V.H. Apelian's Blog

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Առանց հրաւէրի այցելութիւն չըլլար

Վահէ Յ Աբէլեան

էջմիածին կղերական համագումար, Սուր Փրկիչ (էջմիածին թեմ),
Սուրբ Երրորդութիւն (Կիլիկեան թեմ) Եկեղեցիներ, Worcester, MA

Պատեհութիւնը ունեցած եմ Անթիլիասի Կիլիկիոյ Սիսի Կաթողիկոսութեան արժանաւոր գահակալներուն աջը համբուրել՝ Զարէհ, Խորէն եւ Գարեգին Բ Կաթողիկոսներունը ծնողքիս ընկերակցութեամբ, Լիբանան։ Իսկ Արամ Կաթողիկոսինը, Ուսթըր քաղաքին եկեղեցիին հովուական այցելութեան ընթացքին, այս տարի։ Կիլիկիոյ Սիսի՝ կամ այժմու Անթիլիասի կաթողիկոութեան այդ գահակալները եղան օրինակելի եկեղեցական հայրեր։

Արամ կաթողիկոսը ուշագրաւ յայտարարութիւններ ըրաւ անցնող հինգ-վեց տարիներուն ընթացքին, Հայաստանի 44-Օրուան անփառունակ պարտութիւնէն ետք։ իր վերջին յայտարարութիւնէն կը մէջբերեմ հետեւալը։

«Արդարեւ, որեւէ ազգի, եկեղեցւոյ կամ կազմակերպութեան կեանքին մէջ սխալներ, բացթողումներ, բեւեռացումներ, առճակատումներ կրնան ըլլալ. սակայն անոնք հարկ է որ քննարկուին յատուկ գործընթացքներու ճամբով եւ հանդարտ մթնոլորտի մէջ, որպէսզի կարելի ըլլայ համապատասխան լուծումներու յանիլ։

Շուրջ վեց տարիներէ ի վեր, դժբախտաբար, Հայրենիք չեմ այցելած։ Վերջին օրերուն մտածեցի, շա՜տ մտածեցի, Հայաստան գալու մասին, որպէսզի կարենամ օժանդակել ստեղծուած փոթորիկը նուազագոյնը հանդարտեցնելու ուղղութեամբ։ Սակայն, Ազգային Ժողովէն ու ընկերային ցանցերու ճամբով եւ այլապէս կատարուած ու շարունակուող անմակարդակ, մեր բարոյական, հոգեւոր ու ազգային արժէքներուն խոտոր համեմատող արտայայտութիւնները, ինչպէս նաեւ կատարուող ձերբակալութիւնները չեն քաջալերեր զիս քայլերս ուղղելու դէպի Հայրենիք։»

Արամ վեահափառին յայտարարութիւններէն ամենէն անկողմնակալը եւ հետեւաբար ամենէն դրականը եւ շինիչը յայտարարոթիւնն էր։ Բայց այդ յայտարարութեան մէջ Արամ վեհաբառը չ՚ակնարկեր Հայաստանէն որեւէ հրաւէրի մը որուն ընդառաջած չըլլար։ Իմ ենթադրութեանս համաձայն Արամ Վեհափառը Հայաստան այցելելութեան հրաւէր չէ ստացած այդ ժամանակամիջոցին։ Բնականաբար այդ հրաւէրը պիտի գար Գարեգին Բ Ամենայն Հայոց կաթողիկոսէն եւ ոչ թէ պետութիւնէն։

Նմանապէս կը կասկածիմ որ Արամ Վեհափառը Հայաստան այցելութեան հրաւէր պիտի ստանայ մեծամիտ Գարեգին Բ Կաթողիկոսէն, մանաւանդ որպէսզի օժանդակէ «ստեղծուած փոթորիկը նուազագոյնը հանդարտեցնելու ուղղութեամբ։» Արամ վեհափառը կը գտնուի մուրճի եւ սալի միջեւ։

