Next Step #192: A week of living saints - from Ghevont to Vartan and the Midwinter feast of Diaruntarch. Debut of Gor Mkhitarian's "New Life" - dedicated to the victims of domestic violence. This episode looks at domestic violence and the Christian response - it's about helping and healing. St. Joseph serves as an example of the great male lover. From monasteries to bleeding Marys, what would Christ do in the case of hurting families? Welcome to the team, Vahe. Song: "New Life" by Gor Mkhitarian...
Feb 10, 2012
Next Step #191: The Church comes alive as it lives its mission in creating awareness for Domestic Violence and a shelter for the abused. Religion meets relevance, as Fr. Vazken takes the discussion from the Groundhog's Day, to Diaruntarach to purity. Can you preach what you don't believe? Then, how can Christians light a candle, pray to pictures and close their eyes to abused women and hungry children? Add some dessert to the cafeteria menus of religion in this one. Maternity leave according to ...
Feb 03, 2012
Next Step #190: When the Church turns relevant in the lives of the people it gives concrete means and ways of overcoming difficulties and tragedies. "Peace be with You" in light of terrorism - answers from the monastery. The act of love and care in the Early Church, as expressed in the book of Act. How the Einsteinian equation affects the USC-ASA. The Lost In Space Robot and imagination. Respecting the simple and rejecting the obscene. Introduction to the Presentation of the Lord (Luke 2:22) and...
Jan 27, 2012
Next Step #189: MLK's "American Dream" serves as a backdrop for our discussion on happiness. Recent finding suggest religion adds value to the Happiness Hypothesis, how about for you? Fr. Vazken shares thoughts on the Sayat Nova Dance Group and their 25th Anniversary Concert, the MLK/In His Shoes 9th Anniversary Hike, Team In Her Shoes to fight breast cancer, and upcoming plans to bring awareness to issues of domestic violence. Fr. Artoon Sempadian passes away - today's song "Hayrik" is dedicate...
Jan 19, 2012
Next Step #188: A discovery 2 Quadrillion times the size of the Sun "El Gordo" & 7 Billion Light years away, brings the discussion of Mystery close to home. A look at Sirach and Einstein's take on mystery, it is the cornerstone of life and sight, says the world renown physicist. St. John the Forerunner prepares the way of the Lord with a call to repentance. Jesus' command to love your enemies comes alive in the teaching of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with emphasis on his REV, he's a minster ...
Jan 13, 2012
Next Step #187: Christ is Revealed! It's the Theophany and the Savior arrives at the Nativity, Baptism and everyday in the life of a Christian. A unique Armenian Orthodox understanding of the Revelation of God in this feast. By taking a look at the impact of the "Song of the Three" on the Armenian people, Fr. Vazken explains how the revealed Savior is the cornerstone of relevancy in our world today. Turn up the volume and the heat for this one. Also - The metaphysics behind the great Samoan day-...
Jan 06, 2012
Next Step #186: The year comes to an end with reflections that point to new beginnings. Where are the strong and weak links in our life? Finding the missing portion of Nicene Creed - and "focusing on the vision" of the Message of Christ. Kurt Vonnegut's "Bluebeard" - beating yourself-up as the Turk: Resolving for the New Year. BC/AD BCE/CE and calendar crossings. The Magic of Christmas Eve - Fr. Vazken and his physicians meet at the Nativity of Christ - a life with days and days filled with life...
Dec 30, 2011
Next Step #185: Kick off the Winter Solstice with some Christmas Cheer. Unafraid and unashamed to claim the Solstice, Fr. Vazken finds the Christ Child in the Manger radiating the Love and Light that overcomes darkness. This podcast is a celebration with music, love and a message unlike any other, as Armodoxy is revealed. A very Merry Christmas to all! A Christmas/Solstice Celebration! Secrets revealed: Bob Dylan's reindeer and how Suzie got Ken to change his habits! Ani's Christmas Bubble Music...
Dec 23, 2011
Next Step #184: News that the last of the American troops are pulling out of Iraq sets the pace for this Next Step. In the aftermath of war - an opportunity to seek lasting peace by eschewing politics and opting for a true spiritual understanding of life, humanity and the offer to love. Opting out of violence. A Merry Christmas to all! The conversion of Saul and a conversion at the Children's Memorial service. Advent "additions" in preparation for Theophany. Poverty hits Americans 1 in 2 John Be...
Dec 15, 2011
Next Step #183: The Armodoxy Christmas Catalog is the only guide you need for the holidays. Make sure your holiday giving is with the PERFECT gift for friends and loved ones. Don't miss out on an offer guaranteed to last a lifetime! Deals galore! What do you need and what do you want? The Greatest Gifts of Christmas are packaged for the listener! Also - on the Cathia Hamparian Memorial. Season 8 begins. Compassionate Friends: http://www.compassionatefriends.org/ Song: Joan Baez "Down in Yon Fore...
