Succeeding in Mask Management

Next Step #282: The Halloween Edition of the podcast on Armodoxy. In this episode - follow up to Glendale's restriction on free-speech - Fr. Vazken gets a call. All Saints Day and Halloween. Identity in a Global Community - delineating between ethnic and religious identity. Looking under the mask of our life and finding ourselves, looking under the mask of the church and finding Christ - the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. YWCA and KFC - what's the branding all about? Great Treats in this edition!
Song: Aragil by Margar Eghiazarian
Catholicos Karekin II's speech in Korea
Engineered by Ken T. Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Missing from the Nicene Creed

Next Step #270: Discovering a missing element from the Nicene Creed. Is there more than the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and the Church? Listen in as Fr. Vazken finds the missing piece to the puzzle of Orthodoxy and Armodoxy. Balancing the roller-coasters of life - the cries and laughs - with a hug-proposal - how about a week long hug-fest? Beginning the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the Genocide with some sanity. Also: In what language do you think? A look from the ghetto.
Song: Khatchadour Avetissian "Djermag Aghavnie" - White Dove
100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Monument Groundbreaking speech by Fr. Vazken
In His Shoes "Leveraging Love": http://inhisshoes.org
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Rediscovering Something Never Lost

Next Step #268: Starting off with "remarkable" comments by the Roman Pontiff, HH Pope Francis regarding the "flimsy structures" in the Church and buying humbler cars. The authority that comes from sincerity. Medications for dealing with pain - find a natural solution within the Christ. Keeping Faith during Genocide by using symbols and the Rosary to connect us with Mystery.
Song: New Age Armenia by Artur Sedrakian & Albina Hambartzumian
Pope Francis Comments: Buy Only "Humble" Cars
Rwanda Blog: http://dervaz.blogspot.com/ 
Surviving Genocide & the Rosary
Torkom Saraydarian "New Dimensions in Healing"
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Bridges, Tents & Rivers

Next Step #266: From Arizona - the "hair cut" dilemma (almost) - connecting dots with a River Runs through it. After analysis, doing it. The Transfiguration - Did you miss the point? You'll be surprised who else did! A mellow look at some difficult ideas.
Song - "Noubar, Noubar" by Element Band
Inside the Pomegranate
Sun Sash - http://sunsash.blogspot.com/2013/07/sun-sash-late.html
Armodoxy Blog: http://armodoxy.blogspot.com/
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Millennials and the/are the Youth

Next Step #263: The perennial question and concern for the youth is explored in view of the Millennials, technology and human search for meaning. Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant look for youth outside of the reality of life, and of course, will never find it outside. Youth are closer than we may realize - just need to look in the right place. Take a Next Step in this direction.
Anush's "Inside the Pomegranate" Blog launches in a new format as an audio blog. The premiere episode is included in today's Next Step.
Song: Nina Simone "Ain't Got No; I Got Life"
Inside the Pomegranate: Remembering Dad
Time Magazine, "The Me Me Me Generation"
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Symbiosis: Yokes & Brides in the Armenian Church

Next Step #261: The symbiotic relationship between man and woman, Church and Christ are revealed during a Glendale wedding. Listen in as Fr. Vazken shares a story within a story. The tragedy of not forgiving and not moving forward - it effects more than you might imagine. Prayers for the graduate coming up.
Song: Sarkis Kazaryan, Rachmaninoff 
Anush's Pomegranate Seed: "What's Hair Got to Do with It?"
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Chezok Factor: Put Your Name on It

Next Step #260:  Personalized Coke and hate speech on Facebook - protests and financial withholding bring about change in the market, and why not the Church? Foster families and children - an epidemic in the works. Datev Outreach and the "Godparent" oath of faith, hope and love.
Song: "Spirit in the Dark" Aretha Franklin with Get Well wishes
Anush's Pomegrante Seeds: Lessons From Vegas
Reference Articles:
Companies Pull Facebook Ads Over Violent Content
Personalized Coca-Colas, But Not If Your Name Is Mohammed Or Maria
Campaigners Force Facebook Into Hate Speech
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Relevancy for Ethnic Christianity

