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

Photo by MarashBoy©2021

RELIGION IN WATERTOWN SQUARE

"JESUS IS THE WAY AND THE TRUTH . . ." JOHN 14:6 "REPENT - JESUS IS COMING" "REPENT THEN AND TURN TO GOD. . . " ACTS 3:19 Above Photo by MarashGirl©2021

On Talking With A Stranger At The Watertown Starbucks

A stranger? Marash Girl recognized the cross as being an Armenian cross! It turns out that the "stranger", Haig, was an Armenian born in Azerbaijan, a man now in the United States of America, having lost his homeland . . . a silversmith with a shop on Union Street in Newton Centre. He had made the Armenian cross with his own hands. A blessed cross it is! Above Photos by MarashGirl©2021

Remembering A Sunday School Chorus Marash Girl Learned Years Ago From A College Classmate!!

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for Him each day... In every way try to serve Him, At home, at work, at play. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I'll be a sunbeam for Him. Thank you, MJ, for teaching Marash Girl this children's chorus while we were still college classmates. Although Marash Girl has forgotten much that she learned in college, she has never forgotten the words or the tune to this song. She sings it to this day.

It's time. . .

It's time to start praying!

"At The Cross" In Newton Corner

Photo by Marash Girl

Jesus Saves!

 

                                                                   Photo by Marash Girl

       Moving van driving down Maple Avenue yesterday shouts the good news:  JESUS SAVES!!!!

Do you remember where you were on THE 9/11?

Marash Girl still thanks the Lord that her son, who was living  and working in New York City in full view of the Twin Towers on that fatal 9/11,  and at that fatal hour, in full view of the crash, lived to tell the tale.  To this day, Marash Girl thanks the Lord for her son's life.

Emily Dickinson Visits Newton Corner's Grace Episcopal Church

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.”                                                 

Leave It There!

Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there!  That hymn contained the message that Grandpa Moses conveyed to his granddaughter Marash Girl all those many years ago. . . It wasn't enough to pray.  It was a must to pray, but after praying, to leave it to the Lord, to leave the burden in the Lord's hands.  NOT continue to carry it around.

A cartoon that Marash Girl saw years later reminded her of her grandfather and this hymn -- a cartoon  that she remembers to this day . . . a cartoon that showed a fellow asking for help with his burden, but refusing to give that heavy pack over to the person who had offered to help; the burdened man continued with his burden on his back, although his friend was at his side, packless, burdenless, ready and willing to help.

Abba, Abba . . .

And the preacher said, "Just as Jesus called unto his Father, 'Abba', we too can call on Him:  'Abba, Abba'."

And from the back row of the church, a toddler, a little boy, just learning to speak, called out, "Abba, Abba".

". . . . And a little child shall lead them!"

On Good Friday . . .

A while back, Jet Blue Airlines put out an ad that announced the following:  
Paradise for Half-Price.  Marash Girl started thinking about that.  Exactly what would paradise at half-price cost?  What does paradise cost anyway?  Simple.  Faith in Jesus Christ.  An acceptance of "the way, the truth and the life".  Not just the mouthing of words, but living the words, living the life, with the engine that runs life, Jesus Christ living within our soul.  So what would half-price be?

Luke 23:39-43New International Version (NIV)

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Here's Mud in Your Eye, Part II

Perhaps the expression, "Here's mud in your eye!" (scroll down to see yesterday's blog post) is an oblique reference to John 9:6 (NIV) where we read that Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud mixing His saliva with the soil, and placed the mud on the eyes of the blind man.   “Go,” Jesus told the blind man, “wash in the Pool of Siloam. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."  Was it the soil (which in Marash Girl's experience has healing powers to the hands that work the soil), or was it the essence of Jesus (His saliva) mixed with the soil placed on the man's eyes that healed, or was it the blind man's faith that Jesus could heal, that Jesus could restore his sight, that gave sight to the blind man?