Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs)

In the Orthodox Church there are numerous customs and traditions that are important parts of our worship. Some of these customs are universal to the Church, others vary according cultural tradition, while some vary from parish to parish. The following information addresses questions most often asked by visitors, by those new to the faith, and even by those not so new.

Welcome to Holy Wisdom Orthodox Church in Grand Junction, Coloradoo. We hope you will stay and visit with us after the service so we can welcome you more personally. Because Orthodox Christianity is unfamiliar to many people, we have prepared this FAQ page to help you pray with us.

What is the Orthodox Church, and who are the Orthodox?
The Orthodox Church is the undivided Church which has existed continuously since the Sunday of Pentecost in AD 33 when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of tongues of fire upon the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem. The Orthodox faith is the unchanged Christian faith which was taught by Jesus Christ, preached by the Apostles, and is maintained without alteration unto the end of the world.

During the first millennium, the Orthodox Church was the unaltered Christian faith that stretched from Europe to Asia. During the “Dark Ages” of Western Europe, a regrettable breach occurred between those Churches there and the rest of the Christian world. These “Middle Ages” (ca. 5th–15th centuries) were a period of demographic, cultural, economic, and ecclesiastical deterioration following the decline of the Roman Empire in Western Europe. In the middle of this period, nominally in AD 1054, a breach – schism – occurred between the Western European and Orthodox Churches. The Western – also called “Latin” or “Roman” – Church subsequently continued to fragment into many differing Christian faiths.

At the same time, Orthodox Christianity remained united and unchanged. Generally speaking, many people today think of the Orthodox Christian as the faith of the Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian nations, as well as of the faithful in Arabic countries, Poland, Albania, and the Czech lands.

Immigrants from these lands brought Orthodox Christianity to North America, predominantly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most Orthodox Christians in the United States today are their descendants, but overwhelmingly more and more converts comprise the congregations in Orthodox parishes.

Representing a coming of age in America, the Russian Orthodox Church granted autocephalous (self-governing) status in 1970 to the “Orthodox Church in America.” All canonical Orthodox Christians in the United States are administratively united under the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.

How do the Orthodox worship?
The evening service is called “Vespers.” The morning service is called the “Divine Liturgy.” Typically the Divine Liturgy is preceded by the “Third and Sixth Hours.” The Sunday morning services, including the sermon, last about two hours.

Is there a book to help me along with the service?
Yes, most parishes do have books for the services. At Holy Wisdom parish in Grand Junction they are placed on the table opposite the candle stand.

Orthodox worship is deliberately experiential, and trying to follow along in a book can be very distracting. Reading the text is just not the same as “being in” the worship service, and the “flow” of the service can be missed. We recommend that visitors simply relax and “experience” worship with us.

Why do you use ancient, repeated prayers and hymns?
We use ancient and traditional prayers and hymns rather than extemporaneous or modern ones because they contain the accumulated insights of many centuries of Christians, and most of them are packed with Biblical quotations. The words of the hymns you will hear were predominantly composed in the first several centuries of the Christian Church, and many phrases are drawn directly from Scripture.

Some hymns and refrains are repeated for two reasons, First, because we wish to continuously praise the Lord (cf. Psalm 34(33):1). Second, because we want these sacred words to become rooted in our minds. Thus it is certainly not “vain repetition” but a very beneficial way to fix the words of worship constantly in our thoughts and in our very being.

The hymns are chanted or sung, rather than spoken, so that we are less conscious of the personality of the individual reader. They are sung without musical accompaniument because the most-noble musical instrument is the one created by God: the human voice.

Does the Priest “make up” prayers or read standard ones?
During the Divine Services, the Priest reads the prayers that have prescribed, even from the Apostolic era. In fact, all Christians read or recite a “prescribed” prayer, the one that Jesus gave us: the “Our Father.”

The ancient prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit from the earliest of times of the Church, and continue to faithfully transmit the exact same Apostolic Orthodox Christian faith. In fact, most are replete with Biblical quotations. These prayers are repeated from service to service because so that their message can become rooted in our hearts and minds, and also so that we can faithfully hand down the Orthodox faith to future generations. Many are chanted rather that spoken because heavenly worship is filled with song. When a prayer is sung it helps moves our attention away from the personality of the reader, so that we can focus on the words.

