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Ark of Covenant

MelosMelos
in Faith Issues
I am Ethiopian orthodox follower and I have some question.
1 Why only Ethiopian orthodox has the Ark of the covenant? 
2 we Ethiopian Orthodox take off our shoes when we enter in the church nave, why not the coptic? 

Thank you all!

Comments

  • Daniel_Kyrillos
    I can answer the second question: we should. Most parishes of Coptic churches are simply lazy and dont want to take off their shoes. However, when I went to a convent in Georgia, the nuns and H.G. Anba Yousef told us to take off our shoes upon entering any of the churches and to properly greet the saints. Most churches don't have nuns or monks or bishops who are so worried about it with the everyday churchgoers, so they don't say anything.

    However, we are extremely strict about the altar. Only ordained deacons and priests can enter the altar and they can't have shoes on.
  • mikeforjesusmikeforjesus
    edited September 2017
    Wow I did not know anyone knows where ark of covenant is. Why are the Jews not going after it ? I am so happy it still exists but I won't get near it.

    But I want to say in orthodoxy we don't always enforce what things should be unless it is a complete command but proof that it is right is we do it in some places

    Paul said women should wear veil but he said if anyone is contentious we don't force it. But it is expected they do it in church

    1 Corinthians 11:13-16
    13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
  • mikeforjesusmikeforjesus
    edited September 2017
    Wanted advice about my posting but not place here so I deleted it
  • Simon
    edited September 2017
    1. There is ONLY ONE Arch of the Covenant that is given to Moses by God and for a good thing it happened to reside in Ethiopia, so only Ethiopia has it.
    2. [in addition to Daniel_Kyrillos] we Ethiopians have preserved many of ኦሪት the old testament tradition that is why we used to be relatively much conservative in some cases.
  • MelosMelos
    @Mike it does exists only in Ethiopian Orthodox church which we are proud of and for your reference please read "Sacred sites of Ethiopia and the Arc of the covenant" & "Keepers of the lost Ark?" these two books will give you a lot more information about the lost ark and as well the legend, Ethiopian Orthodox has the ark but it doesn't mean we still practice the old testament rituals, we are in Christ, the church prepares his blood and flesh everyday.
    I still don't get it why the rest of the five Oriental does not take their shoes of? Our reference and guidance is the Holy Bible and in this holy book we have some verses which shows to take of the shoes when to be in the holy place (which refers the Church), Joshua 5 -15 " The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from  your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so"  Acts 7-33 "Then the Lord said to him, take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." these Bible verses are from the Old and New Testament of our Holy book, so how can we ignore those words of God? or will their be any other answer for this? Many Thanks!

  • MelosMelos
    @Daniel so you are saying it is okay to have shoes in the Nave? why only shoes off in the altar? the rest of the church is not holy? as far as I know and understand the place where I am standing to pray is a holy place, even  praying at my place I will be in my bare foot because am standing to hear the Lord's voice.
  • Daniel_Kyrillos
    @Melos in my church, since we are small, we often pass through the Nave to get to other places throughout the church. Also, we hold Sunday Schools in the Nave since we do not have enough small rooms. Generally, we keep our shoes on when we are not praying. However, during any prayer (Liturgy, Vespers, or the Agpeya) we take our shoes off. In a larger church I used to go to, however, everyone was encouraged to take off their shoes when they enter since it is a holy place.

    I think, personally, we should take off our shoes, but convenience has caused everyone, myself included, that it is okay to not do so.
  • MelosMelos
    Sorry I didn't have a clue why you didn't take off your shoes, actually and suppose we should first take off our sins which is abide in us. Ethiopian orthodox are mostly focusing on the slight (not actually) things. 
    for your information, I don't know if you have been in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian orthodox church architect is different, we have so much free space which the people where can sit and attend the sermons, we can not be in the nave unless we are abstaining to get the communion or to attend the hymens which will be in the night time, so we are used to not to be in the nave most if the time we can attend the mass or sermons outside the nave.
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