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Why I should consider the Orthodox Church Doing the Research / Frequently Asked Questions / Recommended Book List Becoming Orthodox and a Guide to Get Going A Word Download of this article is available here
So Many to Choose From
The choice of Christian denominations today is bewildering. According to a recent survey there are no less than 34,000 separate Christian groups in the world. Over half of them are independent churches that are not interested in linking with the major denominations. In this sea of Christian disunity can we truly say that there is one Church that should command our attention above all others? Such a claim might seem preposterous and self serving, yet, if it could be shown to be true, might that not be the most important question for a Christian or an enquirer seeking out the "right" church?
Will the true Church please stand up?!
Is it possible then that there might be one true Church? How should we look at that question? Some people say that there cannot possibly be one true Church with so many denominations around and God working in many if not all of them. There is a fundamental misunderstanding involved here. Supposing that there is one true Church does NOT mean that all the other churches are of no account, unworthy, unsound or unblessed. Far from it; God is merciful and compassionate and the Orthodox view is that heaven will be full of many surprises for Christians with tunnel vision. However, why is it an absurd notion that God might have preserved the FULLNESS of His Church in one identifiable, visible global community? It seems much more consistent with God's care and love that he should have made that provision for humankind. He certainly did so in Israel before Christ. There was only ever one "Israel of God" and that was an identifiable visible community. This does not prove the matter for the Church after Christ but it does open up the question as a reasonable one to ask if only because there should be continuity and consistency here from the Old Testament to the New. If such a God provided fullness were to exist in one true Church, what would be its characteristic marks? How might that Church be recognised?
Marks of True Greatness
The formula that all Christians have followed in that it neatly summarises so much of New Testament doctrine concerning the Church is that she is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. So what do these mean and what evidence is there that the Orthodox Church bears these marks of true greatness to the point we could say that: "yes, this is the one true Church of old, for ever new"?
ONE
Our Lord Jesus Christ's blueprint for His Church is substantially laid down in John 17. It is here, at the end of his earthly ministry, that he commits his Presence and His Mission to the disciples, soon-to-be-apostles. Their unity is a brotherhood with none having pre-eminent place. It is a unity reflecting the unity of Father and Son in the Holy Spirit. It is a visible unity but not a mere institutional unity. The unity of which we speak is a witness to the world of the sending of Christ to the world and the good news that He brought. Unity is implicated in the very act of Mission, the Church's essential life. The Orthodox Church is One Church but her unity is not based on a single Christian leader, denominational or papal. Her unity is associational, a fellowship in the Holy Spirit. However, this unity is no mere symbol or ecumenical aspiration. It is a practical expression of love in the body of Christ that respects totally and utterly local culture and even nationhood without compromising the primary international and multicultural allegiance to God, the Father of all. It seems to us that the unity of Christ's Church is neither centralised (we have no Pope) nor is it expressed through independence or invisible bonds. A Japanese Orthodox Christian visiting a Greek Orthodox Church in South Africa would feel utterly at home. St. Theodore of Tarsus, a Greek, experienced no spiritual "jet-lag" when he became Archbishop of Canterbury in 668 AD. St. John Maximovitch, a Russian, felt equally at home as a bishop in both Shanghai and San Francisco. HOLY
The fundamental biblical meaning of "holy" is "set apart." This is the clear sense of holiness in John 17 where our Lord recognises that his friends will necessarily be set apart from the world whilst being part of it. Such consecration to God inevitably leads to persecution because a Christian's ultimate allegiance is to no man (or woman!) but rather to God alone. Growth in holiness, therefore, is shaped by the cross and driven by the resurrection. The Orthodox Church will have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the powers of this world in matters spiritual, according only to human authority that which is legitimate and submitting to its blows where necessary. It is not for the Orthodox Church to claim holiness for itself but rather it is for you, reader, to judge the impact of Orthodox witness over centuries of sustained persecution. The Orthodox Church has ever been the Church of the Martyrs. If the Church is experiencing an easy life ... then she has lost her root and the branches will wither. There have been those who have fallen away from Orthodoxy ... largely through the abuse of power. The Orthodox Church has ever remained firm in its witness and humility before God. Sure, we have our stupid squabbles with each other from time to time. What family doesn't? But on this we are absolutely clear: "God first as a people called to Himself." CATHOLIC
This much misunderstood word derives from two Greek parts, one meaning "the whole" the other "according to" (difficult to translate!). The meaning of this word is tied in closely with "Orthodox" which means, alternately, true faith or true glory/worship. The formal title of every Orthodox Church is "The Orthodox Catholic Church of ..." So what is signified by the word "catholic" and what has that got to do with John 17 and Orthodoxy? "Wholeness" or "fullness" is the key mark here, ("universal" is a connected idea but usually more associated with "Apostolic.") The Church is Catholic because she leaves nothing out and adds nothing. That which she has received from God ... his words in faith and worship ... she receives, faithfully lives out and hands down from generation to generation. Being committed to "wholeness / fullness," she is steered by the Holy Spirit and by no human hand. The Spirit leads to a fuller understanding of the counsels of God who is not in the habit of changing his mind. It is the People of God, however, who need to refine their hearing and plumb the depths of His Wisdom and Love. In John 17 it is the word Christ received from the Father that he entrusts to his friends ... to keep and obey. Such is the nature of catholicity. It is a fidelity to revelation mediated through the Church; she who keeps the Word of God. If the Orthodox Church has a boast it is that she has neither left anything out nor added anything to the counsels of God. Her evidence for such an astonishing claim lies in the very process of her decision making which from the Acts of the Apostles onwards have always been "in Council." (Acts 15). Truth cannot come out of division because Truth is an expression of Love. Fidelity to Christ and a commitment to the Body of Christ has, in our view, preserved the Orthodox Church from novel doctrines, heresies and unchristian practice by virtue of our insistence on consensus and debate. No one part of the Body of Christ (or individual) is allowed to exert itself over any other part. Patience, listening and dialogue characterise our search for truth and our preservation of truth. Such dialogue embraces the whole global Orthodox Church. Wholeness in doctrine and worship can only be built upon unity and consensus. Self restraint and fearless exploration together are not opposites but mutually balancing mechanisms. In this way, the Orthodox Church maintains the fullness of her faith and life without distortion whilst always being open to what God has to offer by His Spirit today and tomorrow. This process, steered by the Holy Spirit, is what the Orthodox call Holy Tradition. Tradition includes Scripture as its normative core but extends also to the fathers of the Church, the creeds, the life of the saints and even Christian art (iconography). This seamless whole, controlled by Scripture in the mind of the Church is what gives Orthodoxy its enduring coherence; its catholicity. APOSTOLIC
The root meaning of "apostle" in Greek means to be "sent." The Church is Apostolic because she is sent into the whole world. The gospel is a universal message and life for all peoples. "Apostolic" is a word that embraces all the other three words we have considered so far ... one, holy and catholic. The apostolic message and life is maintained by this continuity. Its guarantee is in the Apostolic Succession, so-called. Those who were first sent, the apostles and equal-to-the-apostles, (which includes such Christian apostolic women as Sts. Mary Magdalene and Nina of Georgia), constitute our living link with the faith of our fathers and mothers who were sent out by the Holy Spirit into the whole world to preach and live out the gospel. If there has been any historical breach in this Apostolic Succession, either in faith or the ministerial order of the Church, history has shown us just how much can, did and does go wrong. The existence of over 34,000 Christian denominations today is a sad testimony to that fact. The Orthodox Church has avoided such tragic deformations and divisions by staying within that living and life-giving stream which is Tradition. She is One, she is Holy, she is Catholic ... therefore she is Apostolic.
What might I do next? Christianity is neither abstract nor theoretical. It is not lived by reading books, no matter how useful that might be, (and it is useful, indeed, vital for the Scriptures and the Fathers). Christianity has to be experienced and lived "in communion" which means, in the Body of Christ to use St. Paul's memorable phrase, the Church. If you are interested in pursuing your search and exploration further then you need to make contact with an Orthodox Church, preferably one that uses your native language in its services. There are many more of these around nowadays but not often well known. I want to encourage you to contact me (or some other person) to help you. Perhaps we can help you meet someone who will be a friend and introduce you to the Orthodox Christian community; that is, show you what to expect and help you on your ongoing journey. Please don't hesitate. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Contact me here ... Some further considerations ...
No. We're most definitely Christians. Oh, then, you're Orthodox Presbyterians? No. We're neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic. Oh, you mean like "Eastern Orthodox"? Yes, except that we as Britons are very much in and of "the West." The "west" was itself Orthodox in the first Millennium, so all the British saints and history of the Church in these islands in this time is part of world wide Orthodoxy. Is that like "Greek Orthodox" and "Russian Orthodox"? Yes, but… The Orthodox Church is One Church. Currently, however, Church organization in the west is divided among several different "jurisdictions," or governing bodies of varying national origin within the One Church. The doctrine and worship of each jurisdiction and parish is the same, though in some, languages other than English continues to be used in the services. Orthodox Christianity in a number of ways is quite different from Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The following questions and answers point out some important points of contrast and similarity. 1. I thought there are just two kinds of Christians, Protestant and Catholic. How can you claim you are neither? From the Orthodox point of view, Roman Catholicism is a medieval modification of the original Orthodoxy of the Church in Western Europe, and Protestantism is a later attempt to return to the original Faith. To our way of thinking, the Reformation did not go far enough. We respectfully differ with Roman Catholicism on the questions of papal authority, the nature of the church, and a number of other consequent issues. Historically, the Orthodox Church is both "pre-Protestant" and "pre-Roman Catholic" in the sense that many modern Roman Catholic teachings were developed much later in Christian history. The word catholic is a Greek word meaning "having to do with wholeness." We do consider ourselves "Catholic" in that sense of the word, that is, as proclaiming and practicing "the Whole Faith." In fact, the full title of our Church is "The Orthodox Catholic Church." We find that Protestants readily relate to Orthodoxy's emphasis on personal faith and the Scriptures. Roman Catholics easily identify with Orthodoxy's rich liturgical worship and sacramental life. Roman Catholic visitors often comment, "in lots of ways your Liturgy reminds me of our old High Mass." Many of the "polarities" between Protestants and the Roman Communion (i.e., "Word versus Sacrament" or "Faith versus Works") have never arisen in the Orthodox Church. We believe Orthodox theology offers the "western" denominations a way in which apparently opposite differences can be reconciled. 2. Why do you call yourselves "Orthodox"? The word orthodox was coined by the ancient Christian Fathers of the Church, the name traditionally given to the Christian writers in the first centuries of Christian history. Orthodox is a combination of two Greek words, orthos and doxa. Orthos means "straight" or "correct." (It is also found in the word "orthopaedics," which in the original Greek means "the correct education of children.") Doxa means at one and the same time "glory," "worship" and "doctrine." So the word orthodox signifies both "proper worship" and "correct doctrine." The Orthodox Church today is identical to the undivided Church in ancient times. The Protestant Reformer Martin Luther once remarked that he believed the pure Faith of primitive Christianity is to be found in the Orthodox Church. 3. Then you must be a very conservative Church. In current usage, the words "conservative" and "liberal" indicate a variety of often-conflicting viewpoints. Usually we don't really fit either category very well. On seven major occasions during the first millennium of Christianity the leaders of the worldwide Church, from Britain to Ethiopia, from Spain and Italy to Arabia, met to settle crucial issues of Faith. The Orthodox Church is highly "conservative" in the sense that we have not added to or subtracted from any of the teachings of those seven Ecumenical Councils. But that very "conservatism" often makes us "liberal" in certain questions of civil liberties, social justice and peace. We are very conservative, or rather traditional, in our liturgical worship. 