Պետութիւն-Էջմիածինի տարակարծութիւնը կրօնական չէ, այլ քաղաքական պայքար մըն է, չ՚ըսելու համար «սրբազան պայքար» մը, քանի մը բարձրաստիճան կղերականներու առաջմորդբւթեամբ, որոնք քաղաքական որեւէ առաջնորդութիւն պիտի չստանցնէին առանց Գարեգին Բ. կաթողիկոսին արտօնութեանը։

Գարեգին Բ. կաթողիկոսը կը վայելէ բացառձակ աջակցութիւնը Ռուսական Դաշնակցութեան կառավարութեան եւ Ռուս Ուղղափառ եկեղեցիին, ինչպէս նաեւ Հայաստանի մէջ Թաւշեայ Յեղափոխութեան առաջնորդ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի կառաւարութեան ընդիմադիր ճակատի աջակցութիւնը, մասնաւորաբար երկու նախքին նախագահներունը՝ Քոչարեան-Սարգյան, որոնք իրենց իշխանութեան քսան տարինհերուն ընթացքին թալանեցին երկիրը եւ կամ ժողովուրդը։

Ինչպէս նշեցի՝ Վեհաբառ Արամը կը գտնուի սալին եւ այդ մուրճին միջեւ։ Տակաւին չեմ կրցած պատկերացնել տրամաբանութեան հիմքը որ կը մղէ սփիւռքի ՀՅԴ-ի ղեկաւարութիւնը նեցուկ կենալ Գարեգին Բ կաթողիկոսին եւ ընդիմանալ կառաւարութեան։ Անհաւանական չէ որ՝ Քոչարյան-Սարգսյան-Գարեգին Բ. կաթողիկոս հատուածը տիրապետէ Հայաստաանի քաղաքականութեան եւ Հայաստանի ընթացքը առաջնորդէ դէպի Ռուսաստանի Դաշնակցութիւն եւ Ռուս Ուղղափառ Եկեղեցին։ Հայաստանը չի կրնար Ռուսասդանի եւ հետեւաբար Ռուս Ուղղափառ Եկեղեցիին մերձանալ եւ պահել իր ինքնիշխանութիւնը։ Բայց Հայաստանը կրնայ քաղաքականօրէն մերձանալ արեւմուտքին եւ պահել իր ինքնիշխանութիւնը։

Ռուսաստանով եւ Ռուս Ուղղափառ եկեղեցիով գօտապնդուած Էջմիածնի կաթողիկոսութեան առաջնահերթութիւնը պիտի ըլլայ վէրջ տալ Կիլիկեան Թեմին Հիւսիսային Ամերիկայի մէջ։ Թերեւս նոյնիսկ Միջին Արեւելքի մէջ եթէ կարնեայ։

Էջմիածինին համար, Կիլիկիոյ Սիսի Կաթողիկոսութիւնը անկոչ հիւր է Հիւսիսային Ամերիկայի մէջ ուր Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցին հիմնուեցաւ Խրիմեան Հայրիկին կոնդակով։ Առաջին Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցին Հիւսիսային Ամերիկայի մէջ – ինչպէս նաեւ Արեւմտեան Աշարհին մէջ – Էջմիածնայ թեմին պատկան Սուրբ Փրկիչ (Saint Savior) եկեղեցին է որ հիմնուած է 1891 թուականին, Worcester քաղաքին մէջ, որուն արուարձաններէն մէկուն մէջ բնակութիւն հաստատած ենք։ Այդ եկեղեցիին հիմնադրութիւնէր 43 տարիներ ետք, երկբեւեռացած Պաղ Պատերազմի օրերուն, Սուրբ Փրկիչ եկեղեցիէն քանի մղոն հեռու, հիմնուեցաւ Կիլիկեան Թեմին Սուրբ Երրորդութիւն (Holy Trinity), Կիլիկեան թեմի պատկան եկեղեցին որուն ինիսուն ամեակը տօնուեցաւ անցեալ տարի։

