Finding a `working man's Jesus'

Working at the Bada-Bing strip club of HBO's Soprano's -- this clearly presents a problem for a Christian. This is just one of the dilemmas Father Stephen Siniari wrestled with Thursday night. In a lecture entitled "The Working Man's Jesus," Siniari gave advice on how to bring God into daily life, specifically into the workplace. Siniari addressed the audience of about 15 people, mostly his parishioners, as part of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship Distinguished Guest Lecture Series. In a very casual and intimate setting in the Newman Center, Siniari suggested 11 ways to "bring peace and love for our master into your workplace." "Don't get fired," Siniari said. "If you're going to be there as a viable witness, you have to be there." In addition to being the Parish Priest at Saints Peter & Paul Albanian Orthodox Church in Philadelphia, Siniari is also the Pastoral Minister of the city's Covenant House where he works with street youth, especially abandoned and homeless teens, young prostitutes and those in prison. Many of Siniari's suggestions could be generalized to people of all backgrounds, in all parts of life. "Let others see you by your actions," said Siniari. "Keep your words at a minimum." Siniari kept the group entertained for almost two hours as he strayed from the set topic to explore the problems facing Orthodox Christians. "Nine times out of 10, the Church will hardly help you," Siniari said, adding that he realized the controversy of that statement. "I'm sorry. What we get from the priests is not always practically applicable." "I think his quote 'We're all toothpaste, just in different tubes,' was a quirky way of really getting his point across -- to love and help everyone you can," said Kristen Webster, a College senior and OCF publicity director. Siniari is currently preparing a book for publication under a title similar to that of the lecture -- The Working Man's Christ: How to Survive on the Job as a Christian in the Year 2001. Siniari's lecture was the fifth of the OCF's series this year. For College freshman Maria Catrickes, it was her first. After hearing Siniari's lecture, Catrickes, who came only because her great aunt asked her, came to her own conclusion. "I will definitely buy his book."