4. Which do you believe in, the Bible or Tradition? A good short answer to this question is "Yes!" The question implies precisely a kind of polarity (i.e., "Bible versus Tradition") which is not found in the Orthodox Christian worldview. "Tradition" or in Greek paradosis, is used very often in the New Testament both as a verb and a noun. (See I Corinthians 11:23, where literally translating the original Greek, Paul says "for I received of the Lord that which I also have traditioned to you . . . ." See also I Corinthians 11:2, and II Thessalonians 2:15 and 3:6.) Tradition means "that which is handed over." The New Testament carefully distinguishes between "traditions of men" and The Tradition, which is the Faith handed over to us by Christ in the Holy Spirit. That same Faith was believed and practiced several decades before the New Testament Scriptures were set down in writing and given canonical (i.e., official) status. We experience the Tradition as timeless and ever timely, ancient and ever new. We distinguish between The Tradition ("with a capital T") which is the Faith/Practice of the Undivided Church, and traditions ("with a little t") which are local or national customs. Due to changing circumstances, sometimes cherished traditions must be altered or respectfully laid aside for the sake of The Tradition. The New Testament Scriptures are the primary written witness to the Tradition. Orthodox Christians therefore believe the Bible, as the inspired written Word of God, is the heart of the Tradition. In the New Testament all basic Orthodox doctrine and sacramental practice is either specifically set forth, or alluded to as already a practice of the Church in the first century A.D. The Tradition is witnessed to also by the decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, the Nicene Creed, the writings of the Fathers of the Church, by the liturgical worship and iconography of the Church, and in the lives of the Saints. 5. Do you mean you Orthodox believe your elaborate worship is based on the Bible? I'd like to know where. The Christian Church learned to worship in the Jewish Temple and in the Synagogues. Again and again the New Testament tells us that Jesus, Paul and the others worshipped regularly in Jewish houses of worship. (See for instance Luke 4:16; Acts 3:1; Acts 17:1-2.) We know from archaeology, and from modern Jewish practice, that Synagogue worship was and is highly liturgical, i.e., communal, organized, ceremonial, and done decently and in order (I Corinthians 14:40). The French Protestant biblical scholar Oscar Cullman demonstrates very convincingly in his little book Early Christian Worship that when John describes heavenly worship in the book of Revelation, he is following the Hebrew custom of portraying Heaven's worship in terms of earthly liturgy. The writers of the Bible thought of earthly worship as a "shadow" or "type" of Heaven's liturgy. (See Isaiah 6, Hebrews 8:4-6.) In other words, a biblical passage such as the fourth and fifth chapters of the Book of Revelation gives us an accurate picture of a very early Christian worship service. That service very much resembles modern Orthodox worship. Orthodox worship is also very Scriptural in the sense that it is a kaleidoscopic mosaic of Scriptural quotations, paraphrases, references, and allusions. It is, quite literally, "to pray the Bible!" Apart from the fact that we worship in English, and use modern harmonies with our ancient melodies, our services are basically identical to those of the early Christian Church. For that reason our worship sometimes seems a bit "strange" to Protestant and Roman Catholic visitors. We often hear, "Your services are just beautiful, and the music is outstanding, but they feel somewhat different." 6. It sounds as if you are rigidly bound by your Tradition. You mean it can't change? The Tradition as a set of basic principles outlining our worldview is a constant. Its very constancy, however, sometimes will even demand change. As a simple instance of this, by Tradition our worship is to be celebrated in a language understood by the worshipping congregation. This means the Tradition not infrequently requires a change in liturgical language. As another instance, the Tradition also requires constant change in ourselves as, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we grow spiritually and respond ever more fully to the call of God in Jesus Christ. 7. Do you have the Virgin Mary, Saints, pray for the dead, and have confession "like the Catholics?" There are points of contact between Orthodox and Roman Catholic belief on these issues, and modern Roman Catholic practice. There are also significant differences. To discuss them in depth is beyond the scope of this short summary. The following is a brief statement of the Orthodox point of view. We honour the Virgin Mary as "higher than the Cherubim and more glorious than the Seraphim" because she is the woman who gave birth to Jesus, Who is the Word of God, Who is God, (in Greek, Theotokos). We call her blessed and think of her as the greatest of missionaries, for her unique mission was to deliver the Word of God to the world. (See Luke 1:43, 48: John 1:1, 14; Galatians 4:4.) We likewise honour the other great men and women in the life and history of the Church - patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors and ascetics - who committed their lives so completely to the Lord, as models of what it means to be fully and deeply Christian. These men and women are called "saints"; a word deriving from the ancient Latin word meaning "holy." For example, we believe that men like the apostle Paul - in their devotion to Christ - led holy lives and that we are indeed to be imitators of him, as he was of Christ. We also believe that in the risen Christ, prayer transcends the barrier between life and death and that those who have gone before us pray for us, as we remember them in our prayers. In Christ, we are one family. (See Hebrews12:1; II Timothy 1:16-18.) As indicated in John 20:21-23, and James 5:14-16, we practice sacramental confession and absolution of sins. The presbyter (priest) is the sacramental agent of Christ. The priest sacramentally conveys Christ's forgiveness, not his own. 8. Does your church practice "Open Communion?" In the strictest sense the Communion of the Orthodox Church is open to all repentant believers. That means we are glad to receive new members in the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox concept of "Communion" is totally holistic, and radically different from that of most other Christian groups. We do not separate the idea of "Holy Communion" from "Being in Communion," "Full Communion," "Inter-Communion" and total "Communion in the Faith." In the Orthodox Church therefore, to receive Holy Communion, or any other Sacrament (Mystery), is taken to be a declaration of total commitment to the Orthodox Faith. While we warmly welcome visitors to our services, it is understood that only those communicant members of the Orthodox Church who are prepared by confession and fasting will approach the Holy Mysteries. 