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Lent
Hi all, I am a Protestant attending a Baptist church, and this year our Pastor wants to focus on Lent, something not traditionally observed by Baptists! I think it is wonderful, and was wondering what special things you do to focus on this time before the crucifixion of our Lord.
CLawrence
CLawrence
Comments
In the Coptic Church, we fast during lent. By this I basically mean we are on a vegan diet, not eating animal biproducts: meat, eggs, milk, fish, etc. In the Coptic church, probably due to a lot of writings of the fathers as well as Biblical teaching, physical diet and controlling the tummy goes hand in hand with a lot of spiritual practices. Also, we celebtrate the liturgy on wednesdays, fridays, saturdays and sundays...(or basically more times than usual, depending on the services in the church) ...
Lent for us is categorized by Eight Weeks. These are Preparation Week, Temptation Week, week of the prodigal son, the samaritan woman, the man born blind, Palm Sunday ..etc. (thats not in order i dont think). Every week we have a sermon keeping on these particular gospels, the main focus being on preparing for the Holy Week.
I know my church in particular gives out little books containing a gospel reading for everyday as well as the "Prayer of the Hour" or Agpeya component. This encourages our whole congregation to do the same Bible readings and keep up with out daily prayers.
THEN HOLY WEEK !! We have the pascha prayers daily for 3-4 hours which are amazing. We go thru a series of hymns (i love it when their in the tone of the Lamentations of Jeremiah), then read the prophecies, their fulfillment in the gospels, a sermon, litanies, prostrations, prayers...its just hectic!
Then Holy Thursday, we have a seven hour service in the morning as well as pascha prayers at night for 5 hours.. when we near Good Friday, the services tend to get longer.
Good Friday service usually goes for 11-12 hours but I cant even begin to describe how beautiful it is.:) The sermons on Good Friday are especially touching (The fathers often cry...and we all end up atleast get teary-eyed).
Well i guess this was basically a synopsis of Lent in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Others will probably be able to add more... I hope you especially enjoy the blessings of Lent this year as this is your focus ..you picked like the greatest time to focus on.
p.s. if this year or any other year the Orthodox Easter is not on the same week as your Easter, i would encourage you to maybe stop by and check it out.
p.p.s. hope ive helped :D
CLawrence
We celebrate Christmas??? Of course we celebrate Christmas!!!
But it is on January 7 not December 25. One of the reasons why the date is different is that we don't go by the Catholic or Roman calendars we follow the Coptic calendar. And January 7th is the day that was determined to be the "true" day that we believe that Christ was born on. And we also say “Happy Nativity” not just “Merry Christmas.”
Jfranklin are you not Coptic orthodox? No problem if your not I am just wondering.
In his name
This year(2005), The Coptic Orthodox Lent will start on March 7 and celiberate Resurection Feast on May 1 st (55 days).If you live in an area near Coptic Church, you can experience by yourself the deep spirituality of the coptic faith, especially of the HOLY WEEK(Palm Sunday, April 24; Covenant Thursday, April28; Good Friday,April 29). Coptic church celebrate the Glorious Resurection on the evening of the Resurection Day( April 31) at about 8-9 O"clock and end after midnight. God bless you
Sorry, no Im not coptic orthodox...does that mean you dont like me anymore...lol... ;D..just kidding!
I believe the catholic church has different views on lent.. don't they choose to give up something they love, for example tv or chocolate or something? or maybe that's for christmas.. i'm confusing myself.. lol
Maria
(one of these days i am acctually gunna spell my name rong)
:)
Sorry, no Im not coptic orthodox...does that mean you dont like me anymore...lol... ;D..just kidding!
im sorri i didnt get that lol was that sarcastic or..... lol sorri guys 1nce agen get used it im slow lol i still dun get it r u?? no prob we luv every1 esp. me i get along easily coz im outgoin soz i also sidetrack soz im lost 4get me :-\ :-[
rabena ma3akom guys :) ;) :D ;D :-*
FROG
no ur not ur right they give up something for lent ! COPT4LIFE u are right i love holy week LOVE LOVE LOVE holy week, i have no words to describe my love no words JUST THAT I LOVE IT SOOO MUCH! and good firday man! i am seriously at a loss for words! ITS LIKE MAN CHRIST DIED FOR ME HE SAVED ME, I CANT EVEN EXPLAIN THAT FEELING! :) !!
Maria
(one of these days i am acctually gunna spell my name rong)
:) ;) :D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :D :D YAR EVERYTHING SHE SED EXEPT 4 MARIA AND UNDER :D OMG HOW COOL I LUUUUUUV IT ;D :D ;) :)
rabena ma3akom :) ;) :D ;D :-*
me FROG :-*
I was joking....thats why I said "just kidding". :)
No sarcasm intended! Just alittle friendly humour.
.
:)
Sorry, no Im not coptic orthodox...does that mean you dont like me anymore...lol... ;D..just kidding!
yer which bit r ya kidding on the lyk me bit or de no im not CO bit?? arrr i got a point dun i lol nar jkz i still luv ya :) ;) :D ;D
nd im also slow so dun make me :'( :'( thats insultin u no
lol nar jkz lol i dun care God made me slow nd its pretty fun 2 :) ;) :D ;D
lol
GBU ALL PPLZ :) ;) :D ;D :-*
FROG
sorri clawrence
GBU ALL
FROG :) ;) :D ;D
I know my church in particular gives out little books containing a gospel reading for everyday as well as the "Prayer of the Hour" or Agpeya component. This encourages our whole congregation to do the same Bible readings and keep up with out daily prayers.
that sounds nice...i wish our church would do that. i have to agree with all of you, i love Holy week too! have ne of u guys been to the thing at night after Good Friday, like in the middle of the night which then goes into the liturgy (sry i forget wut its called....i think its called "sebaya wa arbaya" 7 & 4, but im not sure). i went last year and i loved it. its like tasbeha but better. :)
the catholics give up something and dont eat meat on fridays either. the other day, i was talking to one of my catholic friends and she was saying how pretty soon their not goin to be able to eat meat on fridays, so i was like we dont eat any dairy products at all and she was surprised (and probably grateful that their church isnt so strict lol)
Maria
GBU ALL GUYS
FROG :) ;) :D ;D :-*
pray 4 me