Ռուսաստանով եւ Ռուս Ուղղափառ Եկեղեցիով գօտեպնդուած Գարեգին Բ - ի էջմիածինի կաթողիկոսութիւն նեցուկ պիտի չմնայ Հիւսիսային Ամերիկայի Կիլիկեան Թեմին՝ այժմու Անթիլիասի Կաթողիկոսութեանը՝ Արեւմտահայերէնին վերջին պատսապարանը եւ Արեւմտահայստանէն մնացած միակ հաստատութիւնը։

Ինչպէս նշած էի՝ չեմ կրցած պատկերացնել պատմական տրամբաութեան հիմնաւորումը որ կը մղէ սփիւռքի ՀՅԴ-ը նեցուկ կենալ Գարեգին Բ կաթողիկոսին եւ ընդիմանալ ազգընտիր ներկայ պետութեան, փոխանակ նեցուկ մնացած ըլլար Արամ Վեհափառին վերջին, թէեւ ուշատցած, բայց շինիչ եւ դրական յայտարարութեանը։

Ինչպէս Հայաստանը, այնպէս ալ Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցին խնդրոյ առարկայ չեն եւ չեն կրնար ըլլալ։ Հարցը հայ պետականութեան եւ Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցիին գերիշխանութիւններն են որոնք խնդայարուց են։ Կ՚ունենաք ազատ, անկախ, ժողովրդավարական Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն մը, եւ Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցին որպէս գերիշխան, իրար ամբողջացնող հաստատութիւններ։ Կամ ալ կունենանք Պէլարուսի նման պետութիւն մը որուն ընկերային, կրօնական կարք ու սարքը համառատու են Ռուսական Դաշնակցութեան եւ անոր Ռուս Ուղղափառ եկեղեցիին։

Saturday, July 12, 2025

A new world order is shaping fast.

Vaհe H Apelian

Yesterday,10-July, 202,, ALJAZEERA reported the following: “The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have held peace talks in the United Arab Emirates after nearly four decades of conflict, but no hoped-for breakthrough has been announced. The meeting in Abu Dhabi on Thursday between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came after the two countries finalized a draft peace deal in March.”

While “no hoped breakthrough has been announced”, let us not be fooled. A new world order is shaping fast.

Yesterday, Friday July 11, 2025, The New York Times reported that “Dozens of Kurdish fighters from Turkey publicly burned their weapons on Friday during a ceremony to demonstrate that their insurgent group was giving up its decades-long armed struggle against Turkey.” The Kurdish fighters who burned a cache of weapons in northern Iraq, in a rare public display of disarmament, even though days before they had successfully downed several explosive-laden drones allegedly launched by Turkey, are from PKK - the Kurdistan Workers' Party. Ankara hailed the weapons destruction as a “turning point” in its decades-long conflict with the PKK, which it designates a terrorist group.

Iran is out of Syria and a new dawn for Syrian and Turkish relations has appeared on the horizon. The world is on a move.

I post the following comments from a group of us, fellow Kessabtsis, who were born and raised in that part of the world, exchanging our views regarding this rapid pace of global change.

Ara said:

“Arab nationalism succumbed to pragmatism. The gulf states are wielding more power than all the Arab Armies that are no more and the heroes of the past marched to the gallows like Saddam, Qaddafi and the vanquished Bashar ..

A new world order!

UAE, maybe even the new Syria will profoundly affect Armenia.

The status quo and mind set of post WW-1 is undergoing a seismic change. “

Jack said:

“Any dream of Kurdistan is quashed for the foreseeable future. Yes, thankful for peace, sad that the Kurds don’t have a homeland of their own after all these centuries. As the kids in the sandbox might say, “not fair!”. Yes Johnny, but such is life. We better not bitch too much about Pashinian ‘selling out Artsakh, or Western Armenia’. Be thankful if we remain with ANY Armenia.”

