St. John The Theologian

Here is a list of a few of the things that you may notice that are different in an Orthodox church. Practice varies from parish to parish and this is not a set of hard and fast rules. Rather, here are answers to a few questions regarding the practical details of life at St. John the Theologian.

When exactly does church begin?

The first service of the morning, Orthros, called Matins in western traditions consists of the hymns and prayers of preparation for the Divine Liturgy. There is no break between this service and the Liturgy so when you arrive at the church there will most likely already be something in progress. Don’t worry, you’re welcome to quietly enter the nave (main room) of the church. If Fr. Andrew is reading from the gospel, preaching or there is a procession in progress, please wait before entering. We are delighted to have you as our guests.

What do I do with my children?

When you visit St. John the Theologian, you might notice that we do not have a nursery or special program for children during the liturgy. The Orthodox Church embraces children and sees them as equal members of the body of Christ. Therefore, children are encouraged to remain in the service with the adults and if they have been baptized in the Orthodox faith, they are given Holy Communion. If your kids aren’t used to staying in church with the adults, we understand, part of embracing our children is embracing their learning process. If they are crying, please take them to the outer room or outside. There are many ways to encourage your child’s interest in what is going on during the service. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We have an excellent Sunday School program, based on the Montessori-inspired “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” that begins at 8:45 am (during Orthros).

Why are people lighting candles?

Lighting candles is an important part of Orthodox worship. We light them as we pray, making an offering to accompany our prayers. Orthodox typically light candles when coming into the church. Please feel free to make a donation and light a candle to accompany your prayers.

Standing vs. Sitting

The traditional posture for prayer and worship in the Orthodox Church has been to stand. Just as we would stand if a judge or other figure of authority entered a room, we stand to show our respect to God. In many Orthodox churches there are no pews and perhaps just a few chairs around the outside of the church. At St. John the Theologian, we stand a great deal, but respect those with physical considerations that make it impossible to stand for the entire service. As our guest, you should do what you feel comfortable doing. Don’t worry. We only ask that you stand with us at least during the reading of the Gospel, the Creed, the Eucharistic Prayer (”anaphora”), and the time of Holy Communion.

When do you make the sign of the Cross?

Orthodox Christians make the sign of the cross frequently and with great joy expressing their Christianity in a physical manner. If you look around on a Sunday morning, you will notice that different people cross themselves at different times. The most common times to make the sign of the cross is when you hear one of the variations of the phrase, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”; at the beginning and end of the liturgical service or your private prayers; entering or exiting the church, or when passing in front of the Holy Altar. It is also our practice to sign ourselves before venerating an icon, the cross, or Gospel book.

Why all the kissing?

In the Orthodox Church, we use kisses to show reverence to holy items (icons, the cross, relics) and to greet each other in a liturgical manner. Our veneration of holy items and one another is a reflection of our love for what the holy object represents and one another. The Orthodox do not for one minute consider this veneration a form of worship – worship is reserved only for the Holy Trinity. As with so many of the traditions of Orthodoxy, we understand that visitors may be surprised by this veneration and the kissing associated with it. Thus, we do not expect any of our visitors to do everything that our members do. If you’re not comfortable exchanging a kiss on either cheek, handshakes are just fine.

Can I take Communion?

In order to maintain dignity and reverence for the Holy Eucharist, Communion will not be given to anyone arriving after “Blessed is the Kingdom.” All Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting, and recent confession are welcome to partake of Holy Communion. If you are not Orthodox, you may receive a portion of the blessed bread. If you have any questions regarding communion please talk to Fr. Andrew.

What should I wear?

The answer to this question will vary from person to person, church to church. Generally, we encourage people to carefully consider what they wear to church. Low cut tops or short skirts are not really appropriate for women, neither are shorts for men. We come to church in order to worship the True God. Thus, our gaze is upon our loving God and not one another. This is why we must avoid drawing attention to ourselves by what we wear or what we do not keep covered. In Orthodoxy, all of the focus of our worship is on God. That’s why the priest faces the altar, not the congregation, and we have so many icons to help us focus our attention on our Lord. The clothes we choose to wear should keep this in mind. In other words, we strive to follow the teaching of the Apostles by maintaining modesty in our dress and demeanor.