Your First Visit

Services in this Orthodox Church may be very different than you are used to. We want you to feel comfortable and very welcome, joining with us in joyful worship. Here are a few things that may help "orient" you a bit to our services:

God is in this place!

We believe that in this church, we stand in the very presence of God, and that we join the saints and heavenly hosts in joy and prayer and worship. For that reason, we try to avoid "chit-chat" in church, but to stand with reverent awe and attention to God.

We don't at all want to be unfriendly! We want to say "hello!" and to welcome you, and get to know you, and help you get to know us and about our Church! But during the actual services in church, and also before the services, as people are silently preparing to worship, we try to avoid conversation.

So, during the services, please join with us in joyful and reverent prayer and worship. And after the services, please join us for conversation and have some coffee or tea and a bite to eat, where we can welcome you and try to get to know each other, and answer any questions you may have.

We are grateful to God for bringing you to visit us here online today -- we look forward to meeting you in person!

We Stand to Pray

In the Holy Scriptures, the typical posture of prayer was standing. Jesus said, "When ye stand, praying..." (Mark 11:25) The ancient Christian practice has always been standing to pray. Orthodox Christians traditionally hold fast to the ancient ways. By all means, those who are unable to stand may sit in chairs and benches provided.

The Sign of the Cross

Orthodox worship involves the whole person: the mind, the heart, the senses, the entire body. We engage our bodies in prayer as we make the Sign of the Cross as an expression of our faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and when at times we bow or make a prostration before God in repentance, humility, and worship.

Icons

Orthodox Christians do not worship icons! We worship God, and God alone. Many people will treat photographs of loved ones with special care, putting them in lovely frames, in a special place, etc.. It is not the paper photograph they honor, but the person in the photograph. "Icon" means "image," and Orthodox Christians "venerate" (honor) the person represented in that image by bowing and even kissing the icon.

Divine Liturgy

Jesus and his Apostles prayed in many different ways, sometimes privately, sometimes together. Jesus respected the Temple as his Father's house, and prayed and preached there. The services of the Temple included formal liturgical services composed of prayers that all present heard together and prayed together. The word, "liturgy" comes from a Greek word meaning "the work of the people," and it refers to people gathered together, praying with one mind and one heart. Many people do not realize that the first Christians regularly prayed together in liturgical prayer. The Apostles and many of the first Christians were Jews, and accustomed to praying in liturgical services in the Jewish Temple. St. James, for example, continued to pray in the Temple until he was martyred for Christ.

The Divine Services of the Orthodox Church developed over centuries as people of prayer, filled with the Holy Spirit, prayed and sang to God. The services in our church are entirely in English, so even if you are not familiar with this type of prayer and worship, you can hear and understand, and pray together with us and with the angels:

[The prayers in the liturgical services of the Orthodox Church] poured out of the hearts of saintly men and women when, moved by the Holy Spirit, they expressed before God the desires of their heart. The spirit of prayer is contained in them; so, if you [pray] them as you should, you too will be filled with this spirit.*

Holy Communion

Orthodox Christians view Holy Communion as deeply, awesomely holy, and are mindful of St. Paul's words, "whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." (1 Cor 11:27-28) We know that it is not our own efforts but only God's grace that can make us worthy of Communion with Him. But to prepare and "examine ourselves" before coming for Communion we fast, pray, examine our hearts and our actions and repent and confess our sins, seeking absolution from God. All are called to God's table, but please respect this ancient and venerable Christian practice, and do not come up for Communion without speaking first to our priest about appropriate preparation.

Dress

Some people like to wear their very best. Others choose less formal clothing. In general, clothing in church should be modest, clean and unobtrusive. There is a wide variety of clothing styles in our church, and we want you to feel welcome and comfortable.

Children

Children are very welcome in God's house! "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God". (Mk 10:14).