Elijah Hernandez - Church Visit #1

Church Name Holy Trinity Cathedral
Church Address: 1121 N Leavitt St, Chicago, IL 60622
Date Attended: October 11, 2015
Church Category: Eastern Orthodox Church

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context? 

As I entered the cathedral I was greeted by a friendly couple who handed me a little booklet that read The Holy Orthodox Liturgy (I guess what would be to us a hymn book or worship guide) the woman who handed me the Liturgy then told me to just follow along if I desired to, and that the entire service was sung. The Priest swung incense around and blessed the service, he later gave a sermon, we continued to sing, and the service concluded with communion that only orthodox christians were allowed to partake in. This service was different from the church I currently attend in so many ways from the worship, to how we serve communion, and even to the reverence one has while in the house of God. The biggest difference, to me, was the reverence the members had for their cathedral, it was beautiful to see this. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

This church service helped me remember that there is a whole other world out there that is the body of Christ, and they just do “church” a little differently than what we are used to. The liturgy for instance was a lot of confessions, verses, and creeds. This reflected the strong tradition and history that has been passed down for centuries, something that the Eastern Orthodox Church holds as so very important. The icons, and art all over the walls reflect a reverence for the Saints and Martyrs that have contributed immensely to the history of the church. These members of the church may have not known all the doctrine of the church or the greek that the priest was saying but they were partaking in a beautifully rich and deep tradition by reciting the creeds and confessions of faith. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

As I read the liturgy I found the Nicene creed and of course, their version does not include the Filioque clause. This reminded me of the division of the church, and it did not upset me but it did somewhat sadden me. This service helped me realize that this church’s tradition is apart of the body, and just like any part of the body, we are to keep praying that the church comes back together and rids itself of the division we currently see. This service encouraged me to have more reverence for my own church, to hold closely to tradition, and to appreciate diversity, not only in different church traditions but also in people and their own traditions, aside form the church. All in all the experience was unforgettable and it was a privilege to be apart of a service that holds to a rich and humble tradition.