In this session Dr. Abraham Terian will teach an introduction on the life and times of St. Nersess the Gracious (Shnorhali), his literary and liturgical works. We will also explore the legacy of St. Nersess as a reformer and ecumenist.
Recommended Reading: To Byzantium with Love: The Overtures of Saint Nerses the Gracious
Psalm 51 is found in almost every liturgical service of the Armenian Church, a sure sign that Christian Armenians found great meaning and consolation in its words. For a short piece, the Psalm expresses a wide variety of human emotions and offers insights that are as meaningful for us today as they were when they were composed 3000 years ago.
We are all familiar with the word “mercy” as a translation for the Armenian voghormoutiun. What the Armenian word conveys is so much more however. Join us as we explore mercy from the perspective of the Armenian spiritual tradition and for the opportunity to expand your own relationship with God’s mercy.
Lent is a time for spiritual preparation and discipline, but it is also a time for preparing for the spiritual war that is all around us. This is why, in their wisdom, our Church Fathers decided to place the feasts of St. Ghevont and St. Vartan and all their companions in the week leading up to Great Lent. How do we as Armenian Christians prepare for the spiritual war we all will fight and why is Lent the perfect time to do this?
This presentation will unpack how the Sunrise Hour fits into the daily liturgical cycle of the Armenian Church. Fr. Haroutiun will briefly discuss the historical context of this service, and then dive into the themes of its hymns and prayers. Finally, he will explore practical ways to integrate the Sunrise Hour into your daily prayer routine.
Father Garabed Kochakian will present icons in the Armenian Miniature tradition which describe each day of Holy Week as they are commemorated and liturgically celebrated by showing images that tell the story of our Easter Journey during this Great Lent season. Along with examples of the sacred images painted on the pages of the Illuminated Gospels he will present words of scripture and hymns sung during these special days in our churches. This presentation will draw the viewers toward the Empty Tomb of our Lord to hear the message of the Resurrection of Christ.
In recent times, fasting has become popular for its health effects alone, but it is first of all a spiritual discipline. The Sharagan of Poon Paregentan remind us that fasting was the first commandment given to mankind, when God commanded Adam and Eve to refrain from eating a certain fruit from a certain tree (Gen. 2:16-17). In this lecture we’ll dive into how to get the most out of fasting — using it as a vital tune up not only for the health of the body, but the fitness of the spirit.
This session will take a closer look at how environmental preservation and the theological tradition of the Orthodox Church intersect, resulting in “creation care.” Several scriptural references and instances from Armenian liturgical services will be explored to highlight this important theme in the life and functioning of the Body of Christ.
Kohanamk is a hymn of thanksgiving sung during our Badarak. In this session we will learn about thanksgiving from a liturgical perspective. We will look at where this hymn is in the context of the Badarak and examine a scriptural account of thanksgiving.
This session will delve into the world of chaplaincy, namely Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and identify practical interpersonal skills. The goal of this course is to provide its students with a better understanding of empathy, what it means to be an active listener, and how to meet someone where they stand to strengthen relational bonds. Particular attention will be drawn to Jesus Christ, His use of these methods throughout Scripture, and how we can follow His example in our lives.
COMPLETED 04/19/2022
Vemkar Adult Christian Education will be having a “Q&A Evening with Our Instructors.” This is an opportunity to ask questions that you’ve always wanted to ask and interact more with your instructors. We will be joined by Fr. Ghevond Ajamian, Fr. Garabed Kochakian, Fr. Samuel Rith Najarian, Dr. Roberta Ervine, and Dn. Yervant Kutchukian!
Together we will look at our personal and collective sufferings through the lens of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an interactive setting together, we will discuss how we navigate through our sufferings and how Hope in Jesus Christ helps us understand life’s difficulties.