> And I'm curious about your reactions to the liturgy itself, not so much the thinky stuff, since my impression is that Orthodox liturgy is less about the latter than Protestant worship is. And I've still only gone to one sparsely-attended Vespers, not a Sunday liturgy... Did you feel awkward at all?
+ It occurred to me after I posted (at which point I was in bed, hence the lack of edit) that I had mostly just talked about the sermon. + The chanting and the incense were the big things. I mean, I'd read about it so I wasn't entirely surprised, but it was still sort of overwhelming. And having read the essay I knew intellectualy that people would be coming in and moving around throughout Matins. But because of that, I was expecting it to be just chanting, whereas in fact there was lots of Scripture and suchlike, so I felt like I was in an actual service, but I didn't really know what was going on. As I'd been walking to church and realizing it was much closer than I had thought (and thus I would get there earlier than I had expected) I figured I'd have a long prayer time, but I ended up spending all of my time looking around. The whole front wall as well as the carved-out ceiling had pictures of people on them. And there were people coming in, and venerating assorted things in the sanctuary, and sometimes lighting candles. + As it got closer to when the service would start, assorted little boys, some with coats still on, went up to and through the two side doors. There must have been a coatroom off to the side, because they showed up in the service wearing cream and gold robes, parading the gold stuff on sticks (a cross, a couple cage-like things, and I think something else) during various parts of the service. There are figures painted right on the doors, so with all the fanciness it was a little disconcerting to see this kids just go up and right through the doors 'cause it felt like a separate sacred space when in fact of course it's accessible. + They have a Children's Guide to the Liturgy booklet in each pew, which walks you through it, which I was a big fan of, but before the service started, and older woman came in and wanted to sit in my pew and took the booklet (I had flipped through it and then put it back, to pick up once the service actually started) so I just kinda stumbled (metaphorically) through the service. At first I stayed seated but after a bit I stood up everytime the congregation stood. They recited the Creed and I listened along and yes, I would have said very little if any of it even if I had had it in front of me. I would have liked to have the follow-along to better understand what was going as well as what they were saying, though of course I would have of course only joined in for very few things (as is always true). + The sermon was about 25 minutes, and Communion was about 15, with the whole service clocking in at only about 1hr 15 min (shorter than I had been expecting). There's a little welcome bulletin in each pew that mentions that only properly confessioned Orthodox can receive Communion, though all are welcome to partake of the Holy Bread, so while I was tempted to try to actually take Communion ('cause I'm interested in the experience) I didn't wanna push it, so I went in line and when I was next I just kept walking and picked up Holy Bread. The Father is in the center, with the chalice, and each congregant bends their knees a bit and he ladles some into their mouth -- and a red cloth is held under their chin stretching to the chalice (in case of spillage I imagine) -- and there's a basket of Holy Bread on either side, so you just pick some up as you begin to walk back to your seat. + After the service is over, the Father stood at the front holding a small metal cross and people processed up like they do to receive Communion and they kiss the cross and I skipped that and went directly to coffee hour 'cause no way was I gonna kiss the cross and it would have felt disrespectful, like deliberate snubbing or something, to just walk by it when everyone else was kissing it. + They didn't do any Holy Kiss, which I had been expecting from the essay, and they did have some sort of communal prayer of confession prior to Communion, which thanks to the essay I *hadn't* been expecting.
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reply, part 2
Date: 2005-12-13 01:43 am (UTC)+ It occurred to me after I posted (at which point I was in bed, hence the lack of edit) that I had mostly just talked about the sermon.
+ The chanting and the incense were the big things. I mean, I'd read about it so I wasn't entirely surprised, but it was still sort of overwhelming. And having read the essay I knew intellectualy that people would be coming in and moving around throughout Matins. But because of that, I was expecting it to be just chanting, whereas in fact there was lots of Scripture and suchlike, so I felt like I was in an actual service, but I didn't really know what was going on. As I'd been walking to church and realizing it was much closer than I had thought (and thus I would get there earlier than I had expected) I figured I'd have a long prayer time, but I ended up spending all of my time looking around. The whole front wall as well as the carved-out ceiling had pictures of people on them. And there were people coming in, and venerating assorted things in the sanctuary, and sometimes lighting candles.
+ As it got closer to when the service would start, assorted little boys, some with coats still on, went up to and through the two side doors. There must have been a coatroom off to the side, because they showed up in the service wearing cream and gold robes, parading the gold stuff on sticks (a cross, a couple cage-like things, and I think something else) during various parts of the service. There are figures painted right on the doors, so with all the fanciness it was a little disconcerting to see this kids just go up and right through the doors 'cause it felt like a separate sacred space when in fact of course it's accessible.
+ They have a Children's Guide to the Liturgy booklet in each pew, which walks you through it, which I was a big fan of, but before the service started, and older woman came in and wanted to sit in my pew and took the booklet (I had flipped through it and then put it back, to pick up once the service actually started) so I just kinda stumbled (metaphorically) through the service. At first I stayed seated but after a bit I stood up everytime the congregation stood. They recited the Creed and I listened along and yes, I would have said very little if any of it even if I had had it in front of me. I would have liked to have the follow-along to better understand what was going as well as what they were saying, though of course I would have of course only joined in for very few things (as is always true).
+ The sermon was about 25 minutes, and Communion was about 15, with the whole service clocking in at only about 1hr 15 min (shorter than I had been expecting). There's a little welcome bulletin in each pew that mentions that only properly confessioned Orthodox can receive Communion, though all are welcome to partake of the Holy Bread, so while I was tempted to try to actually take Communion ('cause I'm interested in the experience) I didn't wanna push it, so I went in line and when I was next I just kept walking and picked up Holy Bread. The Father is in the center, with the chalice, and each congregant bends their knees a bit and he ladles some into their mouth -- and a red cloth is held under their chin stretching to the chalice (in case of spillage I imagine) -- and there's a basket of Holy Bread on either side, so you just pick some up as you begin to walk back to your seat.
+ After the service is over, the Father stood at the front holding a small metal cross and people processed up like they do to receive Communion and they kiss the cross and I skipped that and went directly to coffee hour 'cause no way was I gonna kiss the cross and it would have felt disrespectful, like deliberate snubbing or something, to just walk by it when everyone else was kissing it.
+ They didn't do any Holy Kiss, which I had been expecting from the essay, and they did have some sort of communal prayer of confession prior to Communion, which thanks to the essay I *hadn't* been expecting.