9. Why do you have all those pictures in your church? Icons are not pictures in the sense of naturalistic representations. They are rather stylized and symbolic expressions of divinized humanity. (See II Peter 1:4; I John 3:2.) Icons for the Orthodox are sacramental signs of God's Cloud of Witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). We do not worship icons. Rather, we experience icons as Windows into Heaven. Like the Bible, icons are earthly points of contact with transcendent Reality. In the original Greek of the New Testament Christ is called several times the icon (image) of God the Father. (See II Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3.) Man himself was originally created to be the icon of God (Genesis 1:27). 10. Isn't all your old-fashioned doctrine and worship a bit irrelevant to modern British life? We believe that God quite literally does exist. He is not a figment of pious fiction or wishful thinking. God and His will is therefore our "top priority." We believe that the Word of God quite literally became Incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth. We believe the Lord Jesus literally rose from the dead in a real though transfigured and glorified physical body. We believe that life apart from God is hollow and meaningless. We notice that people today talk often of "meaningfulness," "the meaning of life," meaningful relationships," "the common good," "the good of humanity," "hope for the future of mankind" and so on. Also, various cults continue to attract many followers in all parts of our land. This indicates to us that people today are hungry for the answers we believe God has revealed through His Word, Who is Jesus Christ. We believe ultimate human values are revealed to us by God, and serve as constant guides in the use of our steadily expanding scientific knowledge. We seek to evaluate technological advances in the light of those basic values. It is our experience that our venerable Liturgy and the ancient Christian doctrines about God and the meaning of human life are just as relevant today as yesterday. These define our basic values. We know the whole ancient Christian Faith as that which makes more sense than anything else in this world of constant change, confusion and conflict. God is the Source of all Meaning; we believe that "mankind's noble ideals" such as truth, beauty, freedom and love, are not "merely ideals," but real characteristics of a real Lord. In and through Christ Jesus, God reveals Himself in human terms and in human terminology as One who is at the same time Trinity of Persons. The word "person" as used in classical Christian theology is not the singular form of "people"; God is not "Three people." Person here means something similar to "I," or "Subject," as in the subject of a sentence. The One God is revealed as having three personal "Centres of Being." God is therefore neither alone nor lonely, for the One Lord is also perfect Communion of Persons. God as Trinity is the model and source of human inter-personal communion and fellowship. Man was created capable of communion (mystical union) with God. Human matrimony is a favourite biblical image of this communion-relationship. Our capacity for divine communion was soon damaged by human error, stubbornness, and evil (i.e., sin). Because of God's infinite love, our potential for communion with God has been restored, renewed, and transfigured by Christ Jesus. Christ communicates His very life to us through His Word and Sacraments. In Christ and the Holy Spirit we can and do experience varying degrees of a mystical union with God now in this life, and on a regular basis. We believe that the purpose of human life is for us to become partakers of the divine nature through the grace of the Holy Spirit, in prayer, sacrament, study of the Word, fasting, self-discipline, and active love for others. All other human projects and purposes, however noble, and important, remain secondary to that, which gives ultimate meaning to human existence. This brief outline of Orthodox Faith necessarily but touches upon a number of more involved issues. If you would like to find out more, we would welcome your inquiries. Some Facts about Orthodoxy There are some 250 million Orthodox Christians in the world. Most Christians in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, Russia and Ukraine are Orthodox. 300,000 British people are Orthodox Christians Centuries of vigorous Orthodox missionary activity across 12 times zones in northern Europe and Asia was halted by the Communists after the Soviet Revolution in 1917. Orthodox missions are active in Central Africa, Japan Korea and many other parts of the world.
Overview of Orthodoxy
Doctrine
Prayer and Spirituality
Worship
Christian Life and Ethics
Biography and Saints
Church History and Mission Obtainable from either St. Theodore Orthodox Bookstore or Orthodox Christian Books Ltd.
Becoming Orthodox and a Guide to Get Going Introduction This article has a very limited brief: to give you a few hints about the Orthodox Church. It does not pretend to be comprehensive (see John 21:25), as several lorries could not hold the material that would need to be written just to give you a first taste. The Orthodox Church is a rich Tradition, which will repay a lifetime of discipleship and of conforming yourself and your whole life to her. The purpose of the Orthodox Church is, of course, to bring you ever nearer to The Saviour, to make you holy, to bring you to eternal life. Following the Tradition is, therefore, not an end in itself but the God given means, full of the Holy Spirit, of fulfilling the Gospel. Christianity is "the death of religion" – we live by faith and love in Christ Jesus our Lord. This means that the Tradition is astonishingly rich, varied and elastic. By Tradition we mean the same as did St. Paul when he told St. Timothy to guard it (2 Timothy 1:14) so we mean:- The Holy Scriptures, the Sacraments (of which there are many), the services and prayer, feasting, fasting and almsgiving, the saints and martyrs, the calendar, the arrangement of the home, the arrangement of the Temple, confession and spiritual fathers … and so on. Little by little you will come to know much of the Tradition and find your life conforming to it. There are those who seek to change the Orthodox Church. These people will always be sadly disappointed. Not only will the Church not change but also those people will find themselves placed beyond it in a place of their own making. You must come before God as a disciple of the Gospel not as its judge. The Orthodox Church has a "Table d’hote" not an "A la carte" menu – designed to fulfil its purpose. Start quietly, humbly and receptively. Don’t try to do everything at once: that way leads to pride. The demons will try and get you to take on tasks too difficult for you at first – they will enjoy seeing you fail and becoming despondent (St. Anthony the Great). Follow the advice of a wise spiritual father who will lead you at the right speed, always clamouring for more, into the tradition. Please feel free to copy this material and give it away to any might make use of it. But, now, let us begin. Most Important! The best way to learn about the Orthodox Church is by mixing with Orthodox People. Orthodoxy is a rich tradition and a "seamless robe." You will need to have it passed on to you from another person and then transmit it yourself.
