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Can anyone help me
I am having alot of questions running through my mind on how to live a spiritual life according to the Word of God from his Bible and also according to our beloved Coptic orthodox Church.
A question which I think about alot is what the meaning of the church (as a building) should have in my life. Is it just bricks? Because I know that all the icons in the church have had oil put on them. Does this mean the icons are alive?
Also why do we call it the House of God? as I have heared that Saint Paul said to idol worshipers that the True God does not need a place to live which is built by the hands of men.
Plz Help ???
A question which I think about alot is what the meaning of the church (as a building) should have in my life. Is it just bricks? Because I know that all the icons in the church have had oil put on them. Does this mean the icons are alive?
Also why do we call it the House of God? as I have heared that Saint Paul said to idol worshipers that the True God does not need a place to live which is built by the hands of men.
Plz Help ???
Comments
PDF Version of Book from COEPA
Excerpt from book:
How lovely are Thy dwellings,
O Lord of hosts !
My soul longs, yea, even faints for the
courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the
living God.
Yea, the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself
where she may lay her young,
at Thy altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Blessed are they who dwell in Thy house.
For better is a day in Thy courts than
a thousand elsewhere...
Psalm 84
In the middle of the violent storms of the world, and under the pressure of ceaseless temptations, the Psalmist paused to think. The sparrow has found a home to settle, and the swallow a nest to protect its young... but where would he find a place to dwell, and a shelter to inhabit?
No other place could compete with the altars of God, Lord of hosts, to please his heart and comfort his body. There, the ground beneath his feet vanishes, the whole materialistic world disappears from his sight, and his soul emerges to heaven, her abiding place. As if by wings of Spirit he is lifted up to the divine throne to visualise his King, God, and intimate Beloved One. Embracing Him and leaning across His chest, he casts his burdens and pours all his secrets, communes with Him, kindly reproaches Him, hears His voice and participates in His glories.
Tertullian expresses such a magnificent liberty which is
utilised by the assembled church, by saying:(1) “We assemble in a meeting... so that we might surround God with our prayers, as if by powerful arms. Such violence is pleasing to God”.
Indeed, worship in the house of God is far from being a
duty or a routine work exercised by a group of believers. It is, in fact, an urge to practice their own right, accepting the free gifts of the Holy Spirit. Their worship allows them entrance into the Lord’s green pastures where they are immersed into the spring of life giving water, feed from the heavenly banquet, drink from the chalice of salvation and enjoyment of the mysteries of God’s everlasting love. The Spirit gratifies them so that they desire nothing but to be in God’s presence. In their state of content they no longer request anything for themselves as much as for the others. They ask for presidents, ministers, the councillors, bishops, presbyters, deacons, monks and all ministers of the church, for the sick, the travellers, the prisoners, the distressed, the dead.... They even pray for the animals, the plants, the rivers and the winds! How remarkable; there in the house of God all hearts are drawn up to heaven, but instead. of becoming isolated to cope with their personal needs, they are, on the contrary, comprehensive in their love, requesting salvation, peace and renewal of every existing creature.
May God Bless you and reward you for your service :)
the church is the place where we come together to remind ourselves about jesus, to eat his body, and drink his blood. this is wat Jesus told us to do, "do this in remembrance"
"We assemble in a meeting" before the lord, and remember him, partake of him, and become one with him.
George
They call it the house of God because God is in there, in other words he is between us, watching and taking care of us.
because when we go visit the church we feel god's presence in it. we feel warm inside, happy! we feel inner peace! And when i smell the incense I smell god! the stronger the incense the closer god is to me!
We find god at church! :)
wow... you doing the same as QT... why on earth would you restart a thread this old?? it is like 4 years old and nobody on here has been active in years now?? at least i havn't seen any of them.....
a3mal ah?!!! i have a chemistry test tmrw! :P hahahahahahaha
yeah i don't know what that has to do with anythiing :P
One of the things I love is that the Orthodox Faith is an INCARNATIONAL one. It's about Christ being with us and in us and around us! Everything is saturated with Him! The architecture has theological meaning as well. Usually Orthodox Churches face East since the Son rises from the East! The Lord Jesusrose fromthe grave in Israel (a Middle eastern country). Thus when we have Liturgy we worship towards the east ( the muslims got that idea from us, by the way). The Cross is our flag, our banner, our foglight when we sail in the perturbed waters of daily life. it guides to the shores of this outpost called "church". Every brick was lovingly bought/made and set for the spiritual benefit of future generations! Every brick rperesents you and I in the Body Of Christ- His Church! Amen!