In the above video you will see part of the “Blessings of Grapes” ceremony at Adventist Health Glendale. Armenian Orthodox bishops and priests gathered together with hospital administrators and staff to bless the grapes and to call upon the Virgin Mary.
Ecumenism has become the new golden calf (Exodus 32:8) that all the churches of the world bow before. Inter-religious worship is the modern-day Baalpeor experience when Israel joined the Moabites in their festivals and offered sacrifices to their gods (Numbers 25:1-3). The ecumenical movement that many Seventh-day Adventists are so eager to join is the same delusion that the Philistines engaged in when they placed the Ark of the Covenant next to an idol of Dagon, a false, pagan deity (1 Samuel 5:1-12).
The grape baskets, symbolizing the Virgin Mary as the first fruits, are being blessed.
No matter how much is written defending these ecumenical commitments, no matter how much people try to deny that these events are offensive to God, no matter how heroic the church attempts to portray leaders who participate in these activities and no matter how much they try to downplay the gravity of engaging in idolatrous rites and pagan worship – the evidence is so obvious. You cannot dismiss these modern interfaith, joint worship services as anything less than venerating paganism, spiritualism and religious syncretism.
The ‘Blessings of the Grapes’ contain the Seventh-day Adventist name and logo.
Every year since at least 2011 the Armenian Orthodox Church has been celebrating the “Blessings of Grapes/Assumption of the Mother of God” ceremony at Adventist Health Glendale, formerly Glendale Adventist Medical Center. This annual celebration of the Blessings of Grapes is a feast that commemorates the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven – a doctrine that conflicts with our belief about the non-immortality of the soul and the role of Mary being a mediator in heaven.
All the bags of grapes contain the Adventist Health logo.
During the ceremony, Orthodox priests sing, chant and pray with the administration and staff of Adventist Health Glendale. Adventists and Armenian Orthodox celebrated this feast together in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and as far back as 2011. The above video was taken in 2011. Here is a report published by the LA Times that describes what these celebrations taking place inside of Adventist Health Glendale are all about:
“Father Movses Shannakian was joined by a dozen ministers as they visited Adventist Health Glendale, formerly Glendale Adventist Medical Center, to partake in the annual Blessing of the Grapes ceremony. Armenian churches around the world recently celebrated the religious ceremony dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Every second Sunday of August, members of Armenian churches sing, chant and pray in celebration. Priests enhance the atmosphere with incense from a censer as people eat and dance. Every year on the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, Armenian ministers lead attendees in prayer and worship in the hospital’s chapel (Adventist Health Glendale). The grapes are blessed and then passed around to patients.” [1]
According to the doctrine of the Armenian Orthodox Church, the feast of Mary’s ascension into heaven and the blessing of grapes are one and the same. Here is what the Armenian Orthodox Church teaches:
“Feast of the Assumption, the blessing of grapes takes place immediately after the Divine Liturgy. The ceremony is rich in symbolism and emphasizes the important role the Virgin Mary assumed in the revelation of God. [2]
The grapes symbolize the first fruits of the harvest and represent the Virgin Mary’s ascension into heaven. The doctrine of the Armenian Orthodox Church continues:
“Therefore, on the feast remembering her dormition (falling asleep in Christ) and Assumption (ascending to heaven), we celebrate the blessing of grapes.” [2]
These are worship services that celebrate the Virgin Mary’s ascension into heaven and her role as intercessor. This is a blatant violation of God’s holy word where we are told:
“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10.
Below you will see with your own eyes several Orthodox bishops and priests uniting with Seventh-day Adventist administrators and hospital staff participating in Catholic Orthodox rituals and consecrating symbolic objects (grapes) that represent the Virgin Mary. All of these rituals belong to Catholic Orthodoxy and have absolutely nothing to do with the Holy Bible.
2019 Celebration of the Blessings of Grapes/Assumption of the Holy Mother of God
In the 2019 celebration at Adventist Health Glendale both Armenian Orthodox leaders and Seventh-day Adventist administrators participated together in a worship service that called upon people to “beseech the intercession of the Holy Mother.” Below is the report of this worship service published by the Armenian Orthodox Church:
“In celebration of the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, on Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the annual blessing of grapes was conducted at Glendale Adventist Hospital. The service was led by H.G. Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Vicar General, accompanied by St. Mary’s Church pastors Archpriest Fr. Vazken Atmajian, Archpriest Fr. Gomidas Torossian, and Rev. Fr. Ardak Demirjian (Armenian Orthodox bishops and priests).”
Glendale Adventist President Alice Issai (Seventh-day Adventist), delivered welcoming remarks and Senior Chaplain Al Garcilazo (Seventh-day Adventist), the invocation.
The Vicar General (Armenian Orthodox Bishop) conveyed his greetings and message. He stated that “Prayer is a powerful spiritual tool which also impacts our physical bodies,” adding, “we have come today to pray for healing and to comfort all those who are ailing.” On the occasion of the feast of the Assumption, he urged all to beseech the intercession of the Holy Mother of God before her Son Jesus Christ. He concluded by blessing all those present and encouraging them to remain resolute in their faith, in their devoted service and in their worthy mission.
