times change, methods change yet the school faces new challenges each year and tries hard to keep up.

Raffi - A 60th Anniversary committee was formed, can you tell us who the committee members are?
Seta - In October 2010, by the decision of the Board of Trustees a 60th anniversary committee was formed. Its members are:
Ms. Ani Baboghlanian(Class of '82)
Ms. Shake Geocherian(Class of '82)
Ms. Mable Mamigonian(member of the Board of Trustee)
Ms. Alidz Sabounjian(has been the secretary for over 25 years)
Mr. Mike Hagopian(Class of '97)
Mr. Jean Baghboudarian(Class of '03)
Ms. Seta Karagoezian(is the principal since 1988)

Raffi - Can you tell us about the events that the committee is organizing?
Seta - The committee has planned the following events:
  1. A local alumni gathering on 22 Jan. 2011, in school
  2. "Yeraz" 's theater performance on 25 Feb.2011, in Hovhannes Boghossian hall.
  3. Easter Bazaar on 7 & 8 April, 2011, in school
  4. A brunch for mothers in May 2011 (exact date to be announced)
  5. Trip to Cilicia/Badmagan Hayasdan in Aug.1-6 OR Aug.1-12 (details will follow)
  6. A banquet in early December 2011 (exact date will be announced later)
  7. A 60th anniversary yearbook.

Raffi - How many graduates do you have today, and are you able to keep in contact with your graduates?
Seta - Intermediate graduates until today are around 500. They are distributed all over the world. We have contacts with many of them in Lebanon. There is a group of Torosiantsees in LA that have met twice in the previous years.
Facebook is making the contact easier.

Raffi - What would like to say to the students and to the alumni of Torosian School?
Seta - To all Torosiantsees I want to say that Torosian School belongs to you all. You have spent a good number of your life here, and have gained good memories.
Do your best to participate in its 60th anniversary celebrations as much as possible. Let's all join in giving thanks to God for the 60 years of blessings we all have shared.
Hope to see you all.

Life, by Krikor Aynilian



"This is how our life is. We are living our present which is kind of clear. We can somehow remember our past, but not everything so clearly; and we have plans for our future, which might be quite vague"
Krikor Aynlian

“Phoenician Kings and Queens”: The Recent Works of Arthur K. at Haigazian University

Friday, December 17th 2010, was the opening of the painting exhibition of Dr. Haroutioun Nicolian. A.K.A Arthur K., at the Haigazian University Art Center, the Matossian Gallery.

More than 40 paintings with the mixed media technique and of various sizes were displayed at the gallery, exhibiting vibrant colors and a deep perspective on the faces of ancient kings and queens of Phoenicia, including Elissa, Ithobaal, and Ashtarte. Some of these rulers originated from major cities of Lebanon such as Tyre and Saida.

Nicolian was initially influenced by the works of Picasso and then Chafic Abboud, and now he works mainly in the abstract style. He expresses a great interest in the history of the Phoenicians through his art, paying tribute to their figurines and masks.







“Painting for me is a natural inspiration born from a profound feeling towards our ancestors and patrimony,” explains Nicolian. “National enthusiasm is an expression of feeling and awareness of our heritage and rich history.”

Dr. Haroutioun Nicolian, a medical doctor by profession, is also a poet and essayist. A prolific artist with over 1000 paintings to his name, he has exhibited his works in Beirut, New York, Toronto, Montreal, Sao Paolo, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and recently in the 12th International Art Exhibition in Beijing, China.

He has been influenced by the most unique philosophy of author Zecharia Sitchin about the birth of our civilization in the areas where the people of Sumer, Mari, Urartu and Phoenicia lived. His works include three different themes: Phoenician kings and queens, Violoncello players, and Traditional houses of Lebanon.
“Phoenician Kings and Queens” is in course until December 30, 2010

Mira Yardemian
Public Relation Director

An Interview with Ms. Semaline Bekarian, Unconditional Love

In spite of the selfishness that the world encourages us to become part of, and in spite of its daring effect also on the Christian community, there are people who fervently, adamantly and cheerfully follow the path of giving it all for the sake of others, to reflect Him. This is what Semaline Bekarian calls Unconditional Love.


