A Liturgical Way

A middle-aged cantor was chanting psalms from the Bible as I entered the sanctuary of Holy Trinity -St. Nicholas Greek

Mosaic in the ceiling: Jesus, Pantekrator

Orthodox Church in Finneytown, Cincinnati.  

            The room was wide and large windows with stained glass icons allowed much light.  A great mosaic of the Lord Jesus was hovering over us in the ceiling. The depiction of Jesus gave a comforting and reassuring feeling, for he was strong, but not stern. He was fully grown with beard, the resurrected Jesus, the one who conquered death. It is not the image, the icon, I worship, but the real Jesus Christ, who was, is and will be, the eternal God.  In the niche was there Theotokos: Mother and child; but the Child was already a ruler, and He was central.

            Iconostasis: There is a most holy place, behind the screen, and only the priests and other servants enter in and out of it. I can share what I witnessed, but explanations of it may come at a later time, for I am reading up on it. There are side gates and the main gate. The main gate is under the cross, through Jesus. The icons on the iconostasis pictured Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary. Next to them were angels.

           

Iconostasis, with gates open

The liturgy is full of prayer and praise, and one thing is clear: God is great in His majesty. We become humble in His presence. The room, the incense, the prayers, the chants and songs, the movements and steps of the priests, the drawing of the cross over our bodies, all directed me toward God. The Gospel was read, after a procession in the sanctuary, where the gilded Bible was lifted high and held with deep respect. The young priest held the large book in front of his face, covering himself from sight, and read the passage with a clear and strong voice.  This is deliberate; it is not the priest who is in focus, but the Word of God. Jesus speaks to us.

            The homily, or sermon, was direct, from the text, delivered with authority and conviction. I liked it, but it struck me in the heart.  I knew the truth in my life, as well. It was based on the story where Jesus meets men who were demon possessed, and where the demons recognize Jesus, and he drives them out of the men and into a swineherd, which then runs to its destruction in a ravine. Demons exist, and there are other forms of spiritual opposition. Anyone and anything that does not welcome Christ is a challenge. Jesus is by far stronger than any other spiritual power. He has conquered them all and they await their destruction. God is faithful. He is strong warrior, and I may take refuge in His protection. 

            The respect for God and His Word resonated a longing in me, and I knew again that discussions about the validity of the Bible, in its given form, are futile and must be countered. God is. Jesus is. The Holy Spirit is. All the intellectual energy of this world, all scribes and Sadducees of our day who do not believe in the risen Lord Jesus, fail.

            I felt at home in this church. It was not strange or unnatural to make the sign of the cross over my body, and I have done this for years – the Orthodox way.

            I felt at home, even thought I did not partake in the Eucharist with the rest. I had not gone through the prescribed preparations for receiving the elements, so I made it a time of prayer, as I come before the Lord just as I am.

I did, however, have coffee and baklava with the congregation afterwardsJ

Presently I am reading in the following books: “The Holy Place. Architecture, Ideology, and History in Russia” by Akhinsa & Kozlov; “The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God” by St. John Maximovitch; “ Guide to the Divine Liturgy” by Krantz; “The Orthodox Way” by Kallistos Ware, and a small pocket size blue prayer book called “My Orthodox Prayer Book”J