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What to Expect at Holy Wisdom Orthodox Church
We
are always blessed to have visitors, and we are truly glad to welcome
everyone to our Church. Because Orthodox Christianity is unfamiliar to
many people on the Western Slope of Colorado — it was new to many of us as
well — we have written this to help you know what to expect.
Getting to the Church
Our
Directions will help you find us. We are located in Grand Junction,
Colorado on the corner of of North 4th Street & Kennedy Street, just two
blocks east of Sherwiood Park and two blocks west of Grand Junction High
School.
See
our
Calendar for our schedule of service times and events. Our typical
weekly schedule includes services on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, as
well as on Sunday mornings.
What You’ll Find
We
are a small mission parish, and on a typical Sunday morning we have a
couple of dozen people in Church. Our church building is very humble, but
filled with peace and love. The beauty of Orthodox worship must be
experienced to be understood. The Divine Liturgy expresses the entire
Christian faith in a continuous song of praise and prayer addressed to
God. It is focused on God, not on us.
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Since
much of the service is the same every week, worshippers know it and
can participate personally, either by singing along or just by
prayerful attention. Worshippers are surrounded by icons (pictures of
Christ and the saints), which remind us that we are participating
while on earth in the worship of all the angels and saints in heaven.
The
entire service (except for the sermon) is sung, in English, to Slavic
melodies and chants. No organ or other instruments are used. The words
are all from Scripture or ancient Christian texts — no rhyming
metrical hymns are used. Our services are in the English language.
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Participating in the Services
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Body Worship
Orthodox worship with their bodies as well as with words. You will
see that people at times bow, make the sign of the Cross, etc. If
you are not Orthodox, of course no one expects you to do these
things — just sit or stand and listen, and participate to the
degree that you wish.
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Communion
is understood by Orthodox as a sign of membership in the Church
and an act of commitment to the Church, so it is not given to
non-Orthodox. In fact, Orthodox should not receive unless they
have recently been to Confession and have eaten and drunk nothing
since the night before. Orthodox who are not known to the priest
should speak to him so he will know they are communicants; just
ask a member to send word to him. The bread at the side is
not Communion, but is taken reverently by the faithful
either with Holy Communion or at the end of the Liturgy. It is
called “antídoron” (an-teé-doh-rohn). The bread is blessed and set
apart before communion and is eaten reverently.
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Standing (and kneeling) are the Biblical
postures for prayer and Orthodox traditionally stand at Sunday
services. But for most people this takes some “getting in shape,”
so feel free to sit as much as you wish. We do have chairs in the
church for those who wish to sit. We do not normally kneel on
Sundays, as Sunday is the Day of Resurrection. Kneeling is
considered gesture of deepest reverence or of repentance; we do
kneel more at weekday services during Great Lent.
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Children
are always welcome in the Orthodox Church, and simple common sense
applies to their behavior. There is usually no nursery in Orthodox
churches because we believe it is appropriate and beneficial for
children to be in the services as much as possible. It may take a
few visits, but young children can learn to settle down, and it is
surprising how much even toddlers absorb. It is not a problem if
they move about quietly — most of us are ra8sing, or have have
raised, children ourselves and we are used to some movement —
please be considerate, however, and take them out briefly if they
become very noisy, especially during the sermon.
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Visitors are Welcome
though it might be that no one will greet you until the service is
over! This is only because we try not to talk during the services
so as to focus on our worship. But, please do not hesitate to ask
one of the faithful for help! We will be glad to bring you a
Service Book (and help you find the current place in the service)
and also bring you a weekly bulletin. We will, of course, answer
any immediate questions you may have. We might appear like
we are ignoring you; but this is not so – we are very aware of
your presence and will not mind in the least if you ask us for
assistance you. After Sunday services we have a fellowship hour, a
time of food and drink together either inside the church or
outside in the parking lot (weather permitting!). You are invited
to join us so we can get to know each other. No one will ever put
any pressure on you to join the Church; many people “visit” our
Church for years. Please relax and feel at ease.
The Divine Liturgy
The
usual Sunday morning service at 9:30 am is called the “Divine Liturgy.”
With the sermon, it lasts about an hour and a forty-five minutes. It
includes:
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Responsive prayers called litanies.
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Praise, usually Psalms 103 and 147 and the Beatitudes (cf. Matthew
5: 3-12)
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Procession with the Gospel Book
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Hymns of the day, on Sundays especially of the Resurrection, and
the hymn Holy God.
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Epistle and Gospel readings and sermon
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The Great Entrance, a solemn procession carrying the Gifts of
bread and wine to the altar, representing the offering of our
lives and of all creation to God
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The Nicene Creed, the “Symbol” (or Summary) of the Faith, the
product of the first two Ecumenical Councils, Nicaea in AD 325 and
Constantinople in AD 381.