(Interview by Raffi)

Raffi - What are the reasons that make you want to help?
Semaline - There is no reason… Well life is a gift, and all of us are gifted. I believe that improving this world and life begins with “I”. According to me, after the verb “to Love”, “to Help” is the most beautiful verb in the world.

Raffi - What about your parents and friends, don't they tell you that you should be taking care of your needs and that you're young and need to be happy, rather than taking others' burdens?
Semaline - Nice question Raffi =) First of all, it’s not a burden at all, it's happiness.
But first you need to discover yourself, your own happiness. If you don’t know how to help yourself, you can’t give to others, and you can’t understand other people’s needs. By helping yourself and your family, you will find yourself on a path to help others genuinely.
Well, my parents are the first supporters to me, beside my wonderful friends, especially to "Sossy and Armen Balian”. I am super thankful for them.

Raffi - What kind of reactions have you received, that you still cannot forget?
Semaline - I can’t find words to express… but I will say this that they will never forget you.

Raffi - How can you define love?
Semaline - Nice one =) The definition of love is unique, and every person has a different experience with it, and this difference in experiencing love is a big part of our problem today.
Let me clear it up… For me, the most true and pure love is unconditional. It has no strings attached, no class, no positions, no levels, no expectations, no conditions, no complications, no hidden agendas, no separation... Unconditional love is healthy, healing with uplifting joy, peace and freedom. I can say a lot more, but I want to stop here and say one word: Unconditional. Love is simply saying "GOD", Who is limitless, endless, infinite; the divine, the source. As we follow His example and live according to His words, we influence our minds and feelings, and His Word helps us discern whether something is true or not.

Raffi - What can you tell us about people today? Do you agree that they have become more selfish? If yes, why?
Semaline - Well Raffi people are the same in all times, and this isn’t something new. If you take a look at history, you will see that people are inherently selfish. Selfishness is rooted in our biology, even in our genes... Generally I find this trait, not only in the materialistic field, but also socially and emotionally. It’s a long story.
This world teaches us the following: I deserve "this" and "that", I want more for my children than my parents gave me, and the children (grown up children) continue the same thinking, especially in America. When I was living there, I seldom saw children holding credit cards in their hands. It's funny, one day I was joking, I said: you know you’re living in 2010 when you have to remind kindergartners to turn off their cell phones before the story starts.
Today’s "life style": I, ME, MY, MORE, MORE, MORE. We believe that technology can give us a better life and we want more of it.

In the end, I want to say the following: The more control and power you gain and achieve, the more fearful you become of losing it. Your situation is never totally secure. Pursuing great power is endless. In America, people have everything, but they have so many problems. Their outer actions just show the symptoms of larger inner problems. They have a lot of anger inside them.
I want to conclude with this: our Creator is the author of our lives. God wants us to show to this world what it truly means to be good, not only with sympathy but with empathy. And to use His wisdom in dealing with matters, emotionally and socially. God wants us to lay our self confidence in Him, by trusting Him all our burdens. He wants us to be solid and balanced persons that others will love, respect and admire as children of God. You cannot teach to people everything, but you can help them to discover themselves, by discovering their Creator and believe me, then, they will give without remembering and take without forgetting.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. May the joy and peace of Christmas be with you all through the year.
Remember this on Christmas day, that love weighs more than gold!

And He Shall Be Called…

What child is this? Whose birthday are we celebrating?

You will find in your bulletin the 56 names and titles of Jesus. I enjoyed preparing my sermon by just going over these names and meditating on them. I hope you can take it home with you. I suggest you keep it in your Bible, go over each name and find its impact on your life.
It is Christmas and we are all going to give and receive gifts. It is a big hassle to shop for the right gift for each person. Each gift has to somehow relate to its owner. Each gift has to be appropriate to the person it is going to.

Today we are going to open the gifts that Baby Jesus received. Are they appropriate? Will Baby Jesus like them?

The first gift is GOLD.

What kind of a gift is that? Will the Baby like it or use it? Gold is a royal gift, a gift appropriate for kings. Let us go over our list and find if there are any royal titles. Yes, we find three such titles: Jesus is called “King of the Jews” and he is called “King of Kings” and “Prince of Peace.”

