"Lord, teach us to pray" - An Experience at the Coptic Orthodox Church, Independence, Ohio

Coptic Community in Jerusalem
"A Modest Bridge"

Last Sunday, I had the unique pleasure and opportunity to worship with the Coptic Orthodox Church located in Independence, Ohio. I had been by their lovely church on many occasions and had promised myself that one day I would worship with the congregation and learn more about their community. The Copts are the original Egyptians, and the word "Copt" itself is derived from the Greek word "Aegyptus" which means Egypt. The Copts are the descendants of the ancient Egyptians. They are considered one of the most anthropologically pure races in the world. 

From the local church's website: "When people think of Egypt, they usually think of ancient Egypt with its pyramids. Then they jump over to the Islamic period represented by the  forest of minarets, which a person sees in Cairo today. However, in between these two extremes, there is a modest bridge. This bridge does not pass over a valley of darkness where the Copts resided in complete isolation. On the contrary, this era is considered one of the luminous periods in the national and ecclesiastical history of Egypt.

"Strictly speaking, the purely Coptic Christian period extends for about six centuries at the dawn of the Christian era. In Egyptian history, this is a tiny fraction but not at all insignificant. From the cultural standpoint, that short span was epoch-making in the development of Egyptian ideas and ideals. Indeed it stands for what is rightly called "Coptic Civilization". 

Icon of Saint Mark

"St. Mark, a disciple of African origin and the writer of the earliest Gospel, came to Egypt ushering in the dawn of Christian faith. The year of his arrival in the famous Capital of Egypt, Alexandria, cannot be established with certainty. Some sources put his entry in Egypt as early as 48 AD. Others put it in 55, 58 and even as late as 61 AD. However, the consensus of   opinion puts the date of his martyrdom in Alexandria in 68 AD. In that short period St. Mark was able to win many converts and to found the Church in Egypt. Since that time, Christianity spread like fire throughout the country. The main reason for this was the fact that the Egyptian has always been religiously minded. The ancient Egyptian searching mind was always exploring the domain of religion, and ultimately arrived at certain tenets and beliefs, which were later identified with the theory and sublime teachings of the Christian religion." (stmarkcoccleveland.org)

Coptic Church in Jerusalem

My first experience with the Coptic Church was in Jerusalem when the group from Saint George's College visited the ancient church community and its lovely chapel located just off the Parvis at the Church of the Resurrection. There, the priest read for us the story of the Phillip's encounter with the Egyptian on the road to Gaza from the Book of Acts. The chapel was covered in magnificent iconography; the incense, from millennia of use infused the room with fragrance; and the priest read from a worn and cross shaped lectionary. It was a memorable experience.

On Sunday, I arrived with my two friends not knowing what exactly to expect. We were greeted warmly by an older man, functioning as a sacristan, who showed us the way to the sanctuary, and stated that the service would begin sometime around 9:00 am. These Coptic liturgies go well on two hours or more - so people come and go. It was an entirely male dominated group leading worship which was of no surprise with a priest, many young acolytes, and a chorus of men and boys leading the singing. The sanctuary is beautiful filled with contemporary icons; on the ceiling - Christ holding a closed book and surrounded by the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; at the altar to the left was an icon of the Nativity and to the right an icon of the resurrection.

The service for the day was taken from the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil which dates to the seventh century CE. It was led in both Arabic and English. What was wonderful and fascinating was the use of modern technology set along side the ancient rite and thank God for it! Without such an aid, it would have made for more of a "spectator" worship. Two screens came down from the ceiling on either side, with the click of a mouse, we were all engaged in the ancient rite of Saint Basil.

Coptic Orthodox Church, Independence, Ohio

I appreciated the liturgy in many ways. First, the opportunity to engage in prayer that has served the Church since the seventh century. Ancient words and ideas that still find truth in today's understanding of the mystery of God: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us. Second, there was no rush to complete the liturgy by a set time. These are lengthy prayers meant to be said with great sincerity and integrity. Third, I was impressed by the young boys who read four lengthy passages of the New Testament. They did so with great articulation and care. Fourth, young people and families. I was greatly encouraged by the presence of so many families present with children - well behaved children! It was clear that this Sabbath ritual was not an occasional practice but a regular witness.

While the three of us were not able to stay for the entire liturgy, on the way out of the service, we were greeted by one of the ushers who engaged us in a wonderful conversation offering to us a warm and authentic welcome with an invitation to be present at the community's annual Egyptian Festival to be held at the end of August. All three of us were so impressed by the man's genuine warmth and hospitality that we made a promise to one another to be present at the festival.

There is a contemporary rush these days to abandon all things "ancient", this experience with my brothers and sisters of the Coptic tradition reminded me once again that truth can be found in both ancient and modern sources. We must not reject the past believing that it has nothing to say to our time and place. Jesus is the truth that can set all of us free. We must set our eyes on Christ and not be led by our biases, prejudices, and malice.

I am grateful to God to be able to live in an area of the country with such rich diversity of religious experience and thought. Until tomorrow….

Love One Another - Brian