Spiritual Discussions
Christian faith according to the Bible and teaching of the Church Fathers. How to fulfil the divine commandments and fight against sin? The Holy Bible and the Sacred Tradition of the Church. How the Church responds to the fundamental questions of human live and how to live according to the faith in the modern world? Faith as a worldview, way of knowing and culture. How to raise children? Spiritual principles of learning and self-knowledge.
Church Leadership
Leadership models and the peculiarities of Christian leadership. The example of Christ. Apostolic instructions to leaders and to parish members. How we want to see our religious leaders. Participation of lay people in the Church administration. God’s gift of leadership.
- Speaker: Almast Muradyan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
The Sacrament of Marriage
God’s blessing of the marriage: Adam and Eve, the wedding at Cana. Love is the foundation of marriage. The indivisibility of the spiritual marriage. Apostolic commands to couples. The crisis of the patriarchal family model in modern society. The dangers threatening marriage: divorce. Spiritual preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage.
- Speaker: Fr. Grigor Hovhannisyan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Forgiveness
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.” (Mt. 6:13). Forgiveness, atonement, repentance. How many times shall I forgive my brother? Conciliation instead of revenge and enmity. The capacity to forgive as a spiritual accomplishment.
- Speaker: Fr. Arnak Harutyunyan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Remember Your Creator in the Days of Your Youth (Eccl. 12:1)
The activities of the World Youth Union of the Armenian Church. Bible messages for youth. Conditions for the active involvement of youth in the Church. “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.” (1 John 2:14).
- Speaker: Araks Poghosyan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Abba, Give Me a Word
Spiritual discussion and consulting. The power of spiritual words and of Christian sermon. The topic of spiritual conversation and its didactic importance. Creation of trust between interlocutors and the key to people’s souls.
- Speaker: Fr. Grigor Hovhannisyan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Spiritual Joy
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). The spiritual joy of Christians against the stereotypes about the mourning character of faith. “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Ps. 99:2). Thankfulness and the hope of salvation as sources of joy. God comforts the mourners.
- Speaker: Fr. Mesrop Aramian
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Baptism Preparation
Pagan and Christian traditions of baptizing with water. The establishment of the Mystery of Baptism by the Lord Jesus. Divine adoption and Church membership. The phase of spiritual preparation before the Baptism. Infant and adolescent baptism. The mission of the godfather.
- Speaker: Fr. Markos Mangasaryan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Symbol of the Cross
Feasts of the Holy Cross in the Armenian Church. The cross in Armenian culture. We worship not the cross, but the Crucified. Why the instrument of death was chosen as the main symbol of Christianity. “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” (Lk. 14:27). The theology of the cross. The enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18).
- Speaker: Fr. Mesrop Aramian
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Green Sunday
Universal Church. The universe and nature as a temple. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). Preaching God through nature. The human as a part of creation and as its crown; return to the nature. Symbolism of mountain in the Bible (Noah, Moses, Jesus) and in mystical theology.
- Speaker: Fr. Mesrop Aramian
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Red Sunday
The Church founded by the Blood of our Savior. Tertullian: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Red color as a symbol of the struggle for freedom, truth, values, and faith. Persecutions against Christians throughout history and nowadays. Sacrifice required from Christians. The mystery of the Holy Communion.
- Speaker: Fr. Smbat Sargsyan
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
New Life in Christ
Easter as a liberation from sin. Rising with Christ; the necessity of renewal through the mystery of Resurrection. Feasts as opportunities for the renewal of humans. Examples of conversion in the New Testament and literature; the novel “Resurrection” by Leo Tolstoy. “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man” (Ephes. 4:23-24). God Himself renews us by His will: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
- Speaker: Fr. Mesrop Aramian
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Faith (Part II)
What or whom should we believe in? Building one’s faith on the reliable foundation. Darkness and frustration surrounding the unbeliever. When your faith is shaken. Faith as a source of spiritual and physical healing. Faith as an invincible strength of the Christians.
- Speaker: Fr. Mesrop Aramian
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan
Faith (Part I)
New season start of the “Spiritual Discussions” program. Faith as a foundation for any spiritual discussion. Faith in the context of the interpersonal and God-human relations. The leading role of the faith in the spiritual growth—faith, hope, love. Faith in our daily life. Inborn faith.
- Speaker: Fr. Mesrop Aramian
- Host: Deacon Vardan Aslanyan