I quote from a comment I made regarding the Armenian Church and the State conflict in Armenia that may have an adverse affect on the viability of a free, independent, democrat sovereign republic of Armenia we dreamed. “There was a time when the perception of the Armenian Apostolic Church was national (azkayin). But in the free, independent, democratic, sovereign Armenia, the perception of the Armenian Apostolic Church is partisan and political that may not be in sync with the state’s policy. If Armenians are to have a sovereign republic, a new experience for us, the Armenian Apostolic Church will have to make adjustments to the realities of a democratic sovereign Republic of Armenia that will shape the policy of the republic it advocates, in peace with its immediate neighbors and with the regional and global powers.”

Random quotes:

I quote the following comment by Srepan Piligian from one of his weekly columns in the Armenia Weekly. “Simply put, if the democratic institutions of Armenia are not supported in this transition, then what is the point of sovereignty?”

Recently Hagop commented in the Armenian weekly saying: “Armenia’s soul is its democracy”. Which, needless to say must be safeguarded by all law abiding citizens, naturally including its ecclesiastical fathers.

Indeed, may God be with you for Armenia, PM.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Vahagn Aleksanyan, a true role model

Vaհe H Apelian

Vahagn Aleksanyan

I pieced together the following information about Vahagn Hovik Aleksanyan from the Armenian Wikipedia. He was born on August 4, 1993 in Ijevan, Armenia. This makes him arguably the youngest independence generation member in the National Assembly, those born in Armenia declared free, independent, democratic on September 21, 1991. Vahagn was born 2 years, 10 month and 14 days into the second republic.

Vahagn graduated from Yerevan Khachik Dashtents School No. 114. He graduated from Yerevan State University (YSU) Faculty of Oriental Studies. In 2017-2018, he participated in the Arabic language teaching course at the State University of Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan). In 2019, he graduated from the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Yerevan State University and received the qualification of an Arabist.

He is a member of Civil Contract party having assumed various positions. On June 20, 2021, he was elected as a deputy of the 8th convocation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on the national electoral list of the "Civil Contract" party. He is a member of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly.

Vahagn Aleksanyan can be outspoken. In 2023, speaking about his military service, he announced from the podium of the National Assembly of Armenia that he was not given a t-shirt and underwear during his military service, blaming the then Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan. He has served the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia from 2014-2016 and holds the military rank of sergeant.

Vahagn Aleksanyan's mother being harassed.

It turns out that Vahagn has overcome many challenges in his younger life that could have devastated any young man growing in a single family in Armenia when the country was experiencing war, poverty. This revelation came about when his political opponents, in plain daylight and under the watch of recording bystanders started harassing his mother to have her sign in support of Kocharian. As if that was not enough, in the cut throat, shameless Armenian politics, his political opponents started a vicious campaign of innuendos about his mother and about him.

Vahagn Aleksanyan became a victim of families torn apart because of poverty in Armenia, especially during the early decades of the new republic. Many husbands left their families and went abroad, mostly to Russia seeking work. It so happened that many husbands neglected the wife and the family they left behind and got married and settled there. Among them was Vahagn Aleksanyan’s father who left his wife, Vahagn’s mother to take care of the son he left behind. Instead of offering support for the single women raising their children on their own, such woman often become victims of innuendos in the strictly patriarchal closed society of Armenia is. Vahagn Aleksanyan and his mother became no exceptions, to such despicable social trends in Armenia.

The true measure of a person comes about in adversity. Vahagn Aleksanyan lived up to his in a remarkable way. On May 6, 2025, in the National Assembly he confronted those who had harassed his mother and were spreading rumors. He admonished them for not being men enough to confront him but instead they had resorted to harassing his mother.

But in a much more remarkable openness, especially for the closed strictly patriarchal society Armenia is, he said in a public address in the National Assembly that he is one of the thousands and even tens of thousands of children in Armenia who grew in a single family because one of their parents left them and went overseas and settled there with a new family of his own. But he encouraged such children, that in spite of the difficulties and adversities they experience, they can overcome and achieve in life because they are no less than others.