Dec 09, 2011
Next Step #182: En route from Phoenix to LA, Fr. Vazken stumbles on satellite programming - XM style. From the divine to the vulgar - here's a call for common sense in life and Christianity without the shame. Words can't express the disgust, but here's a try... also in this episode - the enduring power of the stardust, the Muppets, quick answers for Heaven & Hell, the wind storm in Pasadena and more. Song: "Light of the World" from Godspell Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net Look ...
Dec 02, 2011
Next Step #181: A Thanksgiving episode that reveals the 'secret' of Armenian Orthodoxy. A parade opens this message of memories and leads to Thanksgiving "moments." Turning from victim mentality to victor through thanksgiving. A means of survival and growth. A special edition podcast recorded before the dawn. Thanksgiving with Gabriel in Darfur: Truth Be Damned Greetings from One Genocide to Another: http://youtu.be/weuwKPjvhu0 Song: "Meeting My Past" by Ara Dinkjian (An Armenian in America) Tha...
Nov 24, 2011
Next Step #180 : When a catholicos marginalizes prayer, its power stays unleashed and love is not explored. Another catholicos is ready to put it all in perspective - from his vantage point and with the maharajahs who missed the Armenians. After a brief visit to Armenian land, Fr. Vazken returns without jet lag but with some extra baggage. Continuing on Politics and Religion: finding mission in everything we do. Regis & Jerry: do we need to know everything? News from epostle.net too - Armodo...
Nov 18, 2011
Next Step #179: Just back from Blogworld and New Media Expo, the Epostle.net team is renewed and exploring the dimensions of social media today. The pen, several years ago, was mightier than the sword. Today, emails seem passe. How social media and technology are being exploited by the Gospel. Andy Rooney's passing. Still trust the politicians? A big shift since the 1970's - how politics "validates" religious leaders; hypocrisy and the crimes we commit. The "boldness" of St. Peter and the Apostl...
Nov 11, 2011
Next Step #178: The Occupy Movement - temporary problem on the street? Or the true product of injustice? Protesting big business and a tie to the protest led by Jesus.The Next Step is laced with protest - and it looks like we had the spare pair, all along. Thank God for Abp. Shnork and the unknown priest in the Eastern Diocese who wrote the manners and conduct manual in the 1950s. Thank God for the life of the "God generation" and their example of love and responsibility. Is Church a hobby? Ani'...
Nov 04, 2011
Next Step #177: The Next Step runner gives cause for a metaphysical test which then leads to a reality check. Virtual reality in cases of images, concepts and God are checked by the reality around us. Can God be checked? Christ gives us a sure-fire method of making God real in our lives. Identity check with the Armenian and Christian realities. More on the family as the story of sacrifice unfolds. Kicking Cancer and Kicking off Team In Her Shoes Listen to In His Shoes Radio Song: Forever Young b...
Oct 27, 2011
Next Step #176: The discussion about end times consumes this podcast - but not all about the Rapture! Once again, the headlines discredit the Christian church by throwing the baby out with the bath water. Two Catholicoi land on the North American continent; Marriage is losing and so are the children as modern family life looks beyond the children it produces. Beginnings of a discussion/dialog about the forgotten children. Story of Stacie Crimm's sacrifice Song: " Fire of your Love " by Hover Ani...
Oct 20, 2011
Next Step #175: The Church today is so close and yet so far away. Fr. Vazken gives a view from the 8th floor of the medical building, looking over Little Armenia, watching a Pontiff and the children he visits. The weekly feasts of the Holy Evangelists comes as a reminder to The Gospel and The Mission of the Christian Church. In His Shoes and Armodoxy as expression of that mission today - hear how. (More on the visit of Catholicos Aram in last week's NS #174 ) Music: "Vagharshapati Bar" by Khatch...
Oct 14, 2011
Next Step #174: Steve Jobs' Passing. Fr. Vazken reflects on Jobs, the visionary and the pioneer, bringing together some personal reflections from the early days of Silicon Valley and implications of those reflections for Armodoxy. "We are HERE because of him," says Fr. Vazken. Each step matters - first steps lead to the next steps. Politics in the Armenian Church: Why are members of the Armenian Church feeling disenfranchised? Catholicos Aram I visits the Southland - the office and the person, t...
Oct 07, 2011
Next Step #173: The great "blessing mystery" solved! What is a "Blessing"? Fr. Vazken reveals an answer 29 years in the making. Many blessings - including for water-wells and pre-werewolf adolescents. Exploring the nausea that comes with blessings over childbirth. The piece of sand spins inside this oyster to reveal a blessed pearl! Prayers offered for Abortion and Domestic Violence: applying what we have learned from Christ. Lessons for the Christian Church. Next Step reaches its 6th continent....
