Churches Everywhere Were Celebrating The Easter Promise!

                                                                "From Darkness To Light"! 

Still Remembering This Sunday Sermon . . .

Don't expect the devil to appear in a red suit with horns and a forked tail . . . when the devil appears, he'll be speaking softly, all dressed up in a white shirt and red tie, a dark suit and freshly polished shoes.

Singing Hymns In Watertown

Grandma Jennie (while she was still dating Grandpa Peter) and her sister (Marash Girl's Auntie Lydia) were invited to sing a duet on a Sunday morning at the frpmt of the church, the Armenian Bretheren Church of Watertown.(They both had lovely voices!) As they approached the altar, a man from the congregation stood up, unbidden, and loudly insisted that the two ladies "most give their testimonies" before they be allowed to sing a duet for the church congregation. Marash Girl's Great Uncle Vartan, then minister of the church, stood up on the altar, stood up to his full stature (and he was a tall man for an Armenian in those days), pointed at the rude fellow, and intoned in stertorial tones (in English with his Armenian accent), "You sit dowvun!" And that, as they say, was that! The two ladies sang their duet without further interruption.

"Oh, Come To The Church In The Wildwood . . ."

Remembering the little white church on Plum Island (see blogpost for Sunday, 1/23) brought the following song to mind, a song that was a favorite of Marash Girl's father, one he would often sing, sing, sing, sing! The Church in the Wildwood by Dr. William S. Pitts There's a church in the vale by the wildwood, No lovelier spot in the dale; No place is so dear to my childhood As the little brown church in the vale. Chorus Oh, come, come, come, come, Come to the church in the wildwood, Oh, come to the church in the vale; No spot is so dear to my childhood As the little brown church in the vale.

The Little White Church On Plum Island

Marash Girl woke up today remembering . . . no, not the Little Brown Church In The Vale, but the little white church on the island . . . Plum Island! Is this the church she remembered?

Or was it this one?

Marash Girl must have been 7 or 8 years old -- or younger -- when the family was visiting Plum Island for a week and she first saw the little white church. She remembers asking her father why they weren't going to church there . . . it was Sunday, after all. She doesn't remember his answer . . . all she knows is that because it was not THEIR church, she couldn't attend!!! She was so disappointed. Marash Girl thinks that that was probably one of the only Sundays in her childhood that she had not attended church, or at least, one of the only days in her childhood she had not attended Sunday School! N.B. Images taken from the internet.

LOOKING TOWARD CHRISTMAS, THE NEW YEAR AND NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS: "BE THE CHURCH!"

Photo by MarashBoy©2021

Lottery Tickets?

Marash Boy's mother (born in Marash, a survivor of the genocide of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire) used to love to buy lottery tickets whenever she went to the supermarket. She told Marash Girl, "If I win, I promised God that I'll give half the money to the church!" Marash Girl advised with a chuckle, "When you promise God that you'll give all the money to the church, you may win the lottery!"

Remembering . . .

On Thursday, June 14, 2018, Marash Girl wrote a blog (reprinted here) entitled, "Chocolate Chips and Herald Sulahian" "One of the fondest childhood memories for Marash Girl was the visits made to our home by our cousins, the Sulahian family. Why? Aside from the fun, it was the chocolate chips. Chocolate chips, you ask? Yes! Chocolate chips. Because all of the kids in the family loved chocolate chips, Mother Jennie could not keep them in the house unless she placed them on the very top shelf of the kitchen cabinet (or the chocolate chips would disappear within 24 hours after the candies entered the house). That worked. It worked, that is, until Marash Girl's cousin Herald visited. Cousin Herald was very tall and he, too, loved chocolate chips . . . " We all loved our cousin, Herald Sulahian . . . ! Sister Martha writes the following: "Remembering Chief Mahogany, and I remember the particularly hilarious moments when his family visited us, we would play Cowboys and Indians. As you may recall, we would chase Herald around the house up and down the stairs yelling his code name “Chief Mahogany” . . . usually after he had grabbed Mommy’s bag of Nestles Chocolate Chips from the upper most cabinet in the kitchen adjacent to the back hall. Those were my silliest but fun memories of Herald!" Marash Girl and her Sunday School mates would love to sing the chorus to one of our favorite Sunday School hymns: When we all get to heaven, What a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, We'll sing and SHOUT the victory!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021 Comment from Sarah: Sad about your cousin .. what a dear memory of the chocolate chip chase. Cousins are wonderful - I am close with several, and have mourned some, too.