Vahagn Aleksanyan, well done. I heard you in the National Assembly come in defense of your mother who raised you to become a member of the National Assembly and your encouragement of the many who faced and may even be facing what you faced with your mother in your tender years, but that they too can overcome adversity and achieve.

Vahagn Aleksanyan, you are a true role model for the many young and upcoming in Armenia.

Vahagn Aleksanyan, a true role model

Vaհe H Apelian

Vahagn Aleksanyan

Vahagn Aleksanyan's mother being harassed.

It turns out that Vahagn has overcome many challenges in his younger life that could have devasted any young man growing in a single family. This revelation came about when his political opponents, in plain daylight and under the watch of recording bystanders started harassing his mother to have her sign in support of Kocharian. As if that was not enough, in the cut throat, shameless Armenian politics, his political opponents started a vicious campaign of innuendos about his mother and about him.

Vahagn Aleksanyan became a victim of families torn apart because of poverty in Armenia, especially during the early decades of the new republic. Many husbands left their families and went abroad, mostly to Russia seeking work. It so happened that many husbands neglected the wife and the family they left behind and got married and settled there. Among them was Vahagan Aleksanyan’s father who left his wife, Vahangn’s mother to take care of the son he left behind. Instead of offering support for the single women raising their children on their own, they often became the victims of innuendos in the strict patriarchal society of Armenia. Vahangn Aleksanyan and his mother became no exceptions, to such despicable social trends in Armenia.

But in a remarkable openness, especially in the closed society Armenia is, he said in a public address in the National Assembly that he is one of the thousands and even tens of thousands of children in Armenia who grew in a single family because one of their parents left them and went overseas and settled there with a new family of his own. But he encouraged them, that in spite of the difficulties and adversities, they experience, that they can overcome and achieve in life because they are no less than others.

Vahagn Aleksanyan, you are a true role model for the many young and upcoming in Armenia.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Hagop says (2): Armenia’s soul is its democracy

This is the second comment from Hagoբ I post on my blog because in addressing, in contextualizing and in civility, while making a forceful note, the two comments I read from him stood apart from the rest in the Armenian Weekly. His first comment was on June 4, 2025, to “Profane and unbecoming”, Church leaders condemn Pashinyan’s attack on Clergy” article (see the link below), and the second, copied here, was on July 2, 2025 to “Victory has no alternative’: Armenian authorities raid church, arrest cleric amid escalating tensions”. Both were posted by Hoory Minoyan. Vaհe H Apelian

“The recent events unfolding in Armenia, particularly the arrests of clergy and opposition figures affiliated with the Tavush for the Homeland movement, have sparked deep national concern. While criticism of government actions—especially those perceived as heavy-handed—is not only valid but vital in a democracy, we must reaffirm a fundamental truth: Armenia’s only sustainable path forward is through lawful, constitutional, and peaceful political change—never through violence or unconstitutional upheaval.

Democracy is not perfect, but it is essential

Armenia has suffered greatly in recent years: war, displacement, economic hardship, and deep societal divisions. These wounds cannot be healed by sowing more division or abandoning the democratic institutions that so many struggled to build. History has shown—both in Armenia and abroad—that violence or calls for unconstitutional regime change do not liberate nations. They fracture them, inviting chaos, repression, and ultimately the loss of sovereignty

The Armenian Constitution, ratified by the people, guarantees freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to protest. It also upholds the rule of law. Political change must be pursued through these avenues—through dialogue, elections, and civic engagement. Anything else—be it calls for insurrection or the use of religious institutions to mobilize unconstitutional actions—undermines the very democracy we seek to strengthen.

Violence Weakens Armenia and Serves Foreign Interests

Armenia today sits at a critical geopolitical crossroads. Surrounded by much more powerful neighbors with vested interests in its internal affairs, the country’s greatest strength lies in national unity, stability, and democratic legitimacy.

