Messy Christianity Part2

It has been a couple of weeks. With Christmas being crazy and my phone dying halfway through December. But I am still here.

I don't have any cute stories of cool object lessons today. These last couple of weeks have left me struggling to find closer on an issue for which I fear the is no closer.

How should we (the church) live. As a Christian and one in leadership within the church I have agressively fought aggainst any kind of "professional distance" I have believed it to be counter to christ's model and teaching of how ministry should be done.

Christ got dirty. He broke taboos and taught that Love should be our number 1 priorty. Love for God, our neighbor even our enemy.

That kind of love borders on impossible. It requires a balancing act that I don't think I am capable of.

The more I open myself the the hurts of the neighborhood of my church. The more unbearable the seem to become.

This is not the first time I have felt like this in South Africa I became attached to several infants with AIDS at the orphanage where I was serving and one of them died. This death bothers me to this day. But in south Africa I fell in Love with little lucinda. I had not ment to become so attached.It was accidental.

On staten Island where I currently serve i have tried since day one to become a part of the neighborhood. To be come linked with my neighbors. And while in theory that is still a concept I believe in. Practically it seems an I'm possible task.

Everyday someis getting jumped, or pregnant, or evicted, or thrown out of their house, or losing their or dieing and leaving loved ones and on and on.

When this is happening to namless faceless people who happen to live in your neighborhood even use the progams that you run. Than you can feel bad and move one. But when they are people you know and care about then every incident hurts.

I find that hurting with a couple of square blocks is unbearable. I can't imagine how Jesus felt know the hurts and fears of all he encountered and more.

The Agpeya

Today I got to see an old friend that I have not seen in several years. My friend Pierre is a Coptic Christian. The Coptic church is has been around almost a long as organized Christianity and it has changed very little during that time. They have traditions and practices that are ancient.

In our conversation he explained taught me a little about their faith practices. Coptics actually fast (no animal products or 'luxury foods') during the entire advent season and they have a practice known as 'praying the hours' that involves praying and reading significant scripture passages 7 times a day (8 for clergy).

A short time after our talk my friend came to my office and gave me his copy of "The Coptic book of hours" and he talked me through how Coptics faithfully pray the book.

At 3:00 I prayed through "None" which is Arabic for Nine meaning the ninth hour. It was a special experience and the readings were rich with spiritual truth. I plan to 'pray the hours' through out this Christmas season. Christmas, being the time of year when i am at my busiest I felt moved to focus on the coming celebration of the incarnation of Christ.

The Coptic church in Egypt has survived despite some of the most intense persecution found anywhere in the world and i have a huge respect for them as a group their faith should be a model for many of us who have become lazy in our faith.

I am so excited I feel like a kid a Christmas. (some would say I act like a kid a Christmas)I am expecting this practice to help me in my discipline and bring me closer to God.

Thanks Pierre