The Orthodox Church There is really one site to go to as a jumping off point for hundreds of sites and thousands of articles covering just about anything you could possibly want to know off a written page. It's here:- Orthodox Church and Bible Study Links The Antiochian Deanery of Great Britain and Ireland has many Parish newsletters, websites, articles and list of useful sites.
Introduction to Antioch and its history.
Reading All books available from
Orthodox Christian
Books Ltd. The Holy Apostles Convent in Colorado has also published a New Testament translation which is excellent and has the great merit of including an extensive Patristic verse by verse commentary selection. Septuagint: The Old Testament ... coming soon, the Orthodox version. "The Orthodox Church" Timothy Ware = Bishop Kallistos, Penguin "The Orthodox Way" Bishop Kallistos, Mowbray These are an excellent introduction to the Orthodox Church and Orthodox beliefs and practices. They would suit someone who had studied up to and above A-level standard, particularly if they had grounding in basic Theology. "Introduction to the Orthodox Church" Anthony Coniaris. Excellent general introduction - easily read and digested. Perhaps both of these are too wordy for those educated in the last twenty years but there is little else by way of option. "Incarnate God" volumes 1 & 2. SVS. Expensive but goes through each of the Feasts of the Church bringing out the Gospel significance of each very well. Excellent iconographic drawings.
Becoming Orthodox: Making up your mind: No hurry! The first thing to realise is that there is no hurry. You shall not be hurried or coerced into becoming Orthodox. Neither shall any priest be hurried nor coerced into receiving you. When and if the time is right you will be received. This can take any amount of time from immediately to many years. The Church has your interest at heart – no one will want to force you to become Orthodox and if you choose not to be we will hope that you have learned something useful on your Pilgrimage with us. Making sense of the journey so far A very understandable worry that people often have is this: "Have I been travelling the wrong road up to now?" The answer is "No: that road has brought you here." If it is right for you to become a member of the Orthodox Church that does NOT mean that it was wrong for you to have belonged to something else before. You should always be thankful to those who brought you this far. Neither should you feel that you are betraying your past: St. Philip was following St. John the Baptist until The Lamb of God was pointed out to him. He then left St. John and followed Christ. Vocation The Saviour calls everyone to Himself and to follow Him in The Way. The manner of that call is different for each person. Your priest will see you frequently and you will join him for catechism over a period of time. You will come to various services and become involved in the life of the local Orthodox Church and the community that surrounds her. It may be that your sense of vocation to become a member of the Orthodox Church is very clear – it may be you are tentatively searching for the Truth. Your vocation within the Orthodox Church will become clear. There is plenty of scope for ministry and the ministry of lay people is taken very seriously. Mission The mission of The Church has not changed. The Church exists to fulfil the Divine command: "…make disciples of all nations…" People often ask "What will I do after I am received? What form shall my discipleship take?" We cannot tell you. The Holy Spirit points the way forward … local missioners … catechists … treasurers … servers and singers … clergy … teachers … leaders … evangelists … monastics … iconographers … carpenters …charity workers … parents of all sorts … plasterers etc. One thing is for certain: there is plenty to do for members of the Orthodox Church. - "Pew fodder" is not an option. The main thing is to be salt and light where you live.
How to be received Eventually you need to make up your mind what you think God is calling you to do. This may mean taking the bull by the horns, finding your priest one day and saying:- "Father please receive me into the Orthodox Church." The time between this and being received varies a lot. For some it may be immediate (as with the Ethiopian eunuch of Acts) or it may be many years (as with St. Constantine). During this time you will be taught a number of practical matters (like how to receive Holy Communion) and the priest will continue to catechise and prepare you. Godparents Each person received needs a Godparent. This must be a person of the same sex and older in the faith and already Orthodox who can lead you into the faith. Choosing a patron saint This is no small matter. Many people already have a Christian name but not everyone does. If you do you should think very carefully before changing. If you don’t you will need to choose a patron saint. Your priest will advise you about this. When you have a patron you will be asking his/her prayers each day, celebrating her/his feast day, others will celebrate your feast day (name day) and pray for you particularly on that day also. Many people find themselves becoming very like their patron and developing an interest in their concerns [e.g. someone called Stylian, Nicholas or Basil will become interested in helping orphaned children, John (after St. John the Merciful) will become involved in charity work etc.] Baptism or Chrismation? This depends of whether you have been validly baptised before. Unbaptised children and adults will be baptised and then chrismated (anointed with Holy Oil for the reception of the Holy Spirit). Those who have been baptised are normally chrismated. You should ask your priest about this.
