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On Sunday, June 23, 2002,
April and I attended The Dormition of the Virgin Mary, a Greek Orthodox
Church in Winchester Virginia. I have been interested in visiting this church
before. It is close to Winchester Hospital, and I go by there everyday. I have
an interest in Greek "things" for some reason. I didn’t know
anything about Greek Orthodox before the class. I learned many things from the
class that appealed to me. I like the idea that it is such an ancient faith,
with rich traditions, and a mystical vision of God. I like the idea that it
seems to be a continuation of the past and future with a history reaching all
the way back to the apostles. We wanted to make an appointment to let them know
we were coming . April had called several times and left messages but no one had
ever called us back. I decided I still wanted to visit the church.
The sign in the front of the church says that mass is at l1:00 am. April and I got there about 1030 a.m. hoping we could get some information, and talk with someone before the church service. When we got there, there was no one there. We waited and waited. About 11:45 a.m. a few people start to arrive. All the people are standing at the side of the church. April and I waited at the front of the church. The front door of the church was closed. Finally, an older couple unlocked the door. They explained that they come from Washington, D.C. each week to perform the Eucharist, and that sometimes they get started a little late. They explained that the church was all run by volunteers and that they often have a little trouble coordinating everything. They let us in the front door of the church. His wife stayed with us, and told us how happy she was to have us there. She was warm and kind. They both shone with what I perceive to be people of God. By this time, others were filling up the church. We talked with a few parishioners from the church. We explained that we had never been to a Greek Orthodox Church before. They were very kind and generous with their explanations. I was very impressed with the unique features and bright colors. This is in sharp contrast to the sparse surroundings of the church I was brought up in. It is like stepping into a whole new world of light, color, and smells. It is easy to get a fundamental insight into the orthodoxy church as you walk in the front door.
When you walk in the front of the church, you can see that it is divided in three sections, the first section, the entrance, is called the Narthex – it is like an entrance way in a house. This is where the faithful can make an offering, light a candle, and say a prayer before the service. The next center is the Nave – this is the large center area where people gather to worship. This church has pews, but I understand that some Greek Orthodox Churches don’t have pews. Up near the front of the Nave area you will find a big throne on the right hand side of the church. This is the Bishop’s throne. Even though they know he won’t be there, it represents his presence. On the left hand side of the Nave is where the Choir and Cantor sit. The third section is the Sanctuary which is the most sacred part of the church. This area is reserved for clergy and assistants. It contains the Holy Alter and is separated from the Nave. The meaning of the separation is to remind ourselves that we are separated form God by our sin. The dividing wall is called an Iconostasion. The Iconostasion is wall of painted panels. It is divided into three panels. On the sides are the Deacon Doors. The center door conceals the alter when a service is not being celebrated. On the painted panels are Christ, St. John the Baptist, and Theotokos (Mother of the Lord). When the panel is open during the service, you can see the alter table with the bread and wine, and can also see a large cross with the painted figure of Christ. There are many large paintings within, around, and above on the walls. I’m not sure what they all were, but some looked like Christ, Mary, disciples, saints, and angels. These pictures are not just a painted picture, the idea is that they are looking in from heaven to earth to be with us while we pray. All of this is in a relatively small area. I was told that most Greek Orthodox Churches are small so that they can maintain a small sense of community in worship. The worship service date of June 23, 2002, was also very interesting. June 23rd was the Pentacost Sunday in the orthodox religion. This is the celebration of the day that the Holy Spirit came down to bless the disciples. One sweet lady of the congregation explained that they studied the same scripture each Sunday of the year. She showed us in the Liturgy book which liturgy we would be doing that Sunday. They had a choir and a cantor. The choir and a cantor chanted in Greek, and the preacher read passages in Greek and English. I tried to keep up with them, but often lost my place because I had a hard time understanding them. Though I had a hard time keeping my place and understanding the language, I still feel that you can have a very religious experience because of the sounds, sights and smells. . After the Eucharist, the congregation celebrated communion. After communion, the preacher talked about the Pentacost and how important the holiday was. He said that he hoped that someday all the churches could be united into one again. He said that we could ask the Holy Ghost for help and forgiveness. He said the Holy Ghost was very, very powerful. He said that this was the birthday of the church. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to the Church in English and Greek. They had a luncheon after church. Overall, I found this a very rewarding and spiritual experience. The only problem I did have is that this church is very ethnic. Not being Greek did make me feel a little bit of an outsider, but all the people, especially the preacher and his wife, could not have been warmer and nicer. I might even go there again. |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: July 2002
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