Every instance of unrest, every call to overthrow the constitutional order by force, plays directly into the hands of those who benefit from a weak, fragmented, and unstable Armenia. Our adversaries do not fear our protests—they welcome our internal collapse.

Let us be clear: The soul of the nation is not defended by circumventing elections or threatening violence. It is defended by upholding our democratic values, strengthening our institutions, and ensuring that no government—this one or any future one—can suppress the voice of the people.

The Church Must Be Respected—but Must Also Remain Separate from Politics

The Armenian Apostolic Church is a foundational institution in our national identity, history, and cultural continuity. It must be treated with reverence and protected from politically motivated attacks. But its role is spiritual, not governmental. When clergy become front-line political actors advocating unconstitutional change, they step into dangerous territory—both for the Church and the nation.

If there have been excesses by law enforcement, they must be independently investigated. But this cannot justify the endorsement of calls for regime change outside the ballot box. Rule of law must apply equally to all—politicians, clergy, and citizens alike.

Let us choose dialogue, not destruction

Now is not the time for inflammatory rhetoric or historic comparisons that sow fear. We are not in 1937. Armenia is not a Stalinist state. But to preserve that reality, we must reject violence, demand accountability through legal mechanisms, and protect our democracy by participating in it—not by threatening it.

Those who truly care about Armenia—its Church, its sovereignty, and its people—must stand united in defense of democracy, peace, and constitutional order. Political change is the right of the people, but only the people—through free, fair and transparent elections—can enact that change legitimately.

Let us protect the soul of our nation by safeguarding its heart: its democracy."

Link: Hagop Comments: "he held up a mirror": https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2025/06/hagop-comments-he-held-up-mirror_8.html

Monday, July 7, 2025

The puzzling Diaspora dichotomy over Armenia’s eclectic grid

Vaհe H Apelian

I also know and have long accepted the immense diversity of the Armenians across the globe and the futility of speaking about it as a single entity and call it a diaspora. Whenever I use the term diaspora, I simply speak as an expatriate whose Armenian experience is confined to Lebanon, Syria and the United States. By extension I also have assumed the liberty of conceptualizing it to be similar in Canada, and in West Europe. My puzzling of Diaspora’s dichotomy over Armenia’s electric grid ownership is meant to be within that context.

Taking the Armenian electric grid ownership from a single person or entity to public ownership, surprisingly has raised the sentiments of segments in the Diaspora against the government of Armenia, against their own experiences in Lebanon, Syria and in the United States.

In my days in Lebanon everyone knew that the state owned the electric grid that continued to bear its French colonial rule name “Electricite՛ du Liban”. I asked a friend in Lebanon with whom I converse often. He said the ownership has not changed, other than the private, often local cooperative generators that have come about due to the state’s inability to provide adequate electricity.

I have spent a good part of my life in Kessab, Syria. Most of that time, there was no electricity in Kessab to be concerned about its ownership. There came a time when the Kessabtsis had their own electric generators installed, such as in our village Keurkune, where Stepan Panossian, the father of Dr. Razmig Panossian, had smartly devised a system tying the generator to the handle of a mechanical clock for timing purposes. I remember to this day when I drove to Keurkune, Kessab for the first time in our Beetle Volkswagen, when to my chagrin, I saw that the government had piled electric poles in the village as the government was extending the electric grid to Kessab as well. A way of life I knew had come to its end. That day, with my cousins Vatche and Albert, has remained etched in my memory. They still were there but figuring a way out of the country. Both passed away in the U.S. Wikipedia notes that Syrian Ministry of Electricity primarily owns and operates the electric grid in the country. Anyone who has personal ties in Syria knows the terrible situations Syrians faced and may be facing due to I inadequate supply of electricity and escalating costs.

Let us pause for a second and ask ourselves, who owns the electric grid in the most capitalistic society, the United States?