All of this being said, it may be that the priest reads a prayer composed by the local bishop on the occasion of a recent or local circumstance, such as a natural disaster. The priest might also extemporaneously lead us in prayer for an immediate local concern.

What is the Saturday Evening Service of “Vespers”?
On Saturday Evenings the faithful gather in the church for the Evening Worship, a Service called Vespers (Evensong), which lasts about forty-five minutes.

Vespers is a preparation, not a substitute, for worship at the Sunday Liturgy. It consists of Psalms – especially Psalms 1, 104(103), 141(140), 142(141), and 127(126) – the “evening offering of incense,” and the noteworthy hymn “O Gladsome Light” which Saint John Chrysostom referred to in the fourth century as an “ancient Christian Hymn” with its roots in the Old Testament Jewish evening Synagogue Service. Another Scriptural hymn is “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace” (cf. Luke 2:29).

The Service of Vespers recapitulates the history of mankind, from creation (Psalm 104(103), the Fall (Psalm 142(141), the incarnation (“O Gladsome Light”), and the Second Coming (“Lord, Now Lettest Thou...”).

Orthodox Christians, in continuity with the Jewish faith before them, begin each new day at sunset; Saturday evening Vespers is therefore the first Service of the Lord’s Day (Sunday).

What is the Sunday Morning “Divine Liturgy”?
The Sunday morning service is called the “Divine Liturgy.” It includes:

A word about Holy Communion.
We firmly believe that Holy Communion is the most sacred of all trusts that Christ left to His church. Every Orthodox priest is very solemnly admonished at his ordination that he will answer for how well he guarded this most sacred of all mysteries. For us, the Eucharist is not a symbolic act, but rather one that connects us deeply and spiritually with Christ Himself.

In light of this 2,000-year old belief, we hold that partaking of Holy Communion is an affirmation of belief in all that the Orthodox Church teaches and stands for. Communion can therefore be received only by an Orthodox Christian and, yet, not by every Orthodox Christian.

First, as stated, one must obviously agree with all the dogmas and doctrines of the Orthodox faith, and also must have do so formally through Baptism and Chrismation (Confirmation). Through these Mysteries (Sacraments) a person is eternally a “member” of the Orthodox Church. But only those members of the Orthodox Church who have diligently prepared to receive Holy Communion – by living an Orthodox life, by regular Confession, and by at least reading the Prayers for Preparation – may present themselves before the Priest to do so at the appointed time during the Divine Liturgy.

Orthodox Christians visiting a parish know that to receive Holy Communion they must introduce themselves to the parish priest ahead of time. In doing so, they are accustomed to answering questions about their jurisdiction, their bishop, and the last time they went to Confession. Most often, they contact the priest – or, better yet, have their parish priest contact him – before they begin their travel.

In general, Christians hold that “receiving Communion” is a sign of unity, and indeed it is. Some may believe that Christian unity is effected through receiving Communion together. Orthodox Christians, however, hold firmly to the belief that participation in Holy Communion presupposes an already-existing and complete unity in dogma, doctrine, and belief. We simply cannot administer Holy Communion to those outside the Orthodox Church, and our bishops and priests are prohibited from doing so.

All of this being said, everyone – Orthodox and non-Orthodox, Christian and non-Christian – is very welcome to pray and to worship with us throughout our services. We simply ask for respect of our beliefs and practices, even as we respect and do not judge anyone else’s beliefs and practices.

Where are the pews?
Standing, kneeling, and prostrating are Biblical postures for prayer and worship, and Orthodox Christians traditionally stand during the services. That being said, chairs or benches are provided for those unable to stand – or too tired to do so. As much as possible, we try always to stand for the reading of the Gospel and for the “entrances” of the Priest.

Visitors should not be concerned! We know that it often takes time to get used to Orthodox tradition. Guests should always feel free to sit as much as necessary. Most importantly: You will not be judged! After all, each of us has “stood in your shoes” – in fact, try to wear comfortable shoes!

Is there a nursery for children?
All the faithful – young and old – participate in Orthodox worship. Most parishes do not have a nursery so that children as well as adults can fully benefit from the grace that comes from our services.

Parents simply walk out with restless and fussy children until they quiet down. Visitors should not stress about this; do not worry, but simply take children to the back of the church or outside as necessary. All parents have had to do this at one time or another: do not think you are the first or only parent to do so! Everyone that has a child understands and feels what you are going through. Most importantly, You will not be judged!