Obstacles! They can be a good thing and a bad thing. Obstacles can stop us from moving in a certain direction and bring things in our lives to a standstill. Sometimes, it is obstacles that can provide the motivation and inspiration to overcome and surpass that which holds us back.

Last week I had two particular visitations that were both spiritually moving and rewarding. And, of course, I was on a visit to provide comfort, prayer and counsel and I am certain those people received that; however, I received so much more.

Both visits included people who would be considered somewhat shut-ins. They are unable to get to church anymore and yet remain very faithful members of our church. We enjoyed fellowship, prayer and great conversation.

I was moved to tears when we started talking about the olden days of going to church. They shared how their journey to church was filled with OBSTACLES. It was not easy to get to church in those days. Neither had a car and they walked everywhere. So they walked to church and had to cross over two walking bridges to get to St. Peter’s. Imagine that…crossing over the bridges and paying 5 cents to get to other side to go to CHURCH. Better yet, imagine that some did not have enough money to cross over the bridge, but would take a chance, hoping that the attendant would allow them to cross anyway, just to go to CHURCH.

Both stressed how much they loved God and the Armenian Church and wouldn’t even fathom the option of not going through those obstacles to get to Church on Sundays. It simply was not an option. God love them for their faithfulness, loyalty and devotion to God and His Church. What moving testimonies of faith!

So what are your OBSTACLES on Sunday mornings? Too tired, want family time, want to get away, need to make an extra buck, want to play golf or enjoy the weather, etc, etc. Perhaps if you paralleled your obstacles to the examples given from the people above, you would try to make more of an effort to come to Church on Sundays and overcome those obstacles. I am certain that whatever obstacles you have are not minimized by this message, but perhaps by looking at them through a different lens, you would try to combat the obstacles on Sundays and worship God at His Holy Armenian Church.

Consider it…

God’s blessings to you,

Fr. Stepanos

Do you need a jump start to your Lent this year? It started yesterday and I have some ideas for you…

Follow this acronym today for some Lenten results!
L = LOVE the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37) And a new command I give you: LOVE one another. As I have LOVED you, so you must LOVE one another. Challenge yourself to love others more freely and unconditionally without expecting anything in return. Especially those that make your life more difficult.

E = Make an EFFORT this Lent to strengthen your relationship with your Creator, God. An effort means making certain sacrifices and changing old habits.

N = NOW is the time for Lent. Not tomorrow, not next week, but NOW! (Ok, it can be at those times too, but don’t procrastinate!) NOW is the time to pray. NOW is the time to take a moment and thank God. NOW is the time to commit yourself to Him. This moment right NOW is the time.

T = Take TIME to experience Lent! Take TIME to go to St. Peter Church on Sundays at 10am or Wednesday nights at 7pm. Take TIME to be with the Lord. Take TIME for God during your lunch today. Take TIME for God before you sleep. Take TIME to give to Him.

To use your TIME more wisely during LENT, make every EFFORT to LOVE God NOW and always. And don’t forget to apply LENT (LOVE, EFFORT, NOW & TIME) to your life today!
God bless you and happy second day of Lent!

Fr. Stepanos

Krisdos dznav yev hyadnetzav
Orhnayl eh haydnootuinn Krisdosee

Christ is born and revealed
Blessed is the revelation of Christ

Tonight, tomorrow and for 8 days following, we celebrate the birth and epiphany of Jesus Christ. God revealed His Son to us through the Holy birth and baptism of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What does this mean for us today in 2012?

First, for all of us — Armenian Christmas is a time to renew our faith in God, His Son and His Holy Spirit. When you open your heart and mind to this revelation, God Himself will reveal something special and essential in your heart. He reveals His unconditional love for you and all His creation. God is love! He loves us first and gives us the opportunity to feel love and to love Him back (and to love ourselves and others too). This is the most important truth of Christian faith – God loves you! And God’s love for us is magnificently displayed in Bethlehem, out in the cold, with a small neonate, in a cave, with poor and homeless parents, surrounded by animals, shepherds, kings and angels.

Christmas is not only the birth of Jesus Christ, but it is the birth of God’s love in this world. It is the possibility of the birth of His love in our hearts. Just as the neonate Jesus Christ will grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men, allow God’s love to grow in your heart beginning this day!

My prayer for all of you in 2012 is that you open your heart and mind to receiving the greatest gift in Jesus Christ — God’s love for each of us!

May you know His love intimately.

Prayerfully,

Fr. Stepanos

PS – Come join us for Christmas Badarak tonight at 5pm, tomorrow at 10am, and then again Sunday at 10am and experience God’s love for yourself!

December 18th —- It’s SPICE Sunday, but you must be there to experience it!

You’ll find out during the sermon! See you at 10am!

