August 2, 2005
As I arrived at church Saturday morning, the parking lot was full. After about four passes, each an increasingly larger circle, I found a parking space several blocks away. As I walked toward the church, a large group of people in beautiful African attire were walking in this same direction. Was I dreaming? Then I remembered this was the day the Ethiopian Coptic Christians hold one of their two annual celebrations at our church.
What an amazing event. An estimated two hundred people packed the sanctuary and overflow room, and an additional one hundred people were in the social hall, standing room only. I tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, but paused long enough to observe. At one moment, I felt I was transported in time to the first century. Then, I thought, "This is what it will be like in heaven: people of every nation and race worshiping the Lamb in their own tongues and traditions."
Coptic worship dates back to Saint Mark, who established Christianity in Alexandria, Egypt, during the first century. Since Coptic Christians separated from the Western (Roman) Church early, the worship of the Coptics may be the purist link to the early church. Yet, many of their traditions are quite similar to the Roman, Greek and Russian Orthodox Christians.
This was not my first contact with Coptic worship. They stretch a veil or curtain across the chancel. No one misses the symbolism that God Himself is behind the veil. Only the priests may enter the veil. An overpowering sense of Holiness came over me. "Just think," I said to myself, "God is right here, in our chancel area." Then a light bulb went off in my feeble mind. Well, DUH! He's here every day, especially on Sundays!
Why is it that we do not have the same sense of the Presence and Holiness of God when we enter for worship? Would a veil help? I accepted a new challenge to help all of us, me most of all, to appreciate the awesome Holiness of God. Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place.
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