Last Thursday I attended an Orthodox service with a group of students from my Early and Medieval Church History class. The service was both jarringly different from what I've grown accustomed to in the Presbyterian churches I've been attending for the last nine years, and yet also comfortably reminiscent of the Catholic Mass with which I grew up.
The service was held in the basement of a Roman Catholic church. Our group, comprising about 8 students and two preceptors, entered the church through a back door and instantly found ourselves face to face with the choir and the priest, who was dispersing incense through an implement that I'm sure has a formal name but of which I'm unaware. Icons of various forms--paintings, statues, carvings--lined all four walls. Self-consciously we took our seats in the back. Actually, we didn't do much sitting, because the Orthodox stand for almost the entire service, although they sit for Scripture readings.
The priest began the service by incanting, "Wisdom! Let us attend!" Reminiscent of pre-Vatican II Catholic worship, he kept his back to the congregation for much of the service, except for Communion. The entire liturgy was sung, by both the priest and the choir (and only rarely the congregation), as if they were in dialogue with each other. Every line had the same rhythm and inflection, rising to its middle point before descending back to its note of origin. Rather than monotonous, the effect was mildly hypnotic, especially when combined with the aroma of the incense, the soft gold coloring of many of the icons, and the low lighting, which made the altar the focal point.
As a congregant, you don't do much but stand and bask in the experience. We did go forward for communion, although only to receive a blessing. Communion is strictly for the Orthodox. After the service the priest was kind enough to field questions from us curious seminary students. Turns out that he was a convert from Roman Catholicism!
This was my first Orthodox service, and I am so glad that I went (it was not mandatory for the class). I was able to witness firsthand the practical playing out of some of the theological and historical issues I've been learning about in class (Filioque, anyone?). In the West we tend to think of Christianity as either Roman Catholic or Protestant, but there are 250 million Orthodox worldwide who would beg to differ with that conception of Christianity.
The service was held in the basement of a Roman Catholic church. Our group, comprising about 8 students and two preceptors, entered the church through a back door and instantly found ourselves face to face with the choir and the priest, who was dispersing incense through an implement that I'm sure has a formal name but of which I'm unaware. Icons of various forms--paintings, statues, carvings--lined all four walls. Self-consciously we took our seats in the back. Actually, we didn't do much sitting, because the Orthodox stand for almost the entire service, although they sit for Scripture readings.
The priest began the service by incanting, "Wisdom! Let us attend!" Reminiscent of pre-Vatican II Catholic worship, he kept his back to the congregation for much of the service, except for Communion. The entire liturgy was sung, by both the priest and the choir (and only rarely the congregation), as if they were in dialogue with each other. Every line had the same rhythm and inflection, rising to its middle point before descending back to its note of origin. Rather than monotonous, the effect was mildly hypnotic, especially when combined with the aroma of the incense, the soft gold coloring of many of the icons, and the low lighting, which made the altar the focal point.
As a congregant, you don't do much but stand and bask in the experience. We did go forward for communion, although only to receive a blessing. Communion is strictly for the Orthodox. After the service the priest was kind enough to field questions from us curious seminary students. Turns out that he was a convert from Roman Catholicism!
This was my first Orthodox service, and I am so glad that I went (it was not mandatory for the class). I was able to witness firsthand the practical playing out of some of the theological and historical issues I've been learning about in class (Filioque, anyone?). In the West we tend to think of Christianity as either Roman Catholic or Protestant, but there are 250 million Orthodox worldwide who would beg to differ with that conception of Christianity.
hey, I consider myself both orthodox _and _ catholic! (Though perhaps neither Orthodox nor Catholic.) I'm not sure that the internet is really the place to reveal this, but I have received communion at an RC service before. To be fair, the priest only specified that those baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were allowed to partake, and I fulfill those requirements.
ReplyDelete(Oh, and that thing is called a censer, isn't it?)
Censer! Yes, that sounds right.
ReplyDeleteIf the Pope reads your comment and discovers that you received Communion, you may find yourself censured!