Church today! When I was here 13 years ago the weekend was Thursday-Friday, with Friday being the Holy Day. Since the West‘s and most of the rest of the World’s weekends are Saturday-Sunday, and considering the time differentials, there was a lot of potentially lost business. With the UAE trying to move away from it's all-petrodollar economy, the weekend was changed a few years ago to Friday and Saturday in order to try to align it closer to the rest of the world. The day of worship wasn't changed due to, as I understand, a popular backlash to moving the Holy Day to Saturday, in line with the Jewish Holy Day. So unlike in the US, you go to church on the first day of the weekend.
I am an Episcopalian, which means that I am a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. There is a very vibrant Anglican community here in the United Arab Emirates, as well as in the national and emirate (think ‘state’) capitol Abu Dhabi. The UAE is a small nation just slightly larger than South Carolina and made up of seven emirates. St. Andrew’s Church is one of seven Anglican churches in this country of between 7 and 8 million people made up of Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and I’m sure many others.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late ruler of Abu Dhabi, and the founder and first president of the UAE, dedicated St. Andrews Church during its beginnings some years ago. And there is also a very large evangelical church on the next block as well as one of the larger mosques in the city just next door. Additionally, there is also a very large Roman Catholic church here in the city. The St. Andrew’s compound takes up about one-quarter of an American city block and is the site of or is used by over forty other congregations that include Greek Orthodox, Mar Thoma (Indian St. Thomas church), Ethiopian Christian, and a host of others. I'm told that the compound is full from 6AM to midnight.
The St. Andrew’s congregation is amazingly diverse with Africans, North Americans, British, Indian, Pakistani, and at least one Dutch congregant whom I met today. It is a wonderful mix. Not only that, our chaplain has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an order of chivalry some steps below a knighthood. The children’s ministry is very active and today they performed a play during our service for the Fourth Sunday of Lent on the Prodigal Son. It was interesting, funny, and full of a mix of British humour and American humor.
We're currently raising money to send a mission to India to help paint and maintain a boy's orphanage that we have adopted. This effort is headed by a Chicagoan, a die-hard Cubs fan (perhaps he should be added to some prayer lists just for supporting the Cubs!)
Much like America 30 years ago, nothing opens in the morning of the Holy Day, and many stores and shops are closed all day. It is quaint and actually quite comforting for a man raised in the old ways. And it’s actually nice to be able to relax and go worship the first day of the week, and then do all the other stuff the next day to spool up for the work week.
The UAE is an amazingly liberal nation here on the Arabian Peninsula, socially and religiously. I would encourage anyone to visit if you have the time (the flight is a killer – 13 hours non-stop from Chicago). But, if you do, please look us up and attend church here with us. You'll likely be amazed!
If you'd like to see more: http://standrewauh.org/
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8 years ago
