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| Look beyong Vartan's Armenianism... |
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It happened today during the pre-sermon announcements. I knew it was coming, but somehow, even we who were seeing the writing on the wall wanted to believe we had miscalculated this one. So there I was, introducing the guest clergyman - celebrant and preacher for the day: Fr. Hovhaness Hovhanessian, the Vicar General of the Artzakh Diocese and the abbot of the Gantzasar monastery. It was a beautiful and spirit-moving service, especially when we heard that this was a man who fought for freedom during the Karabagh rebellion.
And so, I stood up before the congregation and began to read the announcements - trying to move through vital items just to get to this man's message for the day. The top items included a free mammogram that we offered to women over 40 today – wow! Our church was serving both the physical and spiritual realm: deliverance by screening for cancer, and salvation through the Holy Eucharist. Next item: Lent begins the following week. Next item: our translators are fixed – pick up a receiver. Next item: I started to read the flyer for Vartanantz - its this Thursday. It was a flyer put out by the diocese, with the standard Vartan picture, you know, the sorcerer with sword in hand. Next to the icon is an invite for the masses to attend a Liturgy followed by a cultural program to accent the Armenian spirit. And as I tried to weave my way through the page with the names of people who were making up this extravaganza, I found somewhere along the way, that they were going to pass out a book called the “Orthodox explanation of the Lord’s Prayer.”
And then it hit me…: There was no English translation for this flyer. Vartanantz will be celebrated at the Diocese in the usual manner – Armenians will get together, will tell themselves about their past and will walk away much like the guests at Eleanor Rigby’s funeral.
“Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave, no one was saved. All the lonely people. Where do they all come from?.”
And so – in a impromptu manner, as warranted by the moment, I announced that this Wednesday evening’s Questions of Faith is being dedicated to St. Vartan. Here’s the deal – tell everyone this will be an incredible Bible Study. I’d like to present to you the power of faith. I’d like to share with you what a man named Vartan did and why it NOT ONLY saved the Armenian people but all of Western Civilization.
You see, the power of Armenian Orthodoxy is not in its ability to save the Armenian people. We have this all backwards. Armenian survival is ONLY THE EXAMPLE of the power of the faith. We aren’t the reasons for the faith. We’re the examples. If we can only share this with the rest of the world, the world can tap into the power that can save us from every peril, including saving us from ourselves!If you follow enough of what’s happening in the big picture of the church, the leadership is trying to isolate the faith into this ethnic ghetto. In other words, the only true and good Armenian Church member is one that speaks, reads, writes, eats, drinks, spits, marries and wears Armenian. (Yes, yes… they’re the same people that tell you Cher is Armenian even though she doesn’t fall into this category.) There’s nothing more to the faith than this ethic survivalist mentality. For them, the Church – the sacred Body of our Lord Jesus Christ – has been set up to preserve (yes, mummify) the Armenian nation.
If you caught Fr. Hovhaness’s sermon today (we’ll try to post it here on line in the next few days) – he made only one plea to the people: Pray! Isn’t it interesting that this true freedom fighter, one who knows the power of guns and has fought on the front lines, turns to us and instructs us to pray? This man who fought for the Armenian Cause, doesn’t tell you to speak or marry Armenian. Instead he tells you to pray! Can we admit for a moment that the fedai’s real strength is that he taps into the POWER OF GOD. That’s what I got out of the sermon today…
We need to stop living our faith for ourselves. Remember last week’s example: Hrant Dink is NOT a martyr of the Armenian Cause. Hrant Dink is a martyr of the Human Cause. He was a journalist that was stifled for speaking the truth and struggling for justice. His being Armenian was the example of what justice and freedom-fighting is all about. When we spoke of Hrant Dink last week, it was in the discussion with Martin Luther King and human rights. Following the same line … Vartan is the ultimate example of fighting and struggling for justice. To honor him in an Armenian-only setting is letting down the cause. We know the history. We need to get this out to the world. Armenian Orthodoxy is the way to peace and understanding. Vartan tapped into that power. You can too. Every one can – every one.