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The Eucharistic Prayer. We “lift up our hearts” to join the angels
in singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” and offering thanksgiving
(Eucharist) to God for all His works, especially remembering
Christ’s saving work, and asking the Holy Spirit to transform the
Holy Gifts of bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood. It
concludes with the Lord’s Prayer.
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Communion. Orthodox who are prepared by repentance and fasting receive the Holy Gifts as a means of union with Christ. Our children receive because God’s work in us is not limited to what we can understand.
Saturday Evening Vespers
On
Saturday Evenings the faithful endeavor to gather in the church for
the Orthodox Evening Worship Service called Vespers (Evensong), which
lasts about forty-five minutes.
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).
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
in the fourth century referred to 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).
Interestingly,
the Service of Vespers has as its theme, the history
of mankind, from creation (Psalm 104(103), the Fall (Psalmn 142(141),
the incarnation (“O Gladsome Light”), and the Second Coming (“Lord,
Now Lettest Thou...”).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Theotókos” mean?
Theotókos
(Greek for “child-bearer of God,” and she is also referred to as
“Mother of God”) is a title for the Virgin Mary. The Orthodox faithful
love and honor (but do not worship) her because of her unique
relationship with her Son, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and our
Sacramental union through Baptism with her Son.
The
attention given to her in the Church also expresses our faith that
Jesus Christ is truly human, born of a woman as we are, and always
God, the Son and Word of God the Father. Because of this, His human
mother can be called the Mother of God; this is a great mystery of
faith beyond our full human comprehension.
In
many hymns she is referred to as a sign of the Church as the beloved
bride of God; her exaltation as “more glorious than the Seraphim” is a
sign of the exaltation awaiting all who “hear the Word of God and keep
it” as she did.
What are Icons?
An
icon is an “image” of Christ, of His Mother, of a Saint, or of an
event in the life of the Church in the history of salvation. Icons may
be executed in mosaic, on wood panel, or in large flat scenes called
fresco. Our Holy Wisdom Church also has many beautiful icons
throughout our humble building. Icons bring to mind “Great Cloud of
Witnesses” with whom we are joined in prayer.
Icons
must be painted according to a strict tradition because they are an
important way the Faith is correctly and unalterably handed down and
proclaimed. The art style is a unique type distinct from other art
techniques, and takes many years of practice under the tutelage of an
experienced iconographer to learn. An iconographer must have a
blessing from the hierarch (bishop) before painting icons for use in
churches and homes.
An
icon is ≤i≥not≤/i≥ decoration or merely a religious painting; frather,
it is a holy presence, teaching the truths of the Orthodox faith,
helping guide and focus the attention of the faithful.
Icons
and crosses are kissed (“venerated”), but never worshipped, as
a sign of our belief that in Christ God took a physical body, and
became part of our physical world so we could know Him. The veneration
(kissing) of icons by the faithful that you will see the in church
could, in some ways, be roughly compared to the way that we respect
and salute the American flag.
Why do you use incense, vestments, and candles?
These
are an integral part of worship in both the Old and New Testaments of
the Bible, and are part of the imagery of heavenly worship in the Book
of Revelation. In the Liturgy we participate, while still in this
world, in the worship of the angels and saints in heaven. Many people
buy candles and place them in the church as an offering to accompany
prayer, asking God to receive our petition and grant His great mercy.
Why do you use ancient, standard prayers and hymns?
These
are used 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 sevral
centuries of the Christian Church, and many are drawn directly from
Scripture.
Some
hymns and refrains are repetitious both because we wish to
continuously praise the Lord
(cf. Psalm 34(33):1)
and we want these sacred words to become rooted in our minds – thus,
this is not “vain repetition.”
The
hymns are chanted or sung, rather than spoken, so 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.
How can I join the Orthodox Church?
We
do not push or hurry anyone to join; in fact, many people “visit” for
years. But after visiting, if you wish to become a member, speak to
the priest.
Those
wishing to be members are received as catechumens (learners), and
usually spend a period of time attending the services and learning the
Faith. When deemed ready to make a lifetime commitment to Jesus and
His Body, the Orthodox Church, they are Baptized in water and
Chrismated (“Confirmed”) through anointing with oil as the “Seal of
the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” They are then given Holy Communion, and
are full members of the worldwide Orthodox Church which presently
comprises perhaps 350-million believers all believing the teaching of
Christ and His Apostles and practicing the same traditions which have
been unchanged from the Old Testament and New Tesatament era.
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Orthodox Church in America,
Diocese of the West