That day, when the Wise Men looked for the baby, they proclaimed him as king. In fact, the great King Herod was terrified of this “new baby king.” He butchered infant children thinking he would eliminate this newborn king.

From that day, till Palm Sunday, no one recognized Jesus as king. On Palm Sunday when he was riding on a donkey, they shouted "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38)

A king that rides on a donkey and not a horse is a king who, according to the prophecies of the OT, is coming to bring peace. (Prince of Peace)

"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." (John 12:15, Zch. 9:9)

What kind of peace? Any king who enters the city on a donkey symbolized a peace maker. This peace is not a passive peace. Jesus offers an internal peace in each person who comes to him with the heavy burdens of life.

Another “king”, Pilate, was confused about the identity of Jesus and kept asking, “Who are you? Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33)

“You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."(John 18:37)

Jesus answers wisely and gives the reason why this king was born.

“I came into the world to testify to the truth.”

Without his truth there is no real peace. Without knowing and experiencing His truth in our lives, there is no Christmas, and there is no Easter.

Lately we studied the “Triumph of the Lamb.” The imagery of Jesus in Revelation is just victorious. The King of Kings is ruling over the churches. All nations will see the presence of a triumphant lamb on throne. Please gaze at Jesus’ robe: “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”(Rev 19:16).

Jesus is not an ordinary king; he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

The Second gift is FRANKINCENSE

Is this an appropriate gift for a baby? Is incense any good for a baby? It might even cause a hazard? Will the fire alarms of the stable go off?

Frankincense is a gift symbolizes that Jesus is the “High Priest.” According the Old Testament the priest is the one who mediates between God and humanity. He brings the offerings of the people to God. He is the only one who can enter the Holy of Holies in the temple to offer the prayers of his people.

Therefore, I will take two names from the list: “Mediator” and “High Priest.”

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,(1 Tim2:5)

We do not have different roads to God. We have only one mediator between God and us, and that is Christ Jesus our Lord. All other earthly priests offered lambs or doves as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Yet, this Priest, he offered Himself to save us from sin and death.

“Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” (Heb 7:26)

He not only took the place of the sacrifice, he became an advocate for us sitting on the right hand of God:

“The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.”(Heb 8:1)

In fact, he called us to be a priestly nation; we are all called to be priests, dedicating our lives to God in service.

“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” (Heb 3:1)

This is an extraordinary High Priest. We can fix our thoughts on him. We fix our eyes on this King, Mediator, High Priest, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Third gift is MYRRH

This is a most unusual gift that one can offer to a newborn baby. A gift that symbolizes…death. Can you imagine giving a newborn baby a gift card from a mortuary, or a funeral home? (Cypress Lawn, Colma). Myrrh was used to embalm dead bodies. my-ylnyru gu zm-synk This gift symbolizes that Jesus will die for our sins to give us salvation. Here are the names: Savior, Man of Sorrows, Lamb of God, Redeemer and the name Jesus (yashouh, savior).

The 1st and 2nd chapters of Matthew and Luke record the vent relating to the birth of Jesus. I am not sure anyone will preach from Matthew 2:16-18 verses. It is the story that I don’t want to read. It is the story of the massacre of the innocent children of Bethlehem. It was an order given by King Herod the lunatic.

Jesus was born in a world of violence. As if Jesus were born today. He was also killed in the most vicious way, hanging on the cross for hours. (Was born in a violent world, died in violent world.) His third gift, MYRRH was given to his parents, for him, for us, for the entire world to proclaim that this little child is not an ordinary child. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, he is a Man of Sorrows, he is the Lamb of God who paid the penalty of sin.

I will repeat what Jesus said when he faced the earthly king Pilate:

“…for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”(John 18:37)

What is our response to this King?

Let me tell you the response of one person:

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).” (John 1:41)

Take a look at the list again. Which name of Jesus speaks to your heart?

What gift are you going to offer him today?

Amen

Rev. Nerses Balabanian,
Calvary Armenian Congregational Church, San Francisco