So What's New?
On Sunday, October 6, 2024, as our community gathered to honor past and present leaders of St. Sarkis Church, Dr. Annita Nerses, the chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, quoted something from one of my pastoral reflections of "Inch Ga Chga." I tried hard to remember the quotation's context, but I couldn't. Therefore, I went to my blog page and looked at some of the write-ups from the past. I realized that my first few blogs were meant to be insightful updates on current events of our church, but progressively, they turned more into pastoral reflections with some abstract undertones. So today, I will try to go back to the basics and give more concrete updates on what's new at St. Sarkis Church.
So “Inch ga Chga” - What’s new?
This Sunday, our church will honor our benefactors and remember especially the life and the legacy of Mrs. Suzanne Hagopian, who deservingly has gained the title “Mother Suzanne Hagopian.” However, she did not have children of her own. Yet, she chose to make every child of our community perpetually become part of her family by giving everything to St. Sarkis Church and providing much-needed financial security to our church and our community. As a recognition of her extreme generosity, our Saturday school is named after her: Suzanne & Hovsep Hagopian Saturday School.
Mrs. Hagopian's generosity reflects the example of the Widow's Offering from the Gospel of Mark, which we read and discussed last Sunday. The widow gave everything to something she believed in. I realized my sermon was a little long, and I got carried away. After finishing Badarak, my friend Veh Bezdikian, one of the ushers last Sunday, asked me if I knew what happened after my sermon. My immediate thought was: Did I offend anyone? Veh said no, but someone left a significant amount of money in the collection plate and left. We do not know who this person is, but God knows very well. I want to use this platform to extend my heartfelt gratitude to that person and everyone who sees the Church as God's home and tries to give everything as a means of worship and gratitude. The spirit of giving, exemplified in the account of the Widow's Mite, is very much alive in our community, and I am a grateful witness to that.
What else?
Last Friday, we had our second session of this season’s Salt & Light Youth Ministry meeting. I am pleased to announce that 97 members have registered for our program this year. Another important aspect of this season's meetings is the video lessons that are recorded in our sanctuary. The presenters of the content are members of Salt & Light. These videos are helpful because participants hear the message from familiar faces, and senior members in the video get to learn as they teach.
And finally,
Yesterday was my ordination anniversary, a significant milestone this year. I took a moment to reflect on my journey as a priest in the Armenian Church since 2004. I learned a lot, grew, and made many mistakes. However, I have the prevailing sentiment that serving our people is a privilege, and I am grateful for the opportunity. Please pray for me so that I can continue fulfilling my pastoral responsibilities diligently and faithfully.
Prayerully,
So “Inch ga Chga” - What’s new?
This Sunday, our church will honor our benefactors and remember especially the life and the legacy of Mrs. Suzanne Hagopian, who deservingly has gained the title “Mother Suzanne Hagopian.” However, she did not have children of her own. Yet, she chose to make every child of our community perpetually become part of her family by giving everything to St. Sarkis Church and providing much-needed financial security to our church and our community. As a recognition of her extreme generosity, our Saturday school is named after her: Suzanne & Hovsep Hagopian Saturday School.
Mrs. Hagopian's generosity reflects the example of the Widow's Offering from the Gospel of Mark, which we read and discussed last Sunday. The widow gave everything to something she believed in. I realized my sermon was a little long, and I got carried away. After finishing Badarak, my friend Veh Bezdikian, one of the ushers last Sunday, asked me if I knew what happened after my sermon. My immediate thought was: Did I offend anyone? Veh said no, but someone left a significant amount of money in the collection plate and left. We do not know who this person is, but God knows very well. I want to use this platform to extend my heartfelt gratitude to that person and everyone who sees the Church as God's home and tries to give everything as a means of worship and gratitude. The spirit of giving, exemplified in the account of the Widow's Mite, is very much alive in our community, and I am a grateful witness to that.
What else?
Last Friday, we had our second session of this season’s Salt & Light Youth Ministry meeting. I am pleased to announce that 97 members have registered for our program this year. Another important aspect of this season's meetings is the video lessons that are recorded in our sanctuary. The presenters of the content are members of Salt & Light. These videos are helpful because participants hear the message from familiar faces, and senior members in the video get to learn as they teach.
And finally,
Yesterday was my ordination anniversary, a significant milestone this year. I took a moment to reflect on my journey as a priest in the Armenian Church since 2004. I learned a lot, grew, and made many mistakes. However, I have the prevailing sentiment that serving our people is a privilege, and I am grateful for the opportunity. Please pray for me so that I can continue fulfilling my pastoral responsibilities diligently and faithfully.
Prayerully,
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