Sep 30, 2011
Next Step #172: Twenty years of independence for Armenia gives cause to reflect on "declaring what is self-evident" and how to take the next step to actualize dreams of independence - personally and as an institution. Determining which laws are just and which are unjust. What is God's law and rules? A reading of the Declaration of Independence and Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail . Just/unjust laws. Why you won't see things getting better in the Armenian Church . The role of ...
Sep 22, 2011
Next Step #171: "Mush-Rope" is the way to say it. Armenian Orthodoxy in the New World and the New Era: Apologetic with no apology! Allowing evolution to take its course in the church. Coordinating the head and the body - allows us to say YES to Christ's message of love and hope. Finding faith, hope and life in the 9/11 commemoration - 2011 is the year Easter falls on April 24, and the Holy Cross on September 11 - it's the year of victory. Compass - a first look: http://youtu.be/JlJdLLhp51c Song:...
Sep 16, 2011
Next Step #170: The 10th anniversary of the Terror Attacks of 9/11 coincides with the Elevation of the Holy Cross. 10 years of change, of war and opportunities - some seized, some missed. Armodoxy as a challenge to take the Next Step by walking in the shoes of others. God's will and evil: Rejecting scapegoating and the silliness of the Christian superiority complex. You are NOT helpless - no Twinkies here! You CAN make a difference in the world and in your life. 9/11 theme: "I refuse to Hate You...
Sep 09, 2011
Next Step #169: Labor Day - an opportunity to look for purpose and meaning in our work and our lives. Avoiding the path of distortion. If God is "calling" am I listening? If God is "calling" am I answering? Armenianism beyond Kim and baklava. Premiere of Fall line-up on Epostle.net - including the new "Compass" show. Are the best things in life free? Anush's Blog: " Inside the Pomegranate " 9/11 Event: http://inhisshoes.org/flyers/911Burbank.jpg Song: Alan Hovhaness ' "Mystic Flute"and "Moon Dan...
Sep 01, 2011
Next Step #168: Interview with Linda Maxwell, co-founder of We Care for Youth and facilitator for In His Shoes Ministries . Caring for youth is a calling for Linda Maxwell. She does so with love, care and compassion. Here she discusses her work with kids, and the power of the spirit in bringing about change. She discusses her latest project - a Day of Remembrance on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 . The "Raul Aguirre Story," - a young man slain on the streets of Glendale and the power of forgivenes...
Aug 25, 2011
Next Step #167: Hug from the lady who lost Max and the importance of human touch. Science & religion met at the grape blessing as they do in all things Christ-centered. The victims of the sexual revolution and the claim-to-fame of the famous. Divorce and the family/children. The primary purpose of institutions is Darwinian in nature. Listen up - and get a hug coupon while you're at it. Details today. Musical Selection: "Armenian Dance" by John Bilezikjian http://dantzrecords.com/ Ani's Bubbl...
Aug 18, 2011
Next Step #166: Exploring further the Mother of God as an expression of connecting to the TRUE vine - John 15 - Productivity by staying connected to the Vine and yielding the Fruit of Love (Finally! Grapeblessing explained). Armodoxy and St. Mary - Bringing women's issues in forum. Archbishop Barkev's Answer: A Koan from Karabakh? Four sisters, Marie, Lusaper, Srpuhi and Diruhi pointing to the Blessed Virgin. The Institution and the Message - Insuring connections to the Vine. Petros Malakyan tak...
Aug 11, 2011
Next Step #165: In preparation of the feast of Assumption, Fr. Vazken takes a step toward understanding St. Mary as a model for saying yes to Love. This is more than the story of an angel visiting the Blessed Mother of God, it's about a visit we receive daily to become ambassadors of God's Love in the world. This is prelude to the feast - part one of two. Also - thoughts on self-worth and the plight of women in the world. St. Mary opens a discussion about women's issues that cannot be dismissed ...
Aug 04, 2011
Next Step #164: The elements of the Transfiguration of the Lord are looked at through the lens of Armenian Orthodoxy. Making sense of the water feast of Vartevar. Part 2 of 2 on the theme - understanding the CENTER figure as between Law and Prophet. (Part 1 - see NS episode #163 ) Seeking validity for ourselves from non-Christian sources. Summer readings and the fallacy in catch-up mentality. The Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 17 as the platform for this weekend. Song: "Arev, Arev" by Mariam Mat...
Jul 28, 2011
Next Step #163: Understanding Light as a function of temperature and not lumens. Fr. Vazken takes the listener on a journey to the Beginning, when light meant more than a sun ray, cf. “I am the Light of the World” – Jesus Christ. This is the first of a two-part podcast that explores the story of the Transfiguration (Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 17) in terms of light and focus. Comments on Exorcism from “Beyond Belief” and Fr. Albert (Jerry Springer with a collar?) – a mirror of society’s needs...
Jul 21, 2011