Can you think of any other people who celebrate a lost war? That’s what Vartanantz and the Battle of Avarayr are – we lost! And yet… here we are celebrating the day! Wild! There’s a reason why we celebrate it. It’s not just so we can celebrate the Armenian culture. It’s not so we can eat Armenian food. It’s not so we can put the small colored flags on our BMW’s and drive through town. Its not so we can listen to concerns of the Armenian Spirit!
Here’s another fact: Vartan stood for Christ. It was only 150 years since Armenians accepted Christianity. Yet, he was willing to (and did) give his life for this new faith. He must have understood just how powerful that faith was in his life – enough for him to sacrifice his life so that we could experience the Love of Christ today. That’s why we have crowned him for all eternity as SAINT Vartan.
Join us Wednesday evening and we’ll go in this direction.
Sadly, there’s more to say about the writing on the wall. Even we who have noticed that the Armenian Church is being pushed farther back into its ethnic enclave, wanted to believe we miscalculated. Even when some of our closest friends would warn us and tell me that they feel alienated and left-out, especially with the current direction of the Armenian Church, I would try to give some hope and reason for believing that perhaps a hand would reach out to those who are searching for the spirit. But, I was wrong. I was pointing to the leadership with the same hand that I need to reach out with. That’s what really hit me today. Read more about this under our Armenian Orthodoxy blog. But for now…
I’ll end with a hope that we can honor Vartan in a proper manner this Wednesday evening. As usual, bring your Bible and bring an open mind. I look forward to seeing you then.
View the event details.
1/30/2008, 7:30 pm, St. Peter Armenian Church632 W. Stocker St., Glendale, California, 91202
This year Sts. Vartanantz is on Thursday, January 31, 2008, therefore we will dedicate this week's Bible Study to St. Vartan and his companions. |
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Anush |
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January 28, 2008 at 11:07am |
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Yesterday's church service was very powerful, but I was one of the people that took the flyer from the pew, advertising Vartanantz....tried to read the Armenian writing...and since I never was a good reader, I put it back. I had made up in my mind, that I was probably not going to be going to the Diocese for Vartanantz (and there's always that guilt associated with not attending, y'know? Since mom and dad would ALWAYS make us go to these things when we were kids.)
I'm so happy that we'll be discussing this in our QofF Bible Study this Wednesday.
Also...I just finished reading your blog post on Armenian Orthodoxy and was just blown away. Being your sister, it was a flashback of the past 25 years, the trials and tribulations...and standing up for justice when sometimes you're the only one standing.
God bless you, Apa. And Susan, and the boys. God bless our ministry. And thank you for giving so freely of yourself so we can find the way a little easier. You're the best!
Love you! |
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| Wow, I just finally had a chance to read through this blog and I too like Linda am trying to find a way to say something meaningful and to express gratitude with words that may not exist in the english language. You are a beacon of light and hope in this world. Like Anush I too picked up the flyer but put it down immediately as I have no way of reading Armenian. Unfortunately, I have never learned to read, however I do have a great desire to learn. Moreso, I have a fire within me to learn about Armenian Orthodoxy (as that is my mom's background but was minimally exposed while growing up) and the fire burns more brightly each week after attending Bible Study and Church. I was always curious for the meanings of why things were done in the Armenian Church but there was never a means to learn about it, not to mention the "empty shell syndrome". However, Father Vazken your leadership and presence, complete presence in the Church and in the lives of your community truly strengthen that desire within me. I am like a sponge wanting to soak up all the knowledge that I have never had in the history of the Armenian people and Armenian Church and the strength of the faith. I feel like a child who has discovered the world again and it is thanks to you and this incredible community. I too am happy that we will be discussing St. Vartan and his companions this coming Wednesday and look forward to learning about the strength and conviction of their faith through your eyes and the eyes of our QoF community. |
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| Hey that's what I was wondering? That is so odd. |
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This is an awesome reflection on the present state of our Church, and where it needs to go if it is going to really do the work of Christ in our world. The Church will not become less Armenian by including others of different backgrounds who see the beauty and power of the tradition and willingly join themselves to it. Thank you for your courage in stating this out loud.
May the prayers of Saint Vartan uphold you in your ministry. |
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