ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH
  • Home
  • WORSHIP
    • Worship FAQs
    • Online Worship
    • Earth Day Worship
    • Baptism
    • Prayer & Praise Requests
    • Weekly Prayer Initiative
  • OUTREACH
    • Outreach Ministries
    • Helping Hands
    • Lutheran Social Services
    • Thrivent Builds
    • Habitat for Humanity
  • MINISTRIES
    • Ministries Overview
    • Serving the Church >
      • Stewardship Campaign 2022
      • Prayer Station
      • Healing Touch
      • Church Health & Awareness
      • The Bear Ministry
      • Church Library
    • Music & Worship >
      • Hand Bells
      • Chancel Choir
    • Kids & Youth >
      • Sunday School
      • Youth Ministry
      • Vacation Bible School
      • Scouting
    • Bible Study Groups >
      • Women's Group
      • Men's Group
      • Bible Study Group
  • Giving
  • ABOUT US
    • Chi Rho Newsletter
    • History of ALC
    • Becoming a Member
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Links >
      • Evangelical Lutheran Church
      • Helping Hands
      • Habitat for Humanity - Mid Ohio
      • Lutheran Social Services
      • Southern Ohio Synod
  • ZOOM MEETINGS
  • Contact Us
Picture

Ascension Blog

A Message from Vicar Dale

11/1/2015

0 Comments

 
​A response to the refugee crisis in Europe for me includes a travel memory.  While in Egypt, I went to “garbage city”.  This Christian community located in a Zabbalin village on one of the hills of the Mokattam, was the result of a 1969 decision by the Governor to relocate all the garbage collectors of Cairo, to this space.  Hastily built houses of tin were erected.  In 1987 there was a population of 15,000.  The number has doubled now and there is better housing.  There is a stench in the air of the village because all the garbage that is collected by these Christians, who were dis-located by their government, sits on the ground floor of the majority of the houses.  Families live on the second floor, on top of piles of trash, which is sorted to be recycled, sold, and burned.
​Zabbaleen, an Egyptian Arabic word, means “garbage people”.  There are seven communities of these garbage collectors in and around Cairo.  The largest Zabbaleen community in Cairo is about 30,000, found in Mokattam village where 90% of the people are Coptic Christians.  For several generations, these families went door to door in Cairo collecting trash for very little compensation.  They also recycle 80% of what they collect, while the western garbage collectors that have made moves to take business away from these folks recycle about 25% of what they collect at greater cost.  The socio-economic stability of this community was threatened a dozen years ago when the government awarded annual $50 million dollar contracts to multinational garbage disposal companies. 
While on the mountain, after walking through the community where I noticed one health clinic and one school, I walked up the mountain and into a cave church.  The Church is built into the stone and can seat 20,000 people.  It is simply miraculous.  This worship space is named after Simon the Tanner (10th century), a Coptic Orthodox saint and Mary, mother of Jesus.  In Simon’s day, his training prepared him to deal with skins and would have been known as Simon the Tanner, Simon the Cobbler, and Simon the Shoemaker.


I felt anger, anxiety, dis-belief, and astonishment when I witnessed where and how our Christian brothers and sisters were living.  My concern for the future of the children in the community overwhelmed me.  Seeing the grandness of the Church, a short walk up the mountain from all the poverty I experienced was painful.  

In Christ,
​- Dale Linder, Vicar 
NOVEMBER SCRIPTURE READINGS 
John 11:32-44
Mark 12:38-44
Mark 13:1-8
John 18:33-37
Matthew 6:25-33 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Pastor Tim

    Picture
    Vicar Kimberly
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Blooming Ascension
    Celebration
    Christmas
    Easter
    Epiphany
    Facing Storms
    Faith
    Freedom
    From The Vicar
    Germany Videos
    Gift From God
    Giving Thanks
    God Calling
    Healing
    Jesus Glory
    Jesus Is The Light
    Joseph
    Kids Sermon
    Lent
    Lord's Prayer
    Martin Luther
    Pain
    Peace
    Poem By Oscar
    Reforming
    Repentance
    Revolution
    Sacrifice
    Sermon
    Springtime
    Stewardship
    Sunday School
    Tanzania Ministry
    Team Together
    Tension
    The Cross
    The Third Way
    Travel

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

About Our Church
​
​
1479 Morse Road
Columbus, Ohio 43229

We would love to have you join us in church this weekend. 
​
Sundays at 10:00 am
Sunday School at 11:00 am:
​
Confirmation Classes, Sunday School Classes & Adult Forum Classes
Office Hours

​Tuesday - Thursday
9:00 am - 2:00 pm

P: (614) 262-7389
E: ascluth@gmail.com
Give Online
Download Give+ App
Contact Us
Contact Us
Find Us
Website by Buckeye Dynamics
  • Home
  • WORSHIP
    • Worship FAQs
    • Online Worship
    • Earth Day Worship
    • Baptism
    • Prayer & Praise Requests
    • Weekly Prayer Initiative
  • OUTREACH
    • Outreach Ministries
    • Helping Hands
    • Lutheran Social Services
    • Thrivent Builds
    • Habitat for Humanity
  • MINISTRIES
    • Ministries Overview
    • Serving the Church >
      • Stewardship Campaign 2022
      • Prayer Station
      • Healing Touch
      • Church Health & Awareness
      • The Bear Ministry
      • Church Library
    • Music & Worship >
      • Hand Bells
      • Chancel Choir
    • Kids & Youth >
      • Sunday School
      • Youth Ministry
      • Vacation Bible School
      • Scouting
    • Bible Study Groups >
      • Women's Group
      • Men's Group
      • Bible Study Group
  • Giving
  • ABOUT US
    • Chi Rho Newsletter
    • History of ALC
    • Becoming a Member
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Links >
      • Evangelical Lutheran Church
      • Helping Hands
      • Habitat for Humanity - Mid Ohio
      • Lutheran Social Services
      • Southern Ohio Synod
  • ZOOM MEETINGS
  • Contact Us