Since Worship is so
important to Orthodoxy, the best introduction to the Orthodox Church is
for the non-Orthodox to attend the Divine Liturgy or the celebration of
one of the major Sacraments. At first, the visitor may be overwhelmed by
the music and the ceremonies, but it is in Worship that the distinctive
flavor, rich traditions, and living faith of Orthodoxy are truly
experienced.
Dimensions of Orthodox Worship
Worship is an experience which involved
the entire Church. When each of us comes together for Worship, we do so
as members of a Church which transcends the boundaries of society, of
time and of space. Although we gather at a particular moment and at a
particular place, our actions reach beyond the parish, into the very
Kingdom of God. We worship in the company of both the living and the
departed faithful.
There are two dimensions to
Orthodox Worship which are reflected throughout the many Services of the
Church. First, Worship is a manifestation of God's presence and action
in the midst of His people. It is God who gathers His scattered people
together, and it is He who reveals Himself as we enter into His
presence. The Worship of the Orthodox Church very vividly expresses the
truth that God dwells among His people and that we are created to share
in His life.
Second, Worship is our
corporate response of thanksgiving to the presence of God and a
remembrance of His saving actions - especially the Life, Death, and
Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Worship is centered upon God. He
has acted in history, and He continues to act through the Holy Spirit.
We are mindful of His actions and we respond to His love with praise and
thanksgiving. In so doing we come closer to God.
Expressions of Orthodox
Worship
Worship in the Orthodox Church is
expressed in four principal ways:
- The Eucharist, which is the most
important worship experience of Orthodoxy. Eucharist means
thanksgiving and is known in the Orthodox Church as the Divine
Liturgy.
- The Sacraments, which affirm God's
presence and action in the important events of our Christian lives.
All the major Sacraments are closely related to the Eucharist. These
are: Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, and
Anointing of the sick.
- Special Services and Blessings,
which also affirm God's presence and action in all the events, needs
and tasks of our life.
- The Daily Offices, which are the
services of public prayer which occur throughout the day. The most
important are Matins, which is the morning prayer of the Church, and
Vespers, which is the evening prayer of the Church.
Characteristics of the
Orthodox Service
Although Orthodox Services can very often be elaborate, solemn, and
lengthy, they express a deep and pervasive sense of joy. This mood is an
expression of our belief in the Resurrection of Christ and the
deification of humanity, which are dominant themes of Orthodox Worship.
In order to enhance this feeling and to encourage full participation,
Services are always sung or chanted.
Worship is not simply expressed in words. In
addition to prayers, hymns, and scripture readings, there are a number
of ceremonies, gestures, and processions. The Church makes rich use of
non verbal symbols to express God's presence and our relationship to
Him. Orthodoxy Worship involves the whole person; one's intellect,
feelings, and senses.
Services in the Orthodox Church follow a
prescribed order. There is a framework and design to our Worship. This
is valuable in order to preserve its corporate dimension and maintain a
continuity with the past. The content of the Services is also set. There
are unchanging elements; and there are parts which change according to
the Feast, season, or particular circumstance. The regulating of the
Services by the whole Church emphasizes the fact that Worship is an
expression of the entire Church, and not the composition on a particular
priest and congregation.
An important secondary purpose of Worship is
the teaching of the Faith. There is a very close relationship between
the Worship and the teachings of the Church. Faith is expressed in
Worship, and Worship serves to strengthen and communicate Faith. As a
consequence, the prayers, hymns, and liturgical gestures of Orthodoxy
are important mediums of teaching. The regulating of the Services also
serves to preserve the true Faith and to guard it against error.
The celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the
Sacraments is always led by an ordained clergymen. In the local parish,
this will generally be a priest who acts in the name of the bishop, and
who is sometime assisted by a deacon. When the bishop is present, he
presides at the Services. The vestments of the clergy express their
special calling to the ministry as well as their particular office.
Since Worship in Orthodoxy is an expression of
the entire Church the active participation and involvement of the
congregation is required. There are no "private" or "said" Services in
the Orthodox Church and none may take place without a congregation. This
strong sense of community is expressed in the prayers and exhortations
which are in the plural tense. The congregation is expected to
participate actively in the Services in ways such as: singing the hymns;
concluding the prayers with "Amen"; responding to the petitions; making
the sign of the Cross; bowing; and, especially, by receiving Holy
Communion at the Divine Liturgy. Standing is the preferred posture of
prayer in the Orthodox Church. The congregation kneels only at
particularly solemn moments, such as the Invocation of the Holy Spirit
during the Divine Liturgy.
The Litany is an important part of Orthodox
Services. A litany is a dialogue between the priest or deacon and the
congregation, which consists of a number of prayer-petitions, followed
by the response "Lord, have mercy" or "Grant this, O Lord." Litanies
occur frequently throughout the Services and often serve to distinguish
particular sections.
Orthodox Worship has always been celebrated in
the language of the people. There is no official or universal liturgical
language. Often, two or more languages are used in the Services to
accommodate the needs of the congregation. Throughout the world,
Services are celebrated in more than twenty languages which include such
divers ones as Greek, Slavonic, Arabic, Albanian, Rumanian, English, and
Luganda.
