Mitchell McElroy—Church Visit #1

Church Name: Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church

Church Address: 2501 South Wolf Road Westchester, Illinois 60154

Date Attended: 10/9/15
Church category: Greek Orthodox

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

I attended a Greek Orthodox paraklesis service the evening of Friday, October 9. The sanctuary was mostly lit by candles and scarcely attended. The priest started the service by just abruptly reading through a liturgy. I didn't expect the service to be in English because all of the Orthodox churches I attended abroad spoke Greek exclusively. The liturgy sounded awkward in English. The service was different from my normal worship context because it was entirely non-interactive; I felt as if I was just watching the priest worship God for me. The service also included incense and praying to a large mosaic of Mary. Neither of those things are part of my normal worship. After the service, the priest invited the congregation to the commons room for food, prayer and fellowship, which felt much like what I normally experience at Church. 

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

The service itself largely consisted of repeated prayers and readings that  followed different iterations of, “most holy Theotokos save us, save us.” It was very clear that the people worshiping in the church were praying to Mary to prepare them to worship God. I don’t know how exactly they understand their prayers to Mary, but the fact that their liturgy includes her as the central figure must certainly reveal something from the history of Christian intersession through Mary. Another very historically relevant aspect of the church was the elaborate Byzantine mosaic surrounding the sanctuary. Many of the mosaics were portraits of bible characters or depictions of bible stories and they were done in a traditional Byzantine style. The Byzantine style certainly has strong ties to historical Christianity, and the fact that the old Byzantine style is a functional part of the Greek Orthodox worship speaks volumes to the importance of tradition in Orthodox Christianity.

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

When I’m exposed to different forms of Christian worship I’m usually humbled because it can make my form of worship seem narrow or incomplete. In the case of the Greek Orthodox Service, I was forced to realize that these people trace their roots to the same Jesus I worship. One could argue that these Christians form of worship is a closer approximation of the apostolic faith than my own form of worship. I’m curious if there are negative consequences of deviation from certain traditions. Am I neglecting a part of my Christian heritage or my soul by not incorporating holy liturgy, incense, and icons into my worship practices? I think that is the most valueable question I left the service with. I cannot say that this church visit shook the foundations of my protestant faith, but it certainly did continue to teach me that Christian tradition is much bigger than my upbringing.