Q&A Home > B > Belonging

• Although I am Coptic Orthodox, I don't know much about the history of my church, nor do I know the Coptic language. I didn't regularly attend Church on Sundays when I was young. I also need to read the Holy Bible first and foremost. I am almost 20 years old and I feel completely lost. Going to Church is a wonderful thing, but when I don't understand what's going on, I get lost during the Divine Liturgy very quickly even when I have the Coptic Divine Liturgy book before me. Most of my friends either grew up in the Church or they came from Egypt having already known a lot. I'm in the middle because I was born in Egypt and grew up in The United States. This overwhelms me so much because I want to learn about the Church and its traditions but at the same time I can't forget that I also have to read the Holy Bible. This is a lot for me to do Your Grace, because I also have to worry about college and everything else that's going on in my life. I haven't really talked to anyone about this because I'm tired of hearing advice based on criticisms. I don't want to hear that everything I do in life is wrong because that's what I feel people are telling me even though it's implied rather than stated directly.
• My conversion to Orthodoxy has not been without its troubles, I am a working class man from England, upon joining the Coptic Orthodox Church, I found solid secure teaching, but I have always felt very alone amongst the people at church. Despite the people being mostly friendly to me, praise God, I have never felt at home as a working class English man amongst clearly middle and upper class Egyptians. Well, Lord have mercy on me, and please guide me how to deal with this.