Most Christians in Egypt are part of the Coptic Christian tradition and follow an orthodox calendar so they celebrated Christmas today. There was extra security everywhere because of the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria last week. Have I explained that our Sunday here is actually Friday? The Muslim holy day is Friday so the work week runs Sunday through Thursday and our weekend is Friday and Saturday.
Most Muslims go to services on Friday mornings. Our church meets on Friday evening because they use the building of a church of a different denomination. There are actually several church congregations that all meet in the same building so services are running back to back from Thursday evening through Sunday morning. I was told it’s virtually impossible to get a building permit to build a church here so they all use the church that is already here. St. John’s
This is the congregation that we attend: Maadi Community Church
It’s a beautiful old building that was built in 1920. Our congregation doesn’t actually meet in the building, but under a permanent tent that has been set up in the courtyard. We like that it’s close enough to walk to church — it takes less than 10 minutes to get there.
Walking with daddy. Love the babywearing, not loving the scruff.
seriously studying the ladies sitting behind us.
Out under the tent. There are probably 400ish people there at our Friday evening service. The really interesting/amazing thing about going to church there is that we are in the middle of a neighborhood. So when a congregation of 400 is singing “Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other” it is inevitably heard by everyone in the surrounding area. That takes on a special significance when you hear the Muslim call to prayer during a quiet part of the service and when the streets around the church are barricaded and extra police and dogs are patrolling in response to the bombing in Alexandria.
I’m thankful that we are able to attend a Christian church while living in a Muslim country. It’s something that we easily take for granted, but shouldn’t.