Carrie Bai - Church Visit #1

Church name: The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios
Church address: 893 Church Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Date attended: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015
Church category: Greek Orthodox Church

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
When I walked in, I found my spot in a pew but I saw that everyone was standing, and we stood for a very large portion of the service. The main sanctuary was beautiful, covered in paintings and murals, and the ceiling was dome-shaped with a large mural of Jesus with angels around him. It was overall a very beautiful building, and was filled with the smell of incense. We went through prayers, Scripture readings, and many hymns, a few of them in Greek. They made the sign of the cross many times throughtout the liturgy. There were no instruments used, just voices. The sermon was short; the Reverend talked about St. Nicholas of Karpenisi. I go to a very casual, contemporary, non-denominational church with a band, stage, and lights for worship, so this was very different. There were many Orthodox traditions I was not aware of, and I often felt lost in the service. It was often hard for me to understand what was going on because it felt like a constant flow of creeds and hymns I did not recognize.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?
It was interesting to see how many traditions from the earliest churches have still been kept around to this modern day, and I find that preservation very respectable and impressive. The Orthodox church seems to connect to its traditional roots much more than other protestant churches I have attended that seem to conform more to the modern world. The Greek Eastern Orthodox tradition is overall very different; there was an emphasis on the Saints of the past, which are not talked about often in Protestant Christianity. The history of Christianity and the theology of the creeds/councils are emphasized more than Scripture itself it seems, at least in this particular service. It illuminated for me how early Christianity must have been like, and the contrast between how it has changed to now from the different branches of protestantism, Catholicism, Orthodox tradition, etc. to how Eastern versus Western churches are.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?
This worship service made me reflect on my close-mindedness as a Christian and the style of worship and services I prefer. This Orthodox service was so different from my home church that I could not judge it based on comparison, but by its own essence/nature. It made me aware of how different the branches of Christianity can be. Christianity is so much more diverse than I have thought, and my own denomination is only a small part of the large body of Christ. There is so much value and beauty in liturgy that I have never considered before, and the traditions they hold have so much meaning. I discovered later that the reason the congregation stands almost the entire service is out of respect and reverence, which I find very honorable. After attending this service I realize how minuscule my own identity is in the global and historical church. I pray that I will have a more unifying attitude toward Christian traditions now.