We Will Worship The Lord!

During the Corona Virus, Pastor Regina Walton conducts services on the front lawn of Grace Church. Photo by Marash Girl

"At The Cross" In Newton Corner

Photo by Marash Girl

Crossing your legs in church?

Crossing your legs in church?  That's a no-no that young Marash Girl learned years ago when she visited the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Paris, France.

Young Marash Girl was sitting in a pew a ways back from the altar, entranced by the service and the music, when all of a sudden she felt a slap across her knee.  She looked up to see an old Armenian woman, all dressed in black,  shaking her head and shaking her finger at Marash Girl, pointing to the crossed leg.  

"Whoops," thought young Marash Girl, and never again has Marash Girl crossed her legs in church.  She can still feel the sting of that slap! 

Emily Dickinson Visits Newton Corner's Grace Episcopal Church

How Jesus Saved Marash Girl From the Drug Culture

Marash Girl knew no one in Cambridge who was not doing drugs.  "Fools," she thought to

to herself.  "Why would anyone want to get hooked on drugs?"  Cigarettes were bad enough!!!  (Although by the grace of God, Marash Girl had managed to avoid tobacco cigarettes as well.) When consistently pressed by those around her, folks who insisted, "But you don't know what a great high you're missing!" . . .   she finally reverted to her faith:  "I get my high from Jesus.  Wanna hear about it?"  And that, as they say, was that!  They never bothered her again!  Apparently they did NOT want to hear about Jesus!!!

"Jesus loves the little children . . . "

Marash Girl's favorite hymn in Sunday School at the United Armenian Brethren Evangelical Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, was taught her by her Sunday School teacher who was a student at Gordon College.  This is how it goes:

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world . . .
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world!

The chorus did not go on to explain that Jesus loves the grownups as well . . . red and yellow, black and white . . . although we kids were able to figure that out . . .  Marash Girl's guess is that many grownups could not. . .

Remembering Leo Kricorian

Leo Kricorian  c. 1962
Photo by Ed Kricorian

I have been thinking about you, Leo . . . wanting to record memories of our fun times together at (then known as)  the United Armenian Brethren Church on Arsenal Street in Watertown, Massachusetts. And this morning I went to the internet, looking to see how we might get together and chat about the old days, when I learned of your passing!!! Oh, no!!! You were such a wonderful person, and so much fun!!! I can still see you and hear your voice singing God's praises as you stand at the front of the church sanctuary to the right of the pulpit singing and playing your guitar. I remember when you and I acted out the parts of Joseph and Mary in the Manger Scene at the front of the church at Christmas Time for all the congregation to enjoy . . . that was so special!!! Then today, wanting to catch up with you, I went to the internet to learn of your whereabouts . . . only to learn of your passing and the little bit that followed about your life. I am brokenhearted, but I know I shouldn't be. I know how much you loved the Lord Jesus Christ, how, from the pulpit, your voice and guitar rang out singing God's praises, how you are now with the Lord Our God!!! We shall meet again, dear friend!!! And let me sing again, as we used to sing and shout from the pulpit when we were kids,

                             

When we all get to heaven, 

What a day of rejoicing that will be! 

When we all see Jesus, 

We'll sing and SHOUT the victory! 

