THE END?

Jesus’ return is imminent, but does that mean it will happen this month?

The predictions are proclaimed everywhere—on billboards, lawn signs, placards held by groups of people at intersections. The message is clear: the day is almost here when Jesus will return to judge the world. The call is to all people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ in order to be taken away at the rapture of all true believers…to occur on an exact date. The messenger is a self-educated Bible teacher, who has amassed numerous followers through his radio and television outreach with claims to possess the proper understanding of the secrets of God, hidden through the ages–secrets which even Jesus himself did not claim to know, if we are to believe his cautionary words in Matt. 24:36, 44. 
As Christians, in order to derive some benefit from this situation, and perhaps even deepen our faith roots so that we are not “blown about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14), we should review a number of things, but do so “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
First of all, Christ did in fact promise to return (see Matt. 25.31-46 and others) in judgment. This word to the early church was central to the first believers’ preaching and the vitality of their outreach as well as their compassion. We preachers have found it convenient to excise that aspect of Christ’s teachings from our sermons, and too many churches have been satisfied to settle for this. But for a lasting transformation of a world permeated with selfishness and evil, the only lasting hope is the
Coming of the Lord.
Second, it is a fruitless and naïve endeavor to claim to know the date and time. Making predictions has always been a failure (if you are interested, look up “October 22, 1844” to learn why this is so), and has brought ridicule not just upon those making this claim, but on the gospel itself as being merely a fantasy. Jesus told us to be watchful and faithful stewards and servants until that unexpected hour; he did not tell us to spend time counting the hours until it happened.
Third, sincerity of belief is no guarantee of being correct. Even people of other faiths might be much more convinced that they have the correct revelation, and even be willing to die (or kill) for that conviction, but that does not prove that they are “of the truth.” God’s truth, taught to us in the scriptures and embodied in Jesus Christ, makes it clear that we must be humbly following our Lord in order to be “in the truth.”
Fourth, the truth we are called to proclaim in this world is much more powerful and more winsome than any sort of date-setting. We are entrusted with the gospel of grace, offering the words of hope in Jesus Christ that people long for, words which bring new life and transformation where previously there had been only dead ends and decay. Christ’s people must reiterate the Lord’s call to repentance, admitting, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (including themselves), while never neglecting to add that God accepts all who trust in Jesus and not in their own righteousness (see Romans 3:21-26).
When we speak the truth in love, let us be mindful of people’s anxiety about “Judgment Day” and “End of the World” predictions, especially at a time when wars and unrest, economic struggles and natural disasters seem to corroborate the predictions of some. Jesus our Savior must be our example
in this. He both rigorously challenged the religious teachers caught up in the certainty of their systems and half-truths, while at the same time tenderly binding the wounds of the brokenhearted and calling them to turn from their sin to follow him while they still had the opportunity to do so. May Jesus’ wisdom, power and love be our inspiration and our guide.

In Christ’s love,
Badveli Nishan Bakalian
ARMENIAN MARTYRS’ CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA, USA

Vatican invites bloggers to first-ever summit

Associated Press

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican Monday invited 150 bloggers from around the world to a first-ever blogging summit, increasingly aware of the important role faith-based blogging is playing in spreading Catholicism.

Monks, priests, nuns and lay bloggers hunched over their iPads and Tweeted updates to their followers as Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, head of the Vatican’s social communication’s office, told them of the Vatican’s desire to get to know them better and establish a genuine relationship.

“We’re here for a dialogue, a dialogue that from our side means the conviction of the concrete, important and unique role of your presence in the world of communication,” Celli told the bloggers.

The Vatican has been seeking to engage more with the online world: for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican created a special Facebook page, Twitter account, ran clips of his 27-year pontificate on its YouTube channel and let the faithful send electronic postcards to one another about what they were experiencing via its youth-based news portal.

The blogging summit was another step in that direction.

The Catholic blogging community is as diverse as Roman Catholicism, with a range of views and topics: Some people blog about spirituality, others take a more political tone about the direction of the church, others share information about liturgical questions.

Elizabeth Scalia, who writes a popular blog http://www.patheos.com/community/theanchoress/ said the diversity of Catholicism runs into challenges when exposed to the limitless boundaries of the blogosphere, a reference to the often mean-spirited jabs that can sometimes define online debates about faith. She called for greater sense of charity among bloggers to keep the debate civil.

“Let’s face it, when the ego is ignited and the passions are galloping, we all too easily ignore our own better angels and sacrifice charity for the satisfaction of what we consider a good jab at someone who got it wrong,” she said.

The Rev. Roderick Vonhogen, a Dutch blogger and CEO of the http://sqpn.com site, said blogging for Catholic priests was a great way to spread the faith to people who aren’t necessarily looking for it. He says it can be even more effective than sitting in his remote parish celebrating Mass for 200 because he can reach 40,000 people around the world.

“If we just do what we do in our churches, behind closed doors, we will have empty buildings by the end of the day,” he said.