SPICE

noun
1. any of a class of pungent or aromatic substances of vegetable origin, as pepper, cinnamon, or cloves, used as seasoning, preservatives, etc.
2. such substances collectively or as material: Cookies without spice can be tasteless.
3. a spicy or aromatic odor or fragrance.
4. something that gives zest: a spice of humor in his solemnity.
5. a piquant, interesting element or quality; zest; piquancy:The anecdotes lent spice to her talk.

verb (used with object)
• to prepare or season with a spice or spices.
• to give zest, piquancy, or interest to by something added.

Origin:
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English, aphetic form of Old Frenchespice ( French épice ) < Latin speciēs appearance, sort, kind (see species), in Late Latin (plural): goods, wares, spices, drugs;(v.) Middle English spicen, in part derivative of the noun, in part< Old French espicer, derivative of espice

Related forms:
spice·a·ble, adjective
spice·less, adjective
spice·like, adjective
o·ver·spice, verb, -spiced, -spic·ing.
re·spice, verb (used with object), -spiced, -spic·ing.

Der Stepanos

St. Peter Armenian Church
100 Troy Schenectady Road
PO Box 196
Watervliet, NY 12189
(518) 274-3673
stpeter.armch@prodigy.net

I love to hear Christmas Carols. There are times, even in the middle of summer, that I will break out in song, singing my favorite carols. However to hear them continuously on the radio since November 5th is a bit extreme, unless I hear a few of the spiritual Christmas carols. My favorite is “O Come all ye Faithful.” This is not only a Christmas carol, but also a statement of faith. It is a prayer. It is worship. It is giving God glory!

As we approach the beginning of Advent — the season to prepare for the coming of the Lord — let us be joyful and triumphant. Let us open our hearts to make room for Jesus Christ and His love and mercy. On Sunday, November 27th, the Armenian Church begins the 50-day preparatory period (called hisnag in Armenian) until the birth of Christ.

How will you “Come to Bethlehem” this year? In our very secular and face-paced commercial world we live in, try coming to St. Peter Armenian Church, slow down and pray. And let the Holy Church help you find a new Bethlehem in your heart.

As a church family, we cannot wait for our annual Christmas Eve services on December 24th and then our Armenian Christmas Services on January 5 & 6. However, it is not enough to simply come on those days alone. To “Behold Him, the King of Angels,” it will take more than the warm and fuzzy feelings of the Christmas season, drinking hot chocolate and singing carols. It will take some effort on your part. Carve out time to worship with us on Sundays and hear the Word of God, sung and preached. Open your Bible and read it, even if it is one verse or one passage or one chapter a day. Come and be a part of the faithful at St. Peter Church and together we will “behold and adore Him,” this year and always.

Please note that this Saturday, November 19th, a special Advent retreat will take place at church. It will begin at 9:30am and end at 2:30pm, with a delicious Armenian lunch provided. The theme is “Prepare the way of the Lord.” The Advent retreat will integrate the Bible, liturgy and prayer to create an environment to spiritually prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ. Please call the church or e-mail to RSVP and join us. You will leave the retreat uplifted!

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! For evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Advent (Heesnag) is a time (50 days) that the church gives each of us to prepare ourselves for the birth of our and Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Do you remember my sermon about Advent on November 20th? I used an acronym for each letter of the word Advent. Those 6 letters were used to describe what Advent means to us, as well as how and why we prepare for our body, soul and mind for Christmas day.

For those who were not there on the 29th, here are the 6 words for you to reflect upon during your journey through Advent, greeting the “Good News of Salvation,” on Christmas morning.

Advent =

ADORE – O Come let us adore Him, Christ the King! Adore means to love and respect deeply. It also means worship and venerate, which we are called to only worship and venerate God alone.

DEVOTE – Set time aside in your day, your morning or evening, or even just 5 minutes and fully give your heart, soul and body to Jesus Christ. Consider it sacred time, only for you and God!

VIGILANCE – Be awake and alert toward God and His ways. Set alarms on your smart phones or calendars daily to reflect upon the birth of Christ in your life.

EVANGELIZE – Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ and Salvation – let others know about the birth of Jesus Christ.

NEWNESS – “Behold I make all things new.” Revelation 21:1-7. Each day is a new beginning for us. Thank God He gives us renewal each day. Remember this each morning as you awake!

TIMELESS – Every day is the birth of Christ. God’s blessings of love, joy, mercy and forgiveness are beyond time and day. His blessings Reach out for His blessings. “Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.” Psalm 21:6

I feel hurt
Jesus was pained

I feel tired
Jesus was exhausted

I feel abandoned
Jesus was betrayed

I feel cheated
Jesus was deceived

I feel angry
Jesus was disturbed

I feel overwhelmed
Jesus was stressed

I feel challenged
Jesus struggled

I feel stranded
Jesus was denied

I feel sad
Jesus wept

I feel empty
Jesus was emptied

I feel bullied
Jesus was mocked

I feel vulnerable
Jesus was exposed

I feel scared
Jesus was frightened

I feel threatened
Jesus was tortured

I feel hunger
Jesus was thirsty

I feel wounded
Jesus shed blood

I feel diseased
Jesus was crucified

I feel hopeless
Jesus was resurrected

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

God’s abundant blessings to you,
Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian

Christ is Risen from the Dead
Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ

Krisdos Haryav ee Merelots
Orhnayl he Haydnootuinn Krisdosee

At the end of holidays, I had a very enlightening experience with my son Jonah. It was his last day of vacation and he had thoroughly enjoyed playing with his new toys from Christmas and having lots of friends over. He was enjoying life!