I had not wondered about it before but I had an understanding that no single entity owned the U.S. electric grid but that it is a consortium made up of private and state ownership. Surely, complex laws regulate a nation’s electric grid which, needless to say is a primary component of the nation’s security. When I posed the same question to Google, the AI validated my understanding and summed it as follows: “The U.S. electric grid is not owned by a single entity, but rather by a mix of private, public, and cooperative entities. The majority of the grid is owned by privately held, investor-owned utilities, while some is owned by public power utilities and electric cooperatives. Additionally, the federal government owns and operates some power generation and transmission facilities.”

After 34 years of independence, it is the present Nikol Pashinyan led government that had the political will to take away Armenia’s electric grid from a single ownership and have it owned publicly. It was the right decision the government took. Diaspora, across the board, would have supported Armenian government’s decision, I thought. But the vocal segment of the Diaspora verbalized against the said "take-over".

I remain puzzled when I read sentiments by Diasporans against the ruling of the Armenian government over the ownerships of the nation's electric grid, and wonder why. After all, their own experiences are for public or state ownership of the electric grid of the countries whose citizenship they rightly and proudly proclaim.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Rev. Avedis Boynerian: “The Liberty of the Christian Man.”

Rev. Avedis Boynerian graciously forwards to me the synopsis of his Sunday service, enabling me to better follow his Sunday sermon from the pulpit of the Armenian Church of the Martyrs, in Worcester, MA. With permission, I reproduced the body of his July 6, 2025 service. July 1 is the founding day of the Armenian Evangelical community. July 4 is the American Independence Day. Vaհe H Apelian

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

The First Arm. Evan. Church was founded on July 1, 1846 in Turkey…

This morning, we will briefly speak about one of the distinctive affirmations and cherished values of the First Arm. Evang. Church, which is: “The Liberty of the Christian Man.”

{This principle affirms the conviction that a Christian has the right

- to think his own thoughts,

- to make his own decisions,

- to be his own person, and

- to live his own life.}

That is, the Christian’s faith in Christ frees us from being slave to the Law.

{This principle does not mean - freedom to do “anything under the sun,” but

- freedom to follow the command, “serve one another in love”.}

- This kind of freedom means to live a life of outgoing concern for others: “serve one another in love”.

- This kind of freedom recognizes the importance of each individual, regardless of who they are.

- This kind of freedom cherishes freedom of conscience.

Arm. Evangelicals have always believed in the right to disagree. They have always cherished the concept that the church, being fallible - imperfect - is not the final authority; the final authority is based on biblical values.

This means that religious institutions and church organizations have

- meaning/purpose and

- value only as they serve the needs and enrich the lives of each other.}

We are prone to go to extremes:

+ One believer interprets liberty as license and thinks he can do whatever he wants to do.

+ Another believer, seeing this error, goes to an opposite extreme and imposes law on everybody.

The apostle Paul issues a caution. He says, “Do not allow your liberty to degenerate into license!”

Paul’s caution is valid: {Christian liberty is not a license to sin, but an opportunity to serve, “serve one another in love”.}

Elisabeth Elliot, a Christian author, in her article “All That Was Ever Ours” says: “Freedom is not free, with freedom comes responsibility.

Therefore,

- we have to decide what we will do with our freedom in Christ …

- we have forgotten that with freedom comes responsibility.”

Basically, what Elisabeth Elliot is saying is this: Our call, as Christians, challenges us to use our freedom responsibly.

That is, we, as Christians, have responsibilities that come with our freedom.

We have to decide if we are going to use our freedom or abuse it.

We, as Christians, are called to liberty. Therefore, we are free from sin, because we have experienced God’s forgiveness.

We are free from sin, because Christ died for us on the cross.

Sometimes we build a box of what we think a Christian is.

If people do not fit into our box, we reject them.

Unfortunately, we do this quit often!

The irony of true freedom is that it is found in serving others.

What God would really see us do is run from opportunity to opportunity, always to serve others and NOT ourselves.

The key that makes a servant lies in the phrase “in love”.

What is love and what it does.

Love introduces us into a new community, where we are free to love each other and - we are free to serve each other’s needs “in love”.