Martha Mae (Bilezikian) McCool writes from California, "I grew up in Newtonville, Massachusetts, and attended the same church that Leo attended from the time we were toddlers until we became young adults . . . those who stayed in the Boston area, continued to attend. Since I had moved out of state, I lost touch with many of my friends and relatives who attended and were original members of that church. My great uncle (The Reverend Vartan Bilezikian) was the first pastor of this church which at that time was called The Watertown United Armenian Evangelical Church. I understand that the name of our church was later changed. It was truly a "family church" where most of the parishioners were genocide survivors who pooled their meager resources to build the church . . . a place where they could worship freely. As kids, we would race around the church's basement where the Sunday School teacher tried to quiet us down . . . keep us better behaved . . . but it was so much fun to reunite with all the kids every Sunday. Leo was a good friend, and about the same age as most of us kids (born around1940-1945) . . . Leo was a blast . . . very talented musically, and we always looked forward to that moment in the service when the "children's choir" (aka us unruly kids) would assemble to sing a cute song (giggling, singing, and laughing all at the same time) while accompanied by our very talented friend, Leo, playing the guitar. Leo, you will be missed, but I know you are making beautiful music up there with our loved ones."

Well-known author Nancy Kricorian (Leo Kricorian's niece) write, "Music was the passion of Leo’s life, and in his youth he was the front man for the bands Leo and The Thunderbirds and Leo and the Rhythm Rockers. He wrote music and lyrics, and recorded several songs under the name Leo Scott. He was the lead guitarist for the Andy Healy Band starting in the late 70’s. Andy Healy said of Leo, “He truly loved the Irish music scene, and he was front and center with our band. He was always very dependable, and he was never late for a gig in the 37 years he played with us.”Of note, as well, is that Leo was a guitar teacher, and one of his early students was well-known guitarist, composer, and educator John Baboian. We shall miss you, Leo. We DO miss you, Leo!! But even as we are missing you, we'll keep singing, just as we did with you, Leo, and as I have remembered above: "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and SHOUT the victory!"

John Harutunian writes, “Leo Kricorian and his family were very much part of what was then known as the Armenian Brethren Evangelical Church of Watertown. His mother and my grandmother, Agavnie Harutunian, were good friends. I remember that Leo made his outward, public commitment to Christ at a Billy Graham crusade held at Boston University’s Nickerson Field in 1982; and subsequently commented on it in an article in the Boston Globe! Though I didn’t get to know him too well, I do remember Leo as a friendly and likable person -- as, doubtless, do all who knew him at the Watertown church.”                                                 

When We All Get To Heaven

Remembering singing this wonderful chorus when we were kids growing up in the United Armenian Bretheren Evangelical Church of Watertown, Massachusetts.  When we got to the words SHOUT in the last line, we loved it, because we SHOUTED out that word as loud as we could, and right in the middle of church!

When we all get to heaven,
What a wonderful moment that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and SHOUT the victory!

The congregation loved our singing, of course!

The Hymns Stay With You Forever!

The words, the tunes of those old-time hymns stay with you forever.  You may forget the sermons, but not the hymns!  When you most need them, they are there with you, a reminder of God's presence.  At least, that is the case for Marash Girl.  In case she hasn't mentioned it before, the hymnal she grew up with, Spiritual Hymns of Worship, compiled by E. E. Elmajian, was published in three languages -- English, Armenian in Armenian letters, and Turkish in Armenian letters.  And the hymns were sung in all three languages by folks who had sung those hymns in Turkish and Armenian and English throughout the time of untold atrocities, atrocities against the Armenian population, atrocities that occurred under the cover of World War One.  We are all so thankful to be safe, here in the United States of America.

THE QUICKEST WAY TO THE HOSPITAL

Years ago, right after church, cousin David and Marash Girl were hanging out on the sidewalk waiting for our parents when a car pulled up and asked for the quickest way to the hospital.  Cousin David, without hesitation, answered, "See that telephone pole over there?  Just crash right into it!"

"When a Church Becomes a Restaurant"

    Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
 "When a Church Becomes a Restaurant"
And the altar (not pictured) has become the bar!

     Photo by Marash Girl

"It started with Adam."

"You can't have a relationship with someone if you can't argue with him/her," claimed the priest during his sermon about Moses's relationship with God.

"But was Moses the first person to argue with God?" asked one of the parishioners.

"It started with Adam," answered the priest.