Monsignor Paul Tighe, the No. 2 in the Vatican’s social communications office, said the idea of bringing together a cross-section of bloggers had been kicking around the Vatican for some time, but that the occasion of John Paul’s beatification Sunday seemed like the logical time to do it since many bloggers were going to be in Rome anyway.

“It’s very much a first step, to meet with, to hear their concerns, to try to talk about some of the things we’re doing and see if people want to take it further, or how they think it might be helpful to take the discussion further,” Tighe said in a recent interview.

He stressed that the Vatican wasn’t interested in trying to organize or police the Catholic blogosphere, which has its own fair share of extremist views.

“I think we recognize that even if it were our agenda, it would be a very futile exercise,” Tighe said.

As befits the rapid-fire way news travels in the blogging community, the conference drew 750 requests from would-be participants from around the world. Tighe said only 150 were accepted because of space constraints, and that they were chosen by language groups and then by lottery.

Some of those who didn’t get in – many of them conservative or who write tradition-minded blogs –planned to attend an alternative summit scheduled for a Rome pub Tuesday, where organizers promised pizza and beer, and that “all the cool kids will be there.”

Daniel Decker "Adana"



Lyrics: Daniel Decker (USA)
Music: Ara Gevorgian

Performers: Daniel Decker (USA), Vitalie Dani (Moldova), Tsvetan Tsvetov (Bulgaria), Kai Aughagen (Germany), Inka (Finland), Gegham Grigoryan (Armenia).

Haigazian University Commemorates the 96th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

On Monday, April 25, 2011, Haigazian University commemorated the 96th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide through poetry, narrative and music at the First Armenian Evangelical Church in Kantari, Beirut.
Among the official attendees were: Rev. Megrdich Karagoezian, the president of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East; University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, Minister Jean Oghasabian, members of the Lebanese Parliament Sebouh Kalpakian, Arthur Nazarian, Shant Chinchinian, Dr. Bassem Shabb, former MPs Souren Khanamirian and Dr. Nourijan Demirjian, Director General of the Ministry of Environment Dr. Berj Hadjian, Mrs. Noura Joumblatt representing MP Walid Joumblat, the Mexican Ambassador George Alvares, the chair of the Social Democratic Henchag Party Dr. Mardig Jamgotchian; the president of the Near East School of Theology Dr. Mary Mikhael, the national director of World Vision Ms. Anita Delhaas-van Dijk, the secretary general of the Bible Society Lebanon Dr. Mike Bassous, in addition to representatives of different embassies, associations, University lecturers and friends of Haigazian University.
April 1915 was the beginning of a brutal extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey, a genocide that changed the lives of all Armenians forever. Now, only four years away from the 100 year anniversary, the Armenians of the Diaspora still long for their homeland and recall the suffering of their grandparents and great-grandparents.
In remembrance of this tragic loss, a varied selection of beautiful pieces of poetry and prose were read to those in attendance. The powerful words of Hovhannes Toumanian, Kevork Emin, Siamanto, and other great Armenian poets went straight to the heart.
The prominent participants invited to read these passages came from various walks of life, including H.E. Mr. Ashod Kocharian, the Armenian Ambassador, Mr. Mohammad El Sammak, Secretary General of the Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, and Secretary General of the Islamic Spiritual Summit in Lebanon; Father Marwan Tabet, Secretary General of the Catholic Schools in Lebanon; Maestro Dr. Harout Fazlian, Conductor of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra; Mr. Wael Kheir, lecturer on International Law and Human Rights; Ms. Sarah Adams, the representative of the Mennonite Central Committee for Lebanon & Syria; Mrs. Carmen Labaki Kadian, movie director and producer; and Ms. Dima Matta, a Haigazian University graduate.
The poignant musical pieces selected for this solemn occasion were performed by the Ethno Vocal Trio of Armenia, led by Anna Mayilian, the artistic director, and vocalists Alina Avakian and Hasmig Zakarian, as well as pianist Elen Giragosian. The enthralling choral piece “Ov Hayots Ashkhar” was jointly sung by the Hamazkayin Ayk Choir and the Armenian Evangelical Armiss Choir, under the leadership of Mr. Zakar Keshishian.
The namesake of the University, Dr. Armenag Haigazian’s tragic suffering and death was remembered through the words of his grandson, in a filmed excerpt of the 2010 graduation ceremony.
Another moving video segment came from Peter Balakian’s lecture at Haigazian University, back in 2005, reading the story of “Manoug”, from his book “The Black Dog of Fate”.
In addition, a slide show of the famous French-Armenian artists, Jansem’s paintings depicted scenes of deportation and martyrdom, as Lucine Zakarian’s recorded music moved the audience with awe.
With the coincidence of the Resurrection of Christ with the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide this year, today was also a time for hope and for justice. In the words of Mr. Mohammad El Sammak, “people change, justice doesn’t.”