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:
Litanies – responsive prayers.
Psalms – from the Holy Bible.
Little Entrance – a procession with the Gospel book.
Hymns of the day – on weekdays, of the saint commemorated
on that date, and additionally on Sundays hymns having a
Resurrection theme.
“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal” – a hymn to the Trinity.
Scripture Readings – from the Epistle and Gospel
Homily – the sermon or teaching message
Great Entrance – a solemn procession carrying the Gifts of
bread and wine to the altar.
Nicene Creed – the ancient Church summary of the Christian Faith
Eucharistic Prayer – we “lift up our hearts” to join the
angels in heaven and men on earth praising God, then we offer
thanksgiving (“Eucharist”) to God for all His works.
Consecration – we invoke the Holy Spirit to change the
Gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Prayer – the prayer taught to us by Jesus, which
has always been recited before receiving Holy Communion.
Holy Communion – After Baptism and Chrismation
(Confirmation), Holy Communion, or the Holy Eucharist) is the
essential continuing encounter of union with Jesus Christ.
Notes: Orthodox Christians absolutely believe that bread
and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. therefore they
prepare to receive this Mystery (Sacrament) through regular
fasting, daily prayer, Confession and specific prayers the evening
before. Children receive Holy Communion because we believe that
God’s work in us is not limited to what we understand
intellectually.
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