Clergy Corner Well, the second I let go of the mallet I
realized there was a serious problem with the trajectory of the throw. It
was flying right toward the house, and right toward the dining room window.
Time stood still. About the same time as I saw the mallet crashing through
the window, I realized that my mother saw the whole thing from the kitchen
window. I can’t remember ever seeing my mother’s eyes wider than they were
at that moment; and needless to say I was called into the house. I
apologized for breaking the window, was lectured by my parents, and
summarily punished. Words to Live By We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the Father, only-begotten, that is of the substance of the Father. God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten and not made; of the same nature of the Father, by whom all things came into being in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, took body, became man, was born perfectly of the holy Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. By whom he took body, soul and mind and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance. He suffered and was crucified and was buried and rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right hand of the Father. He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end. We believe also in the Holy Spirit, the uncreated and the perfect; who spoke through the Law and through the Prophets and through the Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles and dwelled in the saints. We believe also in only one catholic and apostolic holy Church; In one baptism with repentance for the remission and forgiveness of sins; In the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgment of souls and bodies, in the kingdom of heaven and in the life eternal. Did You
Know? Click for more.
A Story for Your Soul This started a real controversy in the
"Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went
on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30
years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the
life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those
meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the
strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals,
I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church
for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to
nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the
incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and our
spiritual nourishment! Upcoming Events
St. Vartan Camp If you have an upcoming event you want posted in HYE-mail, e-mail me at: jenniferm@armeniandiocese.org. Links |
| May 2006 JENNI'S JOURNAL -- SUMMER BREAK! The end of May is here and that means many of you are getting ready for the end of the school year and thinking about your well-deserved summer vacation. The camp season is nearing for both Hye Camp and St. Vartan Camp. It is not too late to register to be a camper, CIT, or staff member. Please check our website for more information or e-mail me. This weekend I will be traveling to Providence, RI, to attend the ACYOA (Seniors) National General Assembly and Sports Weekend, as well as spend some time in Watertown, MA for the ACYOA (Juniors) Hye M’rtsoom. I am looking forward to being at St. James all day Saturday with the ACYOA Juniors at the gym. I'll have gifts for any of you who come up and introduce yourselves (or if I know you already, just stop by and say hi)! On Sunday evening I will return to Watertown for their final dance and to present some special awards on behalf of the ACYOA Central Council. I will be sure to inform you of this year’s recipients in the June issue of HYE-mail. With Love and Prayers, THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW On Friday morning there were six young people who spoke about their experiences in the Armenian Church. Four of the speakers were college-aged or older, while two of speakers were ACYOA Juniors. Taleen Terjanian, 17, a choir member from the St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ, and a recent graduate of the leadership development program operated by the Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA) said, "I remember the sensation that came over me when I first put my love into prayers and song. It was a completely different connection between me and God.” She will join other young choir members later this year in a special trip to Armenia. "Thanks to programs like these, Armenian-American youth are remaining active in our culture and faith," she added. "And we will be able to pass on our experiences to keep our heritage and culture alive." The youngest speaker, 16-year-old Bethanie Mangigian, a member of the St. John Church of Southfield, MI, spoke about her experiences with Diocesan staff and other church leaders. She spoke about interactions with me, as well as various clergymen who have welcomed her into the church. "These amazing adults understand the importance of developing personal relationships with young adults: never patronizing us, and always balancing education with fun in our discussions," she added. By being welcomed into the life of the church, she said she has been able to be a stronger person. "In today's atmosphere the church offers a rare place of peace for me. In church itself I communicate personally with God every week. I receive a loud communication from God through Holy Communion, where God tells us he not only forgives our sins but welcomes us," she said. "This is a powerful message. As a youth in the Armenian Church, I use this message to combat the influences of the outside.” Click here to see photos. IN YOUR WORDS “One of the greatest things I learned
from being an ACYOA Junior was the value of service to the Church.
Every summer when we planned our weekly schedules, we always included
a 'church clean-up day.' We'd all have breakfast together and then
spend the day working on various work projects that needed to be done
on our property. We planted flowers, we removed wax from the pews, but
my favorite day was the day we re-painted our large church sign.
Afterwards, we felt such a sense of accomplishment, and we were proud
of our work. Service tasks like these gave us a sense of ownership in
our Church - we cared for our church, and truly felt that the church
belonged to us. This valuable lesson is something that belonging to
the ACYOA Juniors taught me.”
“I have fond memories from
years in the ACYOA. I always enjoyed coming together with other groups
from around the Diocese for weekends of worship, education, and
fellowship. One of my favorite memories from all my years involved in
the ACYOA are those Sundays at church with all the young people
around. It is always such a wonderful feeling to have all my friends
in church with be, especially when they are serving on the altar,
singing in the choir, and praying the pews.” “I remember when I
was first in the ACYOA Juniors, Dean Shahinian taught "Sunday School"
to our group. We enjoyed our time with him, because when he talked, he
was (and still is) always willing to help us how ever he could. He not
only taught us about our faith, but what it means to be a Christian
everyday, and not just on Sunday mornings. Our lessons were always
interactive. Once we even role played what to do if some tries to pick
a fight with you. Dean was and still is a great mentor to me and other
youth in my parish. I hope that through my work with the youth I can
make a positive impact.” Do you have something to say? Are you willing to share your thoughts and ideas with your peers? I would love to have teens, like you, volunteer to share their thoughts and ideas. I am looking for short reflections, stories, vignettes, etc. to be published in next month's Hye-mail. E-mail me if you have an idea.
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