The command “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” solves every problem in human relations (Rom. 13:8-14).

Love builds bridges to new places of service.

If we love people, because we love Christ, will

- not steal from them,

- not give false reports about them,

- not envy them, or

- try to hurt them.

Listen:

Love in our hearts is God’s substitute for laws and threats.

{The apostle Paul says: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.}

The commandments,

- “Do not commit adultery,

- Do not murder,

- Do not steal,

- Do not covet,” and

- whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

{Love does no harm to its neighbor.

Therefore love, says the Bible, is the fulfillment of the law”} (Rom. 13:8-10).

The key word here, of course, is love.

The formula looks something like this:

Liberty plus love means serving others.}

True love means

- be in bondage to one another,

- be a slave to one another, that is, - do the acts of a servant.

Remember Jesus, who stood down and washed the feet

of His disciples.

Let’s just think what we would have, if we were willing to serve each other in love?

Too many people look for a church with the idea of what the church can do for them. But maybe they should ask, “What can I do for the church and the members who are a part of it”.

Let me tell you: This is one of the reasons for coming to church, so that we can “serve each other in love.”

We grow closer

- as we worship God together and then

- we learn how we “serve each other in love,” and

- be a welcoming church.

God has given us a great gift called freedom. We have to decide what we will do with it;

- will we use it or

- will we abuse it?

{The way each one of us uses our freedom in Christ will determine what kind of church community we will be.}

{If we use our freedom, as Jesus would want us, we will be a loving and welcoming church.}

The apostle Paul suggests that we “serve one another in love”.

The word that he uses for love is “agape”.

So he tells us, “because of God’s unmerited and unconditional love shown in our life, make ourselves

{a love slave toJ esus.”}

If we seek to serve other Christians, love other Christians and

uplift other Christians, then how would the world react?

Let’s look around us and ask ourselves:

- “How can I make the life of someone in Christ easier today?

- How can I serve someone in love today?”

Simply put, God wants us to be motivated by His unmerited and unconditional love.

That’s what He has created us for!

And when we do unconditionally love each other, it gives evidence of our real faith and liberty in Jesus.

So, we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

This is a hard command.

+ It means that I want to feed the hungry, as much as I want to feed myself when I get hungry.

+ This means that I want to find my neighbor a job, as much as I am glad that I have a job.

+ This means that I want to help my neighbor get, as much as I want to get.

+ This means that I want to share Christ with my neighbor, as much as I am glad that I know Christ myself.

+ This means that I care about what happens to my neighbor, as much as I care about what happens to me.

Can we imagine what our church would be like, if we were all like that: To look at the person to the right and to the left and feel the same longing for their happiness that we feel for our own?

Not only would the law be fulfilled, but our church would be filled with new members, because we are willing to serve one another in love.

A prominent Christian leader was known for his willingness to help needy individuals with their social and financial challenges.

When asked why he took time out of his busy schedule to do this, he replied, “When I was a boy, I worked in our family grocery store. I was taught that I should {never ask a customer,

‘is that all?’ Instead, I was told to ask, ‘is there anything else?’”}

I wish we would ask the same question today: “Is there anything else that I can do for you today?”

That is, if someone asks me to go with them one mile, let’s go with hem two miles.

There was a speaker who was in the Washington, D.C. area on business at the Pentagon.

He had gotten caught in an endless traffic. Spotting a runner along the road, he called out, “Which side is the Pentagon on?”

Keeping his pace, the runner answered, “I think they are on our side.”

A church member was coming out of church one day, and the pastor was standing at the door to shake hands.

The Pastor grabbed the member by the hand, pulled him aside and said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!”

The church member replied, “I am already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.”

The pastor questioned, “How come I do not see you except at Christmas and Easter?”

+ Serving others is not always easy, when we would rather say “my way or the highway”; but serving others pleases God;

+ Serving others is the way of following the example of Jesus, who stooped down and washed the feet of His disciples.

Let’s pray.