Last week I visited an Orthodox church with some friends of mine. It was a completely new experience for me so I had very little idea of how to participate. Nearly the entire service is sung and the sermon was about eight minutes long. So there was a lot of participation that I wasn't participating in, but I never felt left out. I don't know much about the theological particulars of the Orthodox church, but I thought the way they handled the worship Liturgy was beautiful.
Firstly, almost every inch of the sanctuary is covered in beautiful Iconography. Rather than creeping me out, this helped me feel surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, helped me to inhabit the living Gospel Story. The old pagans used to build their temples that way. They would carve or paint the mythology on the walls to completely surround the worship space. They worked very hard to create a sense of stepping inside the mythology when you walked into the 'other world' of the temple.
Later when the Christians built their Basilica they held on to that great idea. Basilica can mean "a royal portal" a sort of doorway into the Kingdom of God. So when you build a cathedral or basilica you want people to feel that they've stepped out of this world and into another. It's no accident that these buildings feel like throne-rooms. You'd want to surround the people with the Story of God, maybe with stained glass or sculptures. You step inside the story and when you leave it remains inside of you.
Though I didn't really know the how-to's of participating in the Orthodox service it was a blessing to be there inside the Story. Life is confusing and painful, to wander into another world and wait there for a while in wonder was a comfort. I cannot live one minute more in this world if there is not another one coming.
Thanks to: St. John Orthodox church in Memphis.
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