How to develop a life of prayer It is absurd to suggest that a few words will give anything other than the most basic idea here. You will need to consult with your Spiritual Father. So to start you off: The Scriptures It is important to maintain a continual cycle of Scriptural reading. Currently there is no "ideal" text of the Old Testament. There is a project in America to produce one suitable for Orthodox. Orthodox should use the Septuagint with the Apocrypha (as did Christ) and translations from it. You will find that this is usually impossible. The New Testament is slightly easier. The best available at the present is "The Orthodox Study Bible." This has the advantage of copious notes, articles and a scheme of Bible reading, the readings for each day of the year, the Psalms and the usual "Icon Prayers" for morning and evening personal devotions. You should try to get to a proper Bible Study based on the teachings of the Fathers each week. Icons You will want to collect the following icons: The Saviour (Jesus Christ), The Mother of God (St. Mary, usually with the "Adult Child" Christ enthroned and pointed to by her), The Forerunner (St. John the Baptist) and the icon of your patron. Some people have a further patron for the household. When you pray develop a habit of standing before the icons, with your eyes and heart open. Orthodox do not normally dot icons about the house. The Icon Corner You will want to make a place in your home for prayer. Obviously you can and should pray everywhere but Orthodox have found an icon corner sanctifies the whole home. Usually it is placed so that the person praying faces east. In it you will have the icons mentioned above set out, as they would be in a church or with the Saviour elevated above the others and the Mother of God below Him. They should be low enough to be easily venerated. Here you will have the following equipment on a shelf below the icons: the Holy Bible, hand censer with charcoal and incense, candle or oil lamp, service books, perhaps some flowers. The whole lot needs to be kept clean and well polished. You may also keep wedding crowns, baptismal candles and so on in the Icon Corner. Another name is "Beautiful Corner" and it should live up to its name. Being in a corner is helpful as when you enter it you are immediately surrounded by the icons and can pray without being distracted. Some houses have several such Corners but there should always be a main one for family prayers. In the dining room there is a need for at least one icon (of the Saviour or perhaps of the Last Supper or the Hospitality of Abraham or of Bethany etc.) to face when blessing meals. You will slowly acquire what you need. Calendar There is an excellent calendar produced by the Fellowship of St. John the Baptist (address elsewhere) This tells you the date, the saints for the day, the feast and fast days (and exceptions), the readings for the day and the tone of the week. (Tone= the tunes and songs sung at the services.) Currently it costs £3.50 Hours of prayer These are: Vespers (6pm), Compline (9pm) Midnight, Matins (3am) First (6am), Third (9am), Sixth (midday), Ninth (3pm). In practice these are usually served as follows (Antiochian use): 6pm: 9th and Vespers, (or Compline when served in Lent), Before the Liturgy: Matins and the 1st, 3rd and 6th hours. Be prepared for huge variation. In the Icon Corner at home you will want to pray at regular times – perhaps on getting up and at 6pm. Spiritual Father/Guide: In these sad times there are very few real "Spiritual Fathers" who receive directly from God and tell their spiritual children. However there are many people who have travelled further than others and can lend a helping hand to bring you to where they are. Priests who are also "Pneumatikoi" (singular: Pneumatikos) [Antiochian pneumatikoi wear the Epigonation which is a diamond shaped vestment] may hear confession. Before you are received and once you are received you will make your confession. How often depends on many factors – essentially your confessor will link Holy Communion and confession and tell you how many times to do each. Practical advice from Fr. Philip on Morning
Prayer from The Orthodox Study Bible. Practical advice from Fr. Philip on saying the
Hours (The Third Hour).
What to wear Dress simply, modestly and respectfully. Men should wear long trousers and sleeves at least to the elbow, head uncovered. Women should wear skirts to the knee or below or long trousers and arms covered at least to the elbow. The custom of women wearing headscarves is still practised in Slav Churches though not so much in Antiochian/Greek ones (unless you want to.) Clothing is best loose fitting and, in winter, warm as this gives plenty of movement and churches can be perilously drafty. What questions you need to ask when making contact What sort of service Orthodox will often ask and at what time the Liturgy will end. They then turn up to as much as they feel they (and young children can cope with). This is much better than arriving for the first half hour. People can be maddeningly literal when answering your questions too. In some places nothing is given away. So:- "Your blessing Father! Will there be a Liturgy for the feast of St. X?" "God bless you! Yes." "What time will it start Father?" "After Orthros (= Matins)" "Thank you Father, What time does the Liturgy end please?" "Approximately 12.30 in the afternoon." "Thank you Father – will it be in St. Y’s Church?" "No: we will have it at St. X’s Well Chapel." "Thank you Father, my name is George Bloggs and I would like to receive Holy Communion if I may: my Spiritual Father has given me permission to do so." "Certainly." "Father, will there be Vespers and pre-communion prayers the night before in St. Y’s?" "We will have Espirinos (= Vespers) at 6pm" "Thank you Father I shall look forward to being there." So: Matins = Orthros. Vespers = Espirinos Vigil = Vespers and Matins together.
Asking for prayers to be said There are lots of ways of having people remembered in services: Before the Liturgy – provide the priest with a list of those to be remembered at the Proskimide. You should put your own name at the top of the list and divide the list into four columns; Living Orthodox (include the priest you are asking to pray.), Living Non-Orthodox, Departed Orthodox, Departed Non-Orthodox. (In Antiochian Churches "Living" and "Departed" is sufficient) At Vespers or at the end of the Liturgy – Commonly people provide five loaves (as used for the Proskimide), a bottle of olive oil (for the Lamps), a bottle of Communion wine and ask for a Litia (or Artoklasia which is the same thing). Names of those to be prayed for are listed (all living). At the end of the short service the bread (and sometimes wine and oil) is distributed to the congregation. For the departed you may ask for "Trisagion Prayers for the Departed" = Mnemosimon = Pannikhida. For this you need to provide Kolliva and a loaf that is covered with sesame seeds (or something similar). There are many recipes for this. Essentially it is a mixture of whole boiled wheat, barley or rice mixed with sugar and spices and topped with dried fruits and nuts. Again these are distributed at the end of the service. St. Phanourious’ cake may also be offered. In some places a type of ginger cake is offered. In some traditions Slava bread is offered. As time goes by (say 500 years) local recipes will develop.