Next Step #256: The Latino Reformation (Time Magazine) and lessons for Orthodoxy. The ethnic experience - when a minority is the majority-minority, issues of inferiority surface in many ways. Young students (UCSB-ASA) and politics as usual - when they quote MLK and Gandhi without remembering Jesus, a part of the message is lost. Editing: making the Church relevant.
Anush's Pomegrante Seeds: The Hummingbird Feeder
Song: Gospel Harmonettes "Peace in the Valley"
Time Magazine - The Latino Reformation
Next Step with Maida Icliates
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Accenting vs. Breaking Christian Stereotypes

Next Step #253: Returning from a lively conversation with Stepan Partamian at GCC, Fr. Vazken reflects on Christianity today, as applied in society. Ethnic identity via the church? Breaking the stereotypes of the Church and Christianity. More topics: The cornerstone of Armodoxy is to look beyond Biblical mythology. Talking about birth control to a people who have experienced Genocide? Case in point: Rwanda. Non violent resistance and disciplining the masses. Case in point: Armenia. The different perspectives of religion; the Holistic approach to God via Armodoxy. Much more...

Stepan Partamian: http://www.partam.com/
Anush's Pomegranate Seeds:  "Thoughts on Fasting"
Song: "Orhynyal eh Asdvadz" by Winds of Passion
Flyer for event: http://tinyurl.com/gcc-dv-part-13
New video series: www.youtube.com/armodoxy
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Injuries in the Machine

Next Step #244: Vartan & Ghevont - lessons for a priest in turmoil about the mission and the church and his place in a church plagued by challenges. Fr. Vazken gives a personal account of reconciling the tangible with the abstract idea of the Kingdom - are we part of the machine? Have you hugged your priest lately? The "dz" in yoghurt should have made it. Purging the system of toxins during Lent through epostle.net
Pomegranate Seeds by Anush: Looking Inward for Lent 
Song: Wonderous Crowning by Hover Armenian Chamber Choir
Sun Sash - Vartan
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Arriving Totally: Theophany to New Media Expo

Next Step #240: Celebrate with Fr. Vazken as he experiments with his new T-Pain Microphone. "Theophany in overdrive" - a review of the holidays beyond the 140 character count. The total & holistic approach of Armodoxy and how the Spirit moves us and moves within the Church. Loving through Understanding=the In His Shoes philosophy. Returning from New Media Expo, a review of show, technology and Suzie's voice from the back seat of the Mustang! The evolution of the computer - toasters, an appliance and the Church.
Anush's "Pomegranate Seeds" - An Ordinary Armenian Christmas
Song - Amen Shapat gam Giragi by the Seminarians of the Vazkenian Seminary at Lake Sevan.
Links
Theophany Sermon
In His Shoes - www.inhisshoes.org
T-Pain & Obama
Datev Outreach - www.DatevOutreach.org
Robert Tercek, New Media Expo
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Fr. Vazken Blessing the Water

The Dreaming Church

Next Step #236: When the Church refuses to let you dream, it's missing the Call of Christ - the ultimate dreamer. Reject the stifling Church: A series of events in Fr. Vazken's life push him to this interesting development of ideas about dreams and reality.  A shake up to realize the Mission of the Church, the Function of the Priest and the Purpose in life is in dreaming and allowing God's blessings. In this episode - Blood pressure goes DOWN in church and UP in church meetings. The gift of the Drummer Boy, Epostle.net is backed up.  Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band +45, Ravi Shankar's passing. OK, we got it: The third king is Melcon!
Links:
Always With Me Newsletter subscribe: feedback@epostle.net
Sunsash #74 - Accomplishments
Church Attendance & Blood Pressure
"Little Drummer Boy" by Joan Baez
Jethro Tull Christmas Album
12/12/12 to 7/7/7 - Forgiveness: http://7x77.org
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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From Kings to Humanity

Next Step #235: The story of King Apkar in the context of Christ and life today. The WRITINGS of Jesus - to Apkar and the "wish list." Tradition, Scripture and Church. The escalation of violence in Syria and who will mourn the children of war? The Children's Memorial Service. A rock is thrown from Armenia to Turkey and a message comes back. The Annual Christmas Wish List: unlike any other! Ken is back and Suzie's not on strike!
Anush's Pomegranate "Glad Tidings"
Song: Gharabekian & Mondelci - Armenian Chant
Children's Memorial Service
Sun Sash on Humanity
King Apkar Story
On Sts. Thaddeus & Bartholomew
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Evangelizing Apples, Life and Death

