Faith Waterman - Church Visit #1

Church Name: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Church Address: 601 S Central Ave, Chicago, IL 60644, US
Date Attended: 10/4/15
Church Category: Greek Orthodox

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

When I first entered the sanctuary I was taken back by the immensity of the vaulted ceilings and the iconography that seemed to overtake it, appearing very similar to some of Catholic sanctuaries I have visited with friends. The very front of the sanctuary on the ceiling was an image of Mary holding baby Jesus, and angels as well as the saints surrounded them. The sanctuary was breathtaking and made me nostalgic for Dr. Milliner’s class I took last spring called Studies of Mary. I arrived for the Divine Liturgy of what was evidently the “2^nd Sunday of Luke.” For about a half hour, men in black robes were singing hymns in the dark, hidden at the front right corner of the sanctuary; they all varied in age and it was evident that their actual singing abilities were not the focus of their worship. Unfortunately, I cannot say this sort of focus on worship is the same at my church, which has a band and multiple young beautiful vocal performers. One thing I also noticed during the Greek reading of the scripture was that the reader held the Bible high enough to hide his face, drawing attention away from himself. Most of the hymns were in Greek so I could not understand what they were actually saying; however the scriptures were also read in English, which was a nice surprise! In the end though I felt very out of place the entire service; my senses were overwhelmed by the strong scent of incense, and I felt spiritually detached even in the midst of attendees constantly praying to themselves around me.

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

It is incredible how different the Christian faith can be around the world. Christianity is based on the same scriptures, the same doctrine, and the same beliefs, however, the practice of these beliefs are so vastly different simply from one denomination to the next. I was surprised by how vastly different the Orthodox Church is from my non-denominational church in Glen Ellyn. It almost saddened me with how different the service was due to the fact that this difference just magnifies small schisms within the Christian faith. Ever since we talked in class about the separation of faith simply due to worship styles, Christianity has irritated me. Why does the traditional Orthodox Church worship fill me with discomfort but also with so much more passion than I own church? My church doesn’t recite the Nicene Creed every service, my church doesn’t read the scriptures with what appears to be so much awe and respect. The Orthodox Church seemed to more closely portray the early church, one that sought to bring God praise and not to oneself. Christianity rose from the blood of the martyrs, however we have strayed so far from this sort of sacrificial pursuit for the faith. It is comforting to know that each denomination stems from the same history, but I ache when I see how far we have separated from one another.

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

Like I mentioned above, the scriptural reading and worship was conducted in a manner that drew my attention away from the reader/performer and onto the actual words being proclaimed. I don’t want to condemn my own church, but I do want to applaud the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church makes me want to pursue a faith that and thrives in community, something that I haven’t found at my own church. My personal identity as a Christian has been shaped by the Presbyterian Church community I grew up in, from its traditions to its teachings, I cannot deny that I have been raised into a specific sort of religious practice. After coming to Wheaton and attending a variety of different churches in the surrounding suburbs, now including Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, I have come to realize that my faith is really not my own, but that which was handed down to me, long before both my actual church was founded. Faith is so much more that the worship style I prefer. I have been accepted into an enormous body of Christ followers; my faith is not my own, but the work of those before me and around me.