10 Things You Should Know Before Your First Visit To An Orthodox Church

During the early part of the church service, you may see people walking up to the front of the church, praying in front of the iconostasis (the standing icons in front of the altar), kissing things, and lighting candles, even though the service is already going on.

In fact, when you came in, the service was already going on, although the sign outside clearly said: “Divine Liturgy, 10 am.” What’s going on here?

There is only one Eucharistic service (Divine Liturgy) per Sunday in an Orthodox church, and it is preceded by an hour service of Matins or Orthros (9 am). One begins as soon as the previous ends. Matins is a preliminary service celebrating the good news of Christ’s Resurrection, which makes the liturgy possible. Memorial services are held after the Divine Liturgy.

Orthodox worshipers arrive at any point from the beginning of Matins through the early part of the Liturgy.

In the Orthodox tradition, the faithful stand up for nearly the entire service. The reason for this is that we understand worship to be work. Sitting is a form of rest. We believe that when in the presence of God, we should all stand. If you find the amount of standing too challenging, you’re welcome to sit at any time.

The liturgy at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church begins at 10 am. By 10:15 am, we hear the reading of the Epistle (everyone sits), and then the Gospel lesson for the day is read (everyone stands). Following the Gospel reading, the sermon is given. The liturgy continues until Communion, which is first given to children who depart for Sunday School and then the parents. The adults remain in the church until the conclusion of the liturgy around 11:30-noon.

We sign ourselves whenever the Trinity is invoked, whenever we venerate the cross or an icon, and on many other occasions in the course of the Liturgy. People, however, aren’t expected to do everything the same way. Some cross themselves three times in a row, and some finish by sweeping their right hand to the floor. On first entering a church, people may come up to an icon, crossing themselves and bowing with the right hand to the floor, then kiss the icon, then make one more bow.

When we first come into the church, we kiss the icons. You’ll also notice that some kiss the chalice, some kiss or touch the edge of the priest’s vestment as he passes by, the acolytes (altar boys) kiss his hand when they give him the censer, and we all line up to kiss the priest’s hand at the end of the service as we received the blessed bread, when we talk about “venerating” something we usually mean crossing ourselves and kissing it.

The reason for kissing the hand of the priest has to do with our understanding that during the liturgy, the priest’s hands are the hands that give out the body and blood of Christ (communion).

We greet each other before we take communion (“Greet one another with a kiss of love,” 1 Peter 5:14). The usual greeting is “Christ is in our midst” and response, “He is and always shall be.” Don’t worry if you forget what to say. Some of the faithful greet each other by shaking hands, while others kiss each other on each cheek. This greeting or “kiss of peace” is a liturgical act, a sign of mystical unity.

Only Orthodox Christians may receive communion, but everyone may have some blessed bread offered after the liturgy. As we file past the priest, you’ll see the blessed bread just to the priests or deacon’s right and left. People will take portions for themselves and visitors and non-Orthodox friends around them. If someone hands you a piece of blessed bread, do not panic; it is not the eucharistic Body. It is a sign of fellowship.

Visitors should not be offended that they are not allowed to receive communion. It is important to know that communion is not given out as a means of hospitality. Anyone who is not Orthodox may receive holy communion if they wish to attend classes and convert to Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox believe that receiving communion is broader than me-and-Jesus; it acknowledges faith in historic Orthodox doctrine, obedience to a particular Orthodox bishop, and a commitment to a particular Orthodox worshipping community. There’s nothing exclusive about this; everyone is invited to make this commitment to the Orthodox Church. But the Eucharist is the Church’s treasure, and it is reserved for those who have united themselves with the Church and have full knowledge of what holy communion is.

We also handle the Eucharist with more gravity than many denominations do, further explaining why we guard it from common access. We believe it has been changed from ordinary bread and wine to the Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Communion is a sacrament of the church and not a symbolic gesture or right of passage. We ourselves do not receive communion unless we make regular confession of our sins to a priest and are at peace with other communicants. We fast from all food and drink – yes, even a morning cup of coffee – from midnight the night before communion.

The priest’s role is that of a spiritual father, preacher of the gospel, and the one who offers the sacraments. Part of his role is to continue the earthly ministry that St. Paul brought to the people. He is referred to in respect as father because he is both a servant of the Lord and called to be the congregation leader. Just as St. Paul referred to himself as father of his flock in 1 Corinthians 4:14-15, the faithful refer to him in the same way as a way to honor the position of the priesthood. His wife also holds a special role as parish mother, and she gets a title too, “Presbytera” (Greek), which means “priest’s wife.”

At Transfiguration, the chantors are meant to lead the people in congregational singing. Traditionally, orthros hymns are chanted a capella.

A constant feature of Orthodox worship is the veneration of the Virgin Mary, the “champion leader” of all Christians. We often address her as “Theotokos,” which means “Mother of God.” In providing the physical means for God to become man, she had a pivotal role in our salvation.

We honor her, as Scripture foretold (“All generations will call me blessed,” Luke 1:48). When we sing “Through the intercession of the Theotokos, Savior, save us,” we don’t mean that she grants us eternal salvation, but that we seek her prayers for our protection and growth in faith. Just as we ask for each other’s prayers, we ask for the prayers of Mary and other saints as well. They’re not dead, after all, just departed to the other side. Icons surround us to remind us of all the saints who are joining us invisibly in worship. One reference to the saints surrounding us Hebrews 12:1 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…”

Every Orthodox church will have an iconostasis before its altar. “Iconostasis” means “icon-stand,” it can be as simple as a large image of Christ on the right and a corresponding image of the Virgin and Child on the left. The basic set-up of two large icons creates if you use your imagination, three doors. In front of the altar itself, the central one is called the “Holy Doors” or “Royal Doors,” because there, the King of Glory comes out to the congregation in the Eucharist. Only the priest and deacons, who distribute the Eucharist, use the Holy Doors.

The openings on the other sides of the icons, if there is a complete iconostasis, have doors with icons of angels; they are termed the “Deacon’s Doors.” Altar boys and others with business behind the altar use these, although no one is to go through any of the doors without an appropriate reason.

There are about 6 million Orthodox in North America and 350 million globally, making Orthodoxy the second-largest Christian community. Orthodox throughout the world holds unanimously to the fundamental Christian doctrines taught by the Apostles and handed down by their successors, the bishops, throughout the centuries. One could attribute this unity to a historical accident. We would attribute it to the Holy Spirit. Being Greek ethnically is not a requirement to be Greek Orthodox, just as someone can be Roman Catholic without being Roman. Because only Greek was spoken for approximately the first 300 years in the Christian church, the original church was sometimes referred to as the Greek church. It is the rule of the Orthodox Church to speak the language of the local people, therefore here at Transfiguration, we speak English and Greek.

Orthodoxy seems startlingly different at first, but it gets to be less so as the weeks go by. It will begin to feel more and more like home, and will gradually draw you into your true home, the Kingdom of God. We hope that your first visit to an Orthodox church will be enjoyable and that it won’t be your last.