Sign of the Cross People often ask when to make the sign of the Cross. This differs in different Patriarchates. Do what comes naturally within the congregation. How to make the sign of the Cross: best if you ask someone to show you. Antioch is slightly different from the other Patriarchates. Bow letting the hand drop and open pointing forwards. Stand upright. Right hand, thumb and fore and index fingers put together. These represent the Trinity, they point away from your palm (=you). They are a Mystery. Other two fingers folded into the palm. These represent the two natures of Christ: fully God and fully Man. Pointing towards you as a sign of the incarnation. Touch the forehead, diaphragm, and top of the right shoulder, bottom of the left shoulder. Further interpretation: We offer our thoughts and feelings, our good (right) and bad (left) selves to God in repentance. The dropping of the Crossbar from right to left reminds us that the "Good" thief went to Paradise, the other – we don’t know. Venerating the icons We pray before icons, remembering that they are painted on wood or even printed on paper. The image upon them represents the person or event or teaching depicted. Icons fairly frequently take part in answered prayers and in miracles, and many exude fragrant oils. Every icon represents Christ. We are only interested in the saints depicted in that they were full of the Holy Spirit and therefore draw us to Christ. When venerating any icon of a person make the sign of the Cross twice with the bow then kiss the foot of the person depicted and make the sign of the Cross again with the bow. If no foot: kiss the hand, if no hands then kiss the hair. Lighting a candle Having venerated the icons, do light candles before them. In many Temples this is fairly obvious but in some there are special sand trays for the departed and others for the living or in honour of the saints. The ceiling will not fall in if you get it wrong and no one will notice or bother. Expect someone to blow your candle out when the sand tray gets full. Standing, sitting and kneeling: where to stand Stand unless you are tired or ill and need to sit. Try to stand for censing, processions, being blessed, the Gospel reading and when you see very elderly people standing. Never kneel on a Sunday. You may prostrate on weekdays during the Epiclesis ("Send down your Holy Spirit …) during the Eucharistic Prayer but many do not. In Antiochian Churches stand where you want to but in some churches men stand before the icon of Christ and women before the icon of the Mother of God. Stand with your hands by your side or loosely clasped in front (not behind your back), do not lean on the walls or pillars (if you need to sit then sit down), do not cross your feet or legs. This is particularly important in "traditionally Orthodox" countries where a fierce little lady will tick you off roundly. Listen out for the occasional order given by the deacon or priest e.g.: "Let us pray to the Lord!" "Stand upright!" "Bow you heads to the Lord!" Moving about: coming in and going out Wandering about is distracting and bad behaviour even though you will see it done a lot. Going out to have a cigarette is very bad behaviour. If you need to move to venerate icons or blow out candles that have burned down or are melting onto the floor get on with it and no one will notice. Arriving on time There is no reason why single people and those without children should not arrive on time. Those with children may gauge how long their children can manage (keeping in mind that Russian and Greek children can manage a whole service very well) and come for that. I.e. they arrive late and stay for say the final 20, 30 or 40 minutes of the service. In many Greek parishes this is difficult to determine as the services often do not start on time and may never start at the time advertised. Length of services The length of Orthodox services often confuses people. Rough times are as follows::- Vespers (= Espirinos): 40 minutes Matins (= Orthros): 60 – 90 minutes Hours 15 minutes each Divine Liturgy: 75 – 90 minutes The trouble is the services flow one into the other so it may be difficult to know when one began and another ended. Added to this when they are served differs according to Patriarchate: Antiochian parishes usually have morning services in the morning and evening ones in the evening but Slav ones will usually have Vespers followed by Matins on Saturday Evening. Eating and drinking Only eat and drink what you are given to eat and drink by the priest or his delegate. Whatever you are given to eat - eat. Do NOT put out blessed bread, Kolliva etc. for the birds. You can expect (if you have been baptised) to receive the Antidoron at the end of the Liturgy. Come forward kiss the Cross, the priest’s hand and receive his blessing and the Antidoron. The cast Bishop: will wear a crown shaped Mitre and a vestment looking like a big T-shirt (sakkos) and a scarf shaped vestment that goes from his ankles round the neck and back to the floor (Epitrachelion). Priest: will wear a vestment like a large poncho (phelonion) and the Epitrachelion, Deacon: will wear a long T-shirt shaped vestment (stikarion) and a strip of cloth (orarion) that goes over one shoulder and hangs to the floor at the back. Servers (perhaps led by a Sub-deacon): will wear a stikarion without the orarion or with it crossed before and behind. Reader: may wear the stikarion but will read and lead much of each service. Choir: some choirs have uniforms but all lead the singing. Many have completely taken over the singing. Taking part in the services There is considerable variation here. Essentially Antiochian Parishes encourage congregational singing, Greek ones less so and Slav ones not at all. Every congregation encourages use of the five senses so burying your head in a book is certainly the wrong thing to do. Learn the services as far as you can and then jettison the books. Holy Communion Do not receive Holy Communion unless you are Orthodox and you have your Spiritual Father’s express permission to do so. You may (if baptised) receive the Antidoron at the completion of the Divine Liturgy. Antidoron means "In place of the gifts." Receiving a blessing - greeting a Bishop or priest Go to the Bishop, bow before him and say (Antiochian Bishop) "Sa-eed-na – Your Blessing." Hold out both hands right over left, slightly cupped and the Bishop will bless them. Kiss his hand when he places it into yours. Do just the same for a priest but "Bless Father" as a greeting. Collections Usually taken during the Divine Liturgy. Sometimes more than one collection is taken (e.g.: "For the Church", "For the Priest" and "For the Disaster") it is usually fine to take out change. At the outset it is worth thinking of making your giving proportionate to your income and regular. If you pay tax you should consider filling in the forms so that the church recoups it. Books Too many translations. Each Temple will have its favoured books. Flowers etc. It is usually fine to bring flowers to the Temple and then either arrange them in a vase before an icon or place them round an icon. At certain times particular plants are brought in (e.g. greenery at Pentecost, basil for the Holy Cross, abundant flowers for Good Friday/Holy Saturday for the Epitaphion services). As fruit and vegetables ripen then should be brought in for the harvest blessings – they are then given to the priest who may distribute them among the congregation.