The grape blessing ceremony followed.
The service concluded with the benediction by Chaplain Elias Molina (Seventh-day Adventist). [3]
According to the Armenian Orthodox Church, Alice Issai, President of Adventist Health Glendale gave the welcome to the service. The Orthodox bishop gave the message which included an appeal to call upon the Virgin Mary to intercede for us before her son Jesus. Then the two Seventh-day Adventist chaplains, Al Garcilazo and Elias Molina, both graduates from Andrews University, [4] [5] gave the beginning and closing invocations to this interfaith worship service.
2018 Celebration of the Blessings of Grapes/Assumption of the Holy Mother of God
https://www.facebook.com/AHGlendale/photos/a.198867514312085/206645980200905/?type=1&theater
Here is Mrs. Alice Issai, President of Adventist Health Glendale, with the leadership of the Armenian Orthodox Church during the celebration of the “Blessings of Grapes.” Adventist Health Glendale published this post. They will tell you that the “Blessings of Grapes” is a 1,700 year-old tradition, but they leave out the fact that this feast celebrates SPIRITUALISM – the Virgin Mary’s ascension and mediation in heaven.
2017 Celebration of the Blessings of Grapes/Assumption of the Holy Mother of God
Former President of Adventist Health Glendale, President/CEO Kevin Roberts, speaks during the Blessings of Grapes celebration. [6] Kevin Roberts is now CEO of AdventHealth Central Texas in Killeen and AdventHealth Rollins Brook in Lampasasalong. [7]
Seventh-day Adventist Senior Chaplain at Adventist Health Glendale, Al Garcilazo left, passed out bags of grapes after the Blessings of the Grapes service at Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017. Those in attendance received blessed grapes and some took additional bags of grapes for their patients and colleagues. [8]
With Senior Chaplain Al Garcilazo in background, Adventist Health Vice President of Business Development, Ramella Markarian, shows bags of blessed grapes after the Blessings of the Grapes service at Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017. Those in attendance received blessed grapes and some took additional bags of grapes for their patients and colleagues. [8]
Distributing Grapes that Symbolize the Virgin Mary as the First Fruits
These grapes, symbols of the deification and veneration of Mary, are then passed out to the different patients in the hospital. These ceremonies are similar to the grape offerings by priestesses during harvest in the pagan worship of Bacchus. [9] Seventh-day Adventists cannot accept this worship or any syncretism between beliefs or religious ceremonies that include lighted candles and grape offerings. We are embracing Catholic Orthodox traditions and idolatrous acts. How can anyone justify this?
“O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem (Adventism) on heaps.” Psalm 79:1.
“Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.” Jeremiah 12:10.
We have leaders who can no longer distinguish between the holy and the profane. They are dancing around the golden calf following and trusting in their own visions and delusions. They are offering grape sacrifices to the gods of wood and stone.
Where is the dignified protest? Where are the reparations for this grave error? Where are the tears, sorrow and prayers of repentance? Where are the calls to expel this darkness from among the people? Where is the worldwide outcry by the faithful against these abominable, ecumenical, interfaith engagements?
Church leaders at the highest levels defend these interfaith religious worship ceremonies. They call it being friendly and building relationships. Instead of pointing members to the beauty of the Seventh-day Adventist faith and instead of seeing the justice and holiness of a majestic God, we are enslaving ourselves to the feeble traditions of paganism, idolatry and ecumenism.
The Patriarch Karekin II, right, is the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Here he is in unity with Pope Francis. The Armenian Orthodox Church is one with Rome through ecumenism.
“Let not those who have the truth as it is in Jesus give sanction, even by their silence, to the work of the mystery of iniquity. Let them never cease to sound the note of alarm. Let the education and training of the members of our churches be such that the children and youth among us shall understand there are to be no concessions to this power, the man of sin. Teach them that although the time will come when we can wage the war only at the risk of property and liberty, yet the conflict must be met, in the spirit and meekness of Christ; the truth is to be maintained and advocated as it is in Jesus. Wealth, honor, comfort, home—everything else—is to be a secondary consideration. The truth must not be hid, it must not be denied or disguised, but fully avowed, and boldly proclaimed (Selected Messages, Vol. 2, pp. 269, 270).
In part 2 we will examine why today’s church leaders have to defend these interfaith engagements, including meetings with the pope. You will see that they don’t have much of a choice.
Sources
[2] https://armenianchurch.us/the-mother-of-god/assumption-of-the-holy-mother-of-god/
[3] Report on the 2019 Feast of Grapes/Assumption of the Mother of God
[4] https://www.linkedin.com/in/elias-molina-9449023b
[5] https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-garcilazo-183bb43b
[6] https://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/08/17/2017/blessing-grapes-glendale-adventist/
[9] https://www.learnreligions.com/bacchus-roman-god-2562627
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