Advent 2024 Newsletter – Grace United Church

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 (NRSV)

Dear Grace United Church,

What does this verse have to do anything with Advent and Christmas, you ask.

My answer is everything.

My thoughts go back to January 5, 2005, the first day of my journey to become an ordained minister through the United Church of Canada. I had to complete my Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), before I could attempt to earn my Master of Divinity (M.Div.). The Journey began at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec.

I remember clearly one of the professors, Marie-France Dion, sharing with us the differences that are found in the Bible about identical stories that had different details, and I was so heartbroken that this theology class was guiding me and other students on not taking the Bible literally. For the 38 years of my life, I have been taught that the Bible is infallible, as it is God’s Breath. In Armenian, besides refereeing to the Bible as the Holy Book (Sourp-Keerk), we also refer to it as God’s Breath (Asdvadza-Shounch).

This Course, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, was one of my first three courses I had registered for to begin my journey in obtaining a B.A. majoring in Theological Studies and minoring in English Literature. I turned to my classmate Andrew, and said: ”Are they trying to brainwash us that the Bible is not perfect?” Andrew, who was at the end of his theological studies, gently said, “Takouhi, if everything is perfect and literal, what part will Faith play?” Almost 20 years after that conversation, I still remember those words as well as my memory serves.

Beloved, Grace United Church, this is my last Newsletter Reflection for you as your Spiritual Leader, and I want to invite you to consider and reconsider over and over again that Faith is the foundation of the Church, that is why she is referred to as Community of Faith.

Every year, Advent helps us journey through four important elements of life – Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, helping us arrive to Christmas. I have learned that these four are truly the pillars of life – which are important to our daily living.

This Advent is a little bit harder to fathom all the heartache in the world. Where the rich seem to get richer and the poor, the marginalized are getting pushed away, literally, killed, tortured with weapons of destruction, and many politicians are buying their way into political positions, just because they can. But I am also reminded that these problems were there at the time of First Advent and Christmas. As difficult as it is to see the children crying for their parents, parents crying for holding their dead children in their arms and crying, in the rubble of Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and many other places, which we do not hear on the news cycle, The Spirit keeps on reminding me to hold on to the four pillars of Advent that leads us to Christmas – Hope, Peace, Joy and Love; and the cord that connects all these four pillars together is Faith and Faith Alone.

Four-plus years ago, if anyone told me that I will be changing my pastoral relations from Grace to Trinity as of January 1, 2025, I would have laughed, like Sarah did when she overheard one of the three visitors tell Abraham that Sarah will have a son the following year. I would have laughed as well. But I kept on searching my heart within God’s heart to see with the eyes of my soul – Faith.

Like Mary and Joseph were visited by Angel Gabriel. As frightened as they were, they still took a leap of faith. Even the shepherds, no matter how scared they were when the symphony of Angels appeared and gave the Good News, they were frightened. Anything and Everything New is frightening at times, but the end results are Glorious and Beautiful.

You know the rest of the story. Soon after the visit of the Magi, Joseph was visited by an angel again and told to go back where his ancestors had left, Egypt, so that King Herod would not kill this King of Kings and Prince of Peace.

Beloved Grace United, do not be afraid to go where God is calling you to go. Hold on to Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, which are held together with the cord of Faith. No matter how thin and skimpy that cord may look like, but Faith does not need to be big and mighty, but the smallest amount of Faith who Trusts the Mighty Love of God can do Great things. Not just for ourselves but for the entire world, from the little corners of our lives.

Be Blessed as you bless others and remember, God is with you Through it All.

As I anticipate my 57^th birthday, (Nov. 18), I think of this wonderful song that the Grace United Church Choir sings beautifully, and I invite you to Hold on to Faith, and Trust the One who has brought you this far and who promises to see you through.

“Through It All” – by Andrae Crouch (1972)
I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
there’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

Chorus:
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
there’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

Chorus:
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do.

I remain humbly God’s Servant-Daughter – Because of Grace,
Rev. Takouhi Demirdjian-Petro
B.A., B.Th., M.Div.