From your Pastor's Pen...
From Your Interim Pastor
The words “Deadline for the church newsletter” tell me that this will be the last time I will have the privilege to write this column. Unfortunately it has been so for the last several months, and I find myself writing one more time because our new pastor elect’s arrival is postponed. I sincerely hope that the Rev. Vatche Ekmekjian will be with us soon, and all this waiting will be forgotten and we will all be wiser for it!
The months of May and June are rich with celebrations. We have Mother’s day on May 10, with a planned luncheon and program on Saturday, May 9; followed by Ascension Day on Thursday, May 21; Memorial Day on Monday, May 25 with our traditional church picnic on that same day; followed by Pentecost Sunday on May 31. On to the month of June with all its Graduation Days, we have the end of our formal Sunday School Year; and on to Father’s Day on June 21, which also happens to be the First Day of Summer! Two full months of happy occasions and celebrations!
The season of Spring and the gradual warming of the weather remind us that we live in the Easter Season, which not only coincides with the Spring Season and the renewal of nature, but also celebrates the God who continually recreates us in the image of our risen Lord! It is Easter Faith which sustains us in the midst of all in our world that negates, deny and destroy life, and it is the joyful task of the church to keep affirming the hope of new beginnings, and to proclaim and celebrate God’s continuing gift of new life in Christ. It is Easter Faith which confirms in us that in Christ one can be alive not only in Spring, but also in Summer, Fall and Winter; and that the memory of Easter makes life possible in all seasons, even in the dreary fall or cold winter of life!
Some of the joys that have touched our lives in the past few months fill our hearts with gratitude and our mouths with songs of praise. We thank God that the church has found a permanent senior pastor in the Rev. Vatche Ekmekjian. Yes, his coming with his whole family is a little bit delayed, but it will not be long before the church has a permanent shepherd who will lead this flock for years to come! Let us all pray for the Ekmekjian family, that as God teaches us patience in our waiting, we may not forget that God is in control and faithful in all the ways!
We are also thankful for this congregation who has accepted and continues to accept the many challenges that life brings our way. Our elderly people are living longer, but they have already passed the baton of leadership to younger and more energetic souls, whose dedication at times humble us and make us realize that God has a purpose and a mission for this church. Easter Sunday’s full sanctuary was a witness to that! We thank God that together we could hear and sing the message of hope which confirms our faith in our living Lord. May the echo of the Easter Greetings we exchanged during and following the service, ever resonate in our lives throughout the whole year and become a benediction we carry with us through the thick and thin of life!
Let us also be thankful to God for the many ways and activities in which we allow our Easter Faith to be incarnated in the fellowship and mission of our church; for the many ways we will give life to our visions as the body of Christ, reaching out to community and world alike with acts that reflect Christ’s compassion and love. Let us give thanks to God for our growing passion for greater dedication and faithfulness within our household of faith, and for justice and peace within our global human family. Add to these your own personal joys as you celebrate your Easter Faith. May they brighten your life always. In Christ, JMS
From Your Pastor Elect
April; to live
In many cultures names have significant meanings for the bearers; like people, places, and events. Those names hide or even convey the history of the experiences lying behind them. They tell about the stories accumulated around and raise special impressions among those who encounter with them.
As an Armenian who lives both his individuality and the communal life, I have special feelings and memories attached with names from Easter season.
First, when I contemplate about the name April I can't forget about the inner urge of our collective unconscious for the idea of Life. In Armenian, the name of the month April is pronounced like Abreel, which means to live. Even though this name was adopted by our ancestors in the post-Christian era, it has always reflected the collective belief that this month brings with it life to the creation and hope to our people even in the middle of all kinds of suffered atrocities. Thus in a month where Armenians all over the world remember their victims of 1915-1916, the name Abreel comes to reestablish our hope in life and the life lived abundantly.
Abreel (April) reminds me of Jacob's attitude at Peniel after a long night's wrestle with a man of the Lord (Genesis 32). In the daybreak Jacob was as if clutching the collar of the man and saying – I will not let you go unless you bless me. This is the attitude of the man who hangs on to heavenly blessings and life facing all worldly bruises and persecutions.
This was the attitude of our forefathers when they had chosen not to surrender but to live. This is what is called a nation raised from under the ashes, from where I will borrow my second reflection.
Among all the common Armenian personal names, there was a time where approximately one out of ten Armenian males was called Haroutyoun (Resurrection in Armenian). I wonder how many nations or ethnic groups are there in the world that uses the native word of resurrection as personal name, but the Armenian usage explains a lot of unseen collective memories.
Throughout 1700 years this nation who has been a witness for the crucified and the risen Lord, has always and still regards itself as a people who have come to life despite all carnage and misery.
This April like the others will be full of mixed feelings. The joyous Hosannas of the Palm Sunday will be followed by the Passion Week. Then the glorious Easter will be followed by the commemoration of the massacre of the Armenian Pastors in 1909 in Cilicia and finally April 24 will be remembered.
I ponder about these dates and memories and find my individual and communal refuge only in the truth that we belong to a community of faith who bears the risen Christ both in his memories and in everyday lived life.
Pastor Elect
Rev. Vatche Ekmekjian