However, it was now Sunday afternoon before the start of school once again after a long break. I knew that it wasn’t going to be pretty getting him to wind down in order to get into the Mindset for school. In the late afternoon, I told him, “We are getting ready for school now, I want you to do some reading, so no more DS and no more Wii games (video gaming).” He went nuts and had a complete meltdown. In the midst of Jonah’s crying and carrying on, he yelled out, “You’re a bad parent.” There was total silence from both of us. Wow! His words pierced me in the heart. My son had never said anything like that before and it hurt. I love him, as I do my daughter Gloria, they are such a blessing to me and I love them so much. I walked away stunned and he walked away, settled down, took a shower, ate dinner and went into his room to read. We did not exchange any words.

As he went to bed that night, he asked me if I could lay down with him, so I did. I laid on the bottom bunk and he was on the top one. It was real quiet for about 10 minutes. The he spoke, “Daddy?” I said, “Yes Jonah.” “I am sorry for what I said to you this afternoon,” he blurted out. And then my heart melted. I went to the top bunk and gave him a huge hug and said,”It’s okay son, I love you Jonah.” And he smiled and said, “I love you too” and fell asleep. I laid there in amazement. Good for Jonah for being able to say he was sorry for what he said. It was a beautiful moment as a parent.

A lesson for us all — it’s a good thing to say, “I am sorry.”

Have you looked at ALL the circulars to find the lowest price on that special gift? Have you checked Amazon.com for a better deal online? Are your decorations up yet? Do you have enough lights? Have you decided where you are getting the tree from this year? How about your Christmas gift list? Your Christmas menu? The day after Christmas sales? There are many things to prepare for this Christmas season. While many of our preparations are important — there is one that should take precedence — the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The church has given us many gifts, one of them being the time period called “Advent.” It is a fifty-day period of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. In the Armenian Church, Advent is so important that it first begins with a day of good living (November 21st) called Paregentan (which literally means paree = good and gentan = living). Then, the week following, the Paregentan is a week-long fast. After those two events, we are now ready to begin Advent on November 28th!!

The church gives us so much detail to the season of Advent, and it is that way so that may we especially prepare our hearts, minds and bodies to become a vessel to receive our Lord and Saviour.

Today, Monday, December 6th, we are now into our eighth day of Advent, and there is still plenty of time to prepare ourselves for the true meaning of Christmas — 33 days left in fact to do so.

Therefore, how will you prepare your heart, mind and soul for the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Will you try to read the Bible a bit more? Will you pray more fervently, or more simply? Will you remember Jesus as you are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the malls and shopping centers? Will you do a good deed or offer a kind word to someone? Will you reach out to someone who needs a phone call, letter or e-mail? Will you visit someone who is under the weather or suffering from an illness? Will you remember the needy, homeless and the poor? Will you make an extra effort to come to church to worship and listen to a sermon? Will you come this Wednesday night, December 8th, to the Bible, Church and Community class at St. Peter Armenian Church at 7pm to discover the true meaning of Christmas? Will you do all things in the name of God?

So this year, how will your preparation period before Christmas be different? Now that you realize the church’s importance placed on Advent, you have been given the tools needed to make this Christmas truly your most memorable, fulfilled and blessed one yet.

My prayers to you for a spiritual Advent.

Okay, I do agree that it’s a bit early for accumulating snow, but either way, it was fun and I was happy. Meteorologist Stephanie Abrams on the Weather Channel this morning said that the first snow of the year is always magical. I agree. However, I did pray for all those involved in the MANY accidents on the road. Once again people need to get use to snowy and icy roads and drive with caution — that part of the first snow is not magical.

Yesterday, working from my wonderful office in the new addition of our church, I felt a great sense of peace come over me. As I was making calls to people in our community, working on correspondence, conducting meetings, sending out e-mails and working on articles and presentations, I would glance out my eight windows and be taken away by the pure white of the outside. The stillness of the snow blanketing the ground and our church property was serene. The image of white snow, reminded me of the symbolism of the color white, representing purity, resurrection and newness of life in Jesus Christ (it’s why we place a new white outfit on infants when they are baptized). In the falling of the gentle, peaceful snow, I felt the blessing presence of our Lord upon me.

The next snow we receive, may you too find peace and beauty in the falling graces from the sky sent from our Heavenly Father.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11
God’s blessings to you,