Understanding an Orthodox Temple The narthex: the porch – often missing in these Islands. Represents the world. The nave: the main area of the temple. Contains the Bishop’s Throne, from here the Deacon leads the prayers etc. Represents the Church in the world. The screen: Joins the nave and the altar and carries the main icons. It is the main focus of attention for most services. Contains doors that further join together the different parts of the Temple. The altar: the area east of the screen - contains the Holy Table, Proskimide table (Table of Preparation). Represents heaven. Do not go in here unless you must (i.e. you are the officiating priest or server.) There is more information
here. Making offerings Time, Prosphora, Wine, Money, Artoklasia, Icons, Flowers, Incense, charcoal, vessels, vestments, etc. Before you make any donations make sure they are in keeping with the rest of the Temple. It is MUCH THE BEST to donate to a fund for Temple furnishings than to give souvenirs of happy holidays. The latter can turn the Temple into something reminiscent of a junk shop. Someone with design flair and simple tastes could be chosen to act as buyer for the parish. On the other hand there is nothing so pleasing as a country church in Greece filled with the most appalling icons and dissonant flower vases, bits of needlework all arranged in the most homely way. You will often find fairy lights twinkling away round the icons. The "perfect" temples are nearly always Uniate. Consumables (e.g. wine [Mavrodaphne or Commanderia], incense [Orthodox style – from SGOIS/Monasteries and shops in "Orthodox" countries – check to see if there is some usual type used in your church], charcoal [SPCK], Prosphora [attend lessons before cooking] are always very acceptable.
Orthodox Organisations The Orthodox Fellowship of Saint John the Baptist
This is the Youth Organisation for all the Orthodox youth of Great Britain (11-24yrs). Amongst its activities it runs two annual camps each year. To know more contact Father Philip (FrPhilip@aol.com / 01652 655250) SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of Orthodox
Youth, is a federation of Orthodox youth movements and theological schools
around the world, working under the blessing of all the local canonical
Churches, to serve the Church, Her unity, witness and renewal.
The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies is the Eastern Orthodox house of studies in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1999 with the blessing of all the Orthodox hierarchs of Great Britain, the Institute is a member of the Cambridge Theological Federation. The Institute offers full-time and part-time courses in the Orthodox theological tradition. It is affiliated with the University of Cambridge and with Anglia Polytechnic University. Wesley House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BJ,
United Kingdom
Fasting Don’t overdo it! When: Wednesdays and Fridays, Nativity fast, Lent, Holy Week, Peter and Paul fast, Dormition fast, Holy Cross Day. For 5 hours before receiving Holy Communion. Rules: No alcohol, olive oil (or similar) or animal products except those animals that have no backbone. When broken: Illness or infirmity or when it would cause illness or infirmity. When travelling some distance (measured in time) for example travelling by car from Manchester to London, or walking all morning. You will see "Fish wine and Oil" or "Wine and Oil". Be sensible – don’t buy the most expensive vegan margarine and vegan ice cream or fake bacon – do without! Be sensible: start by doing what you can easily (e.g. give up meat this year, meat and fish next and these and dairy products the year afterwards). You will need to build up some new recipes so that you have a balanced diet. Certain weeks are fast free weeks. Feasting When: Sundays, Pascha, 12 Feasts, Name days (Yiorti), Rules: better food should be eaten, some wine or equivalent taken and a celebration of some kind made. When broken: Some feasts take place during the fasts in which case the calendar will say "wine and oil" or "fish, wine and oil." The oil is olive oil but it really refers to expensive oils used for dressings. One always fasts before Holy Communion. Different types of service The Divine Liturgy: St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, St. James Brother of the Lord, Presanctified Divine Liturgy of St. Gregory. The Hours: Vespers (Espirinos), Compline, Midnight Office, Matins (Orthros), 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th hours, Morning and Evening Icon Corner Prayers, Grace before and after meals. Moleiben (prayer service – supplicatory), Artoklasia (Litia – bread, wine, oil and grain is blessed as a supplication), Memorials (Pannikhida / Mnemosimon) with or without Kolliva, Name days (Many Years! Blessing). Thanksgivings (Doxologies), Blessings (hundreds of different ones from blessing of a house to the blessing of a spoon), Baptism, Marriage, Funerals, Confession etc. Lord have mercy! This is the most common prayer in the Orthodox Church. To an English speaker it sounds negative. The Greek word "mercy" comes from the same word as olive oil. So "Lord have mercy!" has the following consequent meanings all at the same time: "Lord … have mercy, heal … soothe … bless … anoint … give peace … make clean … make joy come … give abundance … make whole … make holy!" so it is a fairly full prayer. May the Lord have mercy on you as you make this journey with Him! (a minor adaptation of a booklet prepared by Fr. Philip Hall) |
