Welcome to Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church
Welcome to Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to come worship with us every Sunday for Liturgy at 10:00 AM.
From time to time we have been asked many questions about the Orthodox Church and our Liturgy. Some people may feel too intimidated by everything to ask questions, so here are some of the answers to some frequently asked questions.
The first thing you may notice is that most or all of the people are standing. In the beginning, Christians stood rather than sat because this has always been the preferred posture for prayer. Through the years, as churches evolved, some have added seating. In the Orthodox tradition, the faithful stand through most of the worship service. In fact, many Orthodox Churches only will have enough seating for the infirm and elderly.
A close second of things noticed is the appearance of the Priest and the place of worship. Everything from the music to the sweet smell of incense to the beautiful icons adorning the walls is meant to bring us closer to God. Everything you may see, hear, taste, feel, and smell has a time-honored meaning and a purpose in the Service. Since God wants us to offer our entire being to Him in worship and service, every one of our senses are also asked to participate in heavenly worship.
During the course of the service, an Orthodox Christian will make the sign of the cross MANY times. These are usually when the Trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) or the Theotokos (The Mother of God) are mentioned, or after venerating (kissing) an icon. As with almost everything, there is a special way to do it. We use our right hand with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger pressed together to represent the Trinity, and the last two fingers pressed to the palm. They represent the two natures of Jesus - fully God and fully Man. The cross is made by touching the forehead, chest, right shoulder and left shoulder and ending up over the heart. Some Orthodox Churches (notably the Russian Orthodox) even bow slightly when they make the sign of the cross.
The kiss is another action firmly rooted in Orthodoxy. When we enter into the church, it is customary to venerate or kiss the icons in the first part of the church which is known as the Narthex. This shows love and respect as does a kiss on the cheek when greeted. You will also see the faithful kiss the Priest's right hand from time to time. This, too, is an act of veneration. The people are venerating the High Priesthood of Christ, of which the parish priest is simply a participant in. None of this kissing or veneration should be confused with worship. Orthodox Christians worship only God.
During the last part of the Liturgy, after the Sermon, the priest prepares Communion. In order to take Communion, you must be Orthodox. Which branch of the Orthodox Church you belong to is immaterial, Russian, Serbian, Antiochian, Romanian, Bulgarian, etc. You simply have to have been Baptized and Chrismated in the Orthodox Church. When one partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ (Holy Communion) they are confessing Jesus Christ as God, His real presence in the Eucharist (Jn. 6:55) as well as all that the Church has taught from the time of the Apostles. The bread which is used for Communion is specially baked by a parishioner. It is a simple recipe, but just prior to baking, it is impressed with a special seal. During preparation before the liturgy, the priest cuts out a section of the seal and sets it aside. This portion is called the "Lamb".
During the Liturgy it is consecrated as the Body of Christ and the wine is also consecrated as the Blood of Christ. These are combined and when communion is taken, the Priest places in our mouth a small portion of both wine and bread. After Communion is received, we file by an Alter Server who is holding a basket with the remainder of the loaf of bread, which has been cut into pieces and blessed.
Another thing you will notice is the music. These melodies have come down virtually unaltered since the beginning of Christianity and have not lost any of their beauty. The congregation sings some of them, and the Chanter and Choir sing the rest. By the end of the Liturgy, some of the responses that are sung will be familiar enough for you to join in. Don't be afraid; everyone is encouraged to sing. God gave you the voice you have and it is sweet music to His ears.
Most of the service will take place at the Altar, which is behind the iconostasis, or wall of Icons. This wall has three doorways. Only the Priest or a Deacon bearing the Eucharist is permitted to use the opening in the center. All others who serve enter the Altar area use the 'Deacon Doors' which are on either side, which are also called the North and South Doors. Only those who have a special function within the Service are permitted into the altar, and only after receiving a special blessing. The Altar is the Holy of Holies today. Whereas in the Old Testament, the holy of holies contained the tablets, the manna, and the rod of Aaron, the Altar today in the Orthodox Church actually contains the Eucharist.
Another attribute of the Orthodox worship is that it is long. The original Liturgy was said to have lasted over five hours. Today, the Divine Liturgy will last about an hour and a half most Sundays. Before the Liturgy, however, is another service called Orthros where several Psalms are read, along with hymns that commemorate both the event of the Resurrection and the Saint of that particular day. These hymns allow us to never forget what God has done out of love for mankind and what the Saints, the men and women of God have accomplished through their love for their Lord and Savior.
Before the Orthros service there is yet another service that the Priest performs. In this service he makes preparation for the Liturgy. He takes the prosforo (the bread offered by a parishioner) and cuts it in very specific ways, commemorating the Crucifixion of our Lord, the Mother of God, all the Prophets, Apostles, Saints and Martyrs from time immemorial. This service of preparation is preceded by the prayers that he says while putting on his vestments. By the time you arrive (no, you're not late), the Priest has already been in the Altar for about an hour and a half to two hours.
One of the core beliefs of the Orthodox faith has to do with the Theotokos (God-bearer). Since she was the way that God became Man, she holds a special place in our faith. When we pray "Most holy Theotokos, save us", we are asking that she intercede for us, or carry our prayers to her Son, Jesus with motherly boldness. Because of her sanctity and special place in the life of her Son, her prayers and intercessions on our behalf are especially powerful. We do not worship her for worship is due only to God the Trinity. By saying “save us” we mean through her intercessions for we are only saved by the name of Jesus Christ. This is more easily understood when we make it more personal, that is, just as we ask others to say a prayer for us, knowing that they cannot save us, we also ask the Mother of God to pray for us. If we say that we do not need to ask the intercessions of the Saints or the Mother of God, then it is reasonable to say that we should never ask anyone to pray for us, including our friends and family members. But we are taught to pray for one another, and therefore we ask for each others prayers as well as those who have gone before us yet who are alive for in Christ there is no death.
Another thing you may want to be aware of is how we address our Priest and his wife. The priest is not greeted with a handshake, but we ask him for a blessing by either extending our hand to him or placing our right hand over our left with palms facing up saying, “father bless”. The priest then responds saying, “the Lord bless you.” This shows that we always seek blessings from God and the priest verifies that it is God who bestows all blessings. He is also addressed by his first name alone. For example, we address our priest as Father Timothy. The wife of the priest also is held in high regard and given the title of Presvytera. If you attend other Orthodox Churches, you may hear the Priest's wife referred to as Matushka (Russian) or Khouria (Arabic).
Since its beginnings, the Orthodox Church has welcomed people from all walks of life. One thing that you will notice as you go to different Orthodox Churches is the unity we share. While differences in language, music and architecture may exist, you will notice that the faith, theology and holy Services are identical. It is the unity, which has stood the test of time through the Holy Spirit that astonishes many people. The Divine Liturgy we celebrate is over one thousand seven hundred years old. This service and all of the service of the Orthodox Church reflect the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and have as their purpose to elevate our hearts and minds to the things above. From the Byzantine music, to the icons (windows to heaven) to the smell of incense, our hearts and minds are carried up to the heavenly realm where we join the angelic ranks in worship of our Creator.
As with all experiences, on your visit to our church you may come up with a question that we have not anticipated. Please feel free to ask whatever questions you may have. We look forward to meeting you at our church. Our doors are open to you.
