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 Saint Andrew Orthodox Church in Delta, Colorado, and to our Missionary Outreach in Grand Junction, Colorado. 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.

First, 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.

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 Saint Andrew parish church in Delta, Colorado, these will be found on a small table in the narthex, as you enter the sanctuary. At our Saturday Missionary Outreach service in Grabd Junction, Colorado, they are placed next to 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.

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!

Who is the “Theotokos”?
Theotokos (meaning “Mother of God”) is the title for the Virgin Mary designated by Third Ecumenical Council of the Church held at Ephesus in AD 431. Orthodox Christians love and honor (but do not worship) her because she is the mother of her Son and our Lord Jesus Christ. The honor given to her also expresses our faith that Jesus Christ is truly human, born of a woman, as we are, yet has always been the Son of God, so we call His mother the “Mother of God” to affirm the divinity of her Son.

The Orthodox veneration of Mary can feel awkward for many Protestants. May we simply suggest that you make it a point to ask the parish priest about this. He has explained it many times and, if he is himself a convert from Protestant Christianity, he “gets it.”

What are icons?
Icons are paintings of Jesus Christ, His mother, and the Saints as well as of Biblical events in the life of Christ. They are painted according to a very strict tradition because they are one of the ways that the Faith is handed down and taught. One might think of a medieval monk making a new copy of the Bible by very carefully repeating what he reads in the prototype.

You will probably see Orthodox Christians venerating (making a bow and kissing) some of the icons in the church. Do not worry: you will not be required to do so! The act of venerating an icon could be compared to saluting the American flag: we absolutely do not worship an icon, nor do we worship the flag. We do, of course, show our respect for what an icon portrays and for what our flag represents.

One interesting aspect of icons is that they show us that Jesus Christ had a real physical body, and became part of our physical world so we could know Him. Icons of Bilical scenes are one way to show that they are real, and not mere fables. The saints are human beings who united their lives as fully with Christ as possible, and thus the image of God shines through them. For all these reasons we venerate and honor the sacred icons.

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.

All that glitters ... why?
The very simple answer is that incense, vestments, and candles are part of Orthodox worship because they are part of the heavenly worship described in the Book of Revelation – and elsewhere in the Bible.

Orthodox Christians clearly understand that the serves – preeminently the Divine Liturgy – is a real and actual participation in the heavenly worship of the saints and angels, even while we are still on this earth. Sometimes we tell ourselves, “If you don’t like standing in church on Sunday, you might not like spending time in heaven for all eternity!”

All The iconostásis (or iconostásion, “icon screen”) separates the altar from the congregation expresses the reality that although the Kingdom of Heaven is “at hand” and we are still separated from it because of sin and our need to grow in spiritual purity. Many people buy candles ($1.00 offering) and offer them in the Church as a sign of prayer to the Lord and as a reminder of the Light of Christ, “the true Light Who enlightens every man that comes into the world.”

Divine Liturgy
The normal Sunday morning service is called the “Divine Liturgy.” It includes: