Orthodox America
He who attends church only infrequently sorely deprives himself. Those parents
who do not see to it that their children go to church commit a terrible
sin. Remember the words of the Saviour:
Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of
them (Matt. 18:20).
Here on our sinful earth the holy church is a place where one can take refuge
from the storms of life. The church is an image of heaven on earth, where the
Master of heaven and earth Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically and
inscrutably present. In church, as it
says in one of the hymns, "the powers of heaven serve invisibly."
A church may rightly be called a school of faith and piety. St. John of Kronstadt wrote in his
diary, "In the church, in its
design and its various parts, in the Divine services-with the reading of the
Scriptures, the singing, the rituals-the entire Old and New Testament
histories, the entire history of the Church, the whole economy of man's
salvation is vividly sketched out, as on a map, in its particulars and its
general features."
What does a Christian learn in church?
Heavenly wisdom, which the Son of God, Jesus Christ, brought to
earth. Here he will learn the details
of the Saviour's earthly life, he will become acquainted with the lives and teachings
of the saints-those who pleased God; he will participate in the Church's
prayer. And the communal prayer of the faithful is a great power! How to Behave
in Church
Enter the church with spiritual joy.
Remember that the Saviour Himself promised to comfort you in your
sorrows: Come to Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I shall give you
rest (Matt. 11:28).
Always enter with humility and meekness, that you might leave the church justified,
like the humble publican of the Gospel.
When you enter the church and see the holy icons, reflect upon the fact that
the Lord Himself and all the saints are looking at you; this should inspire in
you a feeling of profound reverence and fear of God.
Upon entering the church make three bows (on weekdays, three prostrations) with
the sign of the Cross, praying, "O God, cleanse me a sinner and have mercy
on me."
At the Divine Liturgy the faithful submit names of relatives and friends for
commemoration, for the health of those living and, on a separate slip, for the
repose of those departed (baptized Orthodox Christians only). The names should be written legibly and as
they were given at holy baptism, i.e., no nicknames. Any number of names can be submitted, although a priest will tend
to read a shorter list with greater attention-and more prayerfully. It is therefore preferable, when
possible, to rotate shorter lists than
to leave a long list to be commemorated each Sunday. Church candles should be
treated reverently: they are a symbol of our burning prayer before the Lord,
before His Mother and the saints. It is good if you have an accustomed place to
stand in church. Take your place
quietly. As you cross in front of the
royal doors, pause and bow your head, making the sign of the cross. If your place is occupied, don't make an
issue of it and find another spot to stand this time. Come to church in time
for the beginning of the service. If it
happens that you are late, take care not to disturb those already at prayer. Should
you come during the reading of the Six Psalms or the Gospel, or during the
Eucharistic Canon (from "A mercy of peace..." through "We praise
Thee..."), stand at the entrance doors until these important parts of the service
are concluded.
During the service try not to walk about the church, even to put up a candle. One should likewise venerate icons before
the beginning of the service or afterwards, or at designated times such as
during the anointing at vigil services.
All movement should be avoided during those parts of the service which
call for special concentration in prayer, as for example at the Entrances,
during the reading of the Gospel and the Cherubic Hymn, the bringing out of the
chalice with the Holy Gifts, and, at the vigil service, during the Magnificat
and the Great Doxo-logy.
In church, do not talk; pray. Don't
look around at others; direct all your thoughts to God and to the Divine
Service. If someone greets you in church, acknowledge this with a silent bow of
the head; don't shake hands, even with a close acquaintance, and don't enter into
any conversation.
In the Orthodox Church the practice is to stand during services; only persons
who are ill or feeble are permitted to sit down, although during especially
important parts of the service-the reading of the Gospel, for example-they,
too, should stand.
When the priest or deacon is censing the church, one should move out of the
way and, as he passes by, bow the head (without making the sign of the cross). One should likewise bow when the priest
says, "Peace unto all," and when he blesses the faithful with the
Gospel. At the consecration of the Holy Gifts (at the prayer "We praise
Thee..."), after the hymn "It is meet...", after the Lord's
Prayer, and at the bringing out of the chalice one should make a full
prostration. On Sundays and feastdays
of the Lord, when prostrations are not appointed (and should NOT be made), they
are replaced at these times by bows from the waist.
In church pray as a participant in the services, and not simply as someone in
attendance, in such a manner that the prayers and hymns which are read and sung
come from your heart. Follow the
service attentively, joining in the prayers of the Church. Make the sign of the
cross and bow together with everyone else.
It is proper to cross oneself at the doxology of the Holy Trinity and
Jesus Christ, during the petitions-at every 'Lord, have mercy" and
"Grant this, O Lord;" and likewise at the beginning and end of every prayer. One should make the sign of the cross and
bow as one enters the church, in venerating an icon or placing a candle, and as
one leaves the church. The cross should
be made consciously and deliberately, without haste, for in doing so we appeal
to the Lord's mercy and grace.
If you come to church with children, see to it that they behave themselves;
accustom them to prayer and reverence.
If children need to leave in the middle of the service, tell them to
cross themselves and go out quietly, or take them out yourself. If a young
child starts crying, take him outside or into the foyer. Never allow a child to eat in church, except
for the antidoron (at Liturgy) and blessed bread (at vigil) distributed by the priest. The faithful should be condescending towards
children, recalling how the Lord enjoined parents to bring their children to
Him. Take care not to speak sharply to
them or act unkindly lest you drive them away from church.
Do not judge the inadvertent mistakes of those who are serving or in attendance;
it is more beneficial to attend to one's own shortcomings and ask the Lord to
forgive one's sins. If you see
something that bothers your concentration, don't get upset, but if you find you
cannot dismiss the temptation, it's better to move quietly to another place.
Before coming into the church, have your money for candles and the collection
plate already prepared.
Never leave the church before the end of the service unless it is absolutely
necessary; this is a sin before God. If it does happen, repent of it in
con-fession.
According to a long-established practice, men should stand at the right of the
church, and women at the left. The
center aisle from the main entrance to the Royal Doors should be unoccupied.
In coming to church one should dress appropriately: clothing should be clean and unobtrusive. Tight pants, short dresses and lowcut bodices are not permitted. Women should have their heads covered. When venerating icons and receiving the Holy Mysteries, they should not wear lipstick.
Avoid standing bodily in church while wandering outside the church in mind, and standing bodily before God while wandering about in spirit in worldly affairs, lest that saying be applied to you: This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me (Matt. 15:8). - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Above all,
parishioners should have mutual love among themselves, a striving for spiritual
life and an understanding of the contents of the services. If we come to God's
temple with reverence, if we are humble in our relations with the clergy and
with one another, and if, while standing in church, we recognize that we are in
heaven, then the Lord will fulfill all our requests and we will come close to
Him.
Translated from Perviye Shagi v Pravoslavnom Khrame (First Steps in the Orthodox Church), Deacon Vladimir Sidorov, Moscow, 1991, as edited in Blagovestnik, San Francisco, CA, June 1993.
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