Orthodox Worship

O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God.

This invitation, from the service of Vespers, opens each day in the Orthodox Church and expresses what lies at her very heart. The best introduction to Orthodoxy is simply to attend the Divine Liturgy — at first a visitor may be overwhelmed by the music and ceremony, but it is in worship that the living faith of the Church is truly experienced.

Two Dimensions

Orthodox worship is, first, a manifestation of God's presence among His people — it is God who gathers us and reveals Himself. And it is, second, our response of thanksgiving, as we remember His saving acts, above all the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.

Four Expressions

Worship in the Orthodox Church is expressed in four principal ways:

• The Eucharist — the Divine Liturgy, the most important experience of Orthodox worship.
• The Sacraments — affirming God's presence at the key moments of our lives.
• Special Services and Blessings — sanctifying the events, needs, and tasks of daily life.
• The Daily Offices — chiefly Matins (morning) and Vespers (evening).

The Character of Our Worship

Though our services can be long and solemn, they are filled with joy — an expression of our faith in the Resurrection. To draw in the whole person, the services are always sung or chanted, and they engage the senses through processions, gestures, incense, and icons.

Worship belongs to the whole Church, not to any one priest or congregation, so it invites the active participation of all the faithful — singing, responding "Amen," making the sign of the cross, and above all receiving Holy Communion. Orthodox worship has always been offered in the language of the people.