Next Step 215: Armodoxy in evolution - Celebrating the Priest as the Celebrant of Life. The wisdom of vartabed/kahana structure. Hovhaness Tomanian's battle against backwardness. Transfigured trilogy - Faith, Hope and Love. Developing evangelists based on the Apple mystique. Passings: Andy Griffith, Ernest Borgnine and Fr. Peter Gilquist.
Song: "Gadag Bar" Vanoush Khanamirian 
Coming Home
Rethinking Armenian Protestantism
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Go Ask Alice

Next Step #211: A 35 year old debt is paid back, across generations and across continents with the passing of two gracious ladies Alice & Freda.
Song: Yerginkn Ambel E by Artur Sedrakian
Compass: "Tit for Tat"
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Bumblebee Pentecost

Next Step #210: 4th Anniversary Edition/Celebration. Australian Coffee - nothing down-under about it. Prove you're alive with this simple breathing experiment. The transcendence of time/space through the Church. The power of the Pentecost was the ability to transcend the temporal limitations. No need to check-in your brain to follow Armodoxy. "Etchmiadzin in Mission," said HH Karekin I, (1995-1999) - how to apply "etchmiadzin" to our daily and community life.
Song: "Good morning, defeat" by Gor Mkhitarian from United Fantasies
Ani's Bubbles: "Loving Kindness"
Hayk Foundation: http://haykfoundation.org/
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Remember 'Current Events'? Did the Church forget?

Next Step #199: Revisiting the disenfranchised community (and we're NOT talking about those who don't attend church.) Targeting Armodoxy to the "three groups." The Church and its relevancy to the multitalented/multidimensional individual. HH Vazken I of Blessed Memory (1955-1994), guiding the Armenian Church from Cold War to Independence: the Working of the Holy Spirit; Remembering the "Thief on the Cross" and then remembering ourselves. The "Opportunity Clause" used by Christians to rationalize a loving and damning God. The Basis of the Second Coming of Christ - looking at the Bottom Line of the Christian Message. A quick look at newspapers and a prelude to the "Virtual Armenia."
Song: "Nayatz Sirov" by the Seminarians of the Vazkenian Seminary, Lake Sevan, Armenia 
Daily messages for Holy Week: http://epostle.net/easter/
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Fr. Vazken at the statue of HH Vazken I at the Seminary in his name, Lake Sevan, Armenia

A Relevant Church does not Silently Protest

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 the Rally against Domestic Violence.
Peace be with You by David Carlson
Robot Voice dies
Ani's Bubble: On Hope and Pediatric Nursing
Song: Datevik's "Ari Intz"
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Ecclesiastical-Evolution: Head-Body Coordination

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: "Sound of Silence" by Paul Simon as performed on 10th anniversary of 9/11: http://youtu.be/eanv5XRjwLg
India Arie - "Intro: Loving" http://www.indiaarie.com/
Questions in Faith - new season kicks off: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/qoff
Fr. Vazken's speech at 9/11: http://armenianorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2011/09/911-day-of-remembrance-service-at.html
Prayer for 9/11: http://armodoxy.blogspot.com/2011/09/prayer-for-10th-anniversary-of-911.html
Ani's Bubbles - The Heart of a Teacher by Paula Fox
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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Vote for the Next Step at the 7th Annual Podcast Awards in the category "Religious Inspiration"
URL for Next Step nomination: http://www.blubrry.com/nextstep

Post Easter Victory for Victims

Next Step #151: Easter celebrations are over, Genocide commemorations have stopped, but the real work of In His Shoes continues in highlighting Resurrection over Crucifixion. Recap and commentary on the Fast for Darfur. Defining the Church as the Sacred Body of Christ, and the overwhelming power of national aspirations. And in the world… Prince William gets married, Obama proves he’s a citizen and Superman denounces his US Citizenship.
Music by Steve Hampar
Ani's Bubble - Angel Made Quilt.
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
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