Orthodoxy (3)

19 June 2000 22:03

Because Orthodox sees man as a unique creature of body and soul together – NOT a “good” soul in a “not quite nice” body – it uses the whole person, body and soul, in worship. Prayers are not just said with the mind, but involve the body through the use of posture and gestures, and by using all five senses – creating a ‘total experience’.

Icons have a symbolic language of their own. They are kissed as a sign of respect and love. Icons and frescoes are found on the walls, the screen, on special desks. There is very little space in an Orthodox church which is not colourful. Icons will be dealt with in more detail in a separate chapter.

Candles symbolize the light of Christ, the light of the Resurrection, the presence of God. They are placed before icons as a visible prayer TO the person in the icon and FOR people, living or dead, who are in the worshipper’s thoughts. The presence of living flame – sometimes hundreds of living flames! – seem to bring the icons “alive”. Candles are also held during the Easter Midnight Resurrection service and at funerals etc.

The vestments of the clergy – they are made of rich brocade, in different colours depending on the season. The priest represents Christ, so his personal identity is hidden under his vestments (like the costume used in plays). The ritual of the services and the actions of the clergy and people – processions of clergy at various times during the services; the censing of the icons and people, and all sorts of rituals; as well as actions performed by everyone such as making the Sign of the Cross, bowing, kneeling, prostrating etc., all these are examples of worship making use of the body’s senses.

Music is important and every service is sung throughout. The music adds expression and emotion which goes beyond words. The style of singing depends on the nationality of the congregation. It is always unaccompanied, as the human voice alone can use words and was made by God. So there is no organ in an Orthodox church! Some of the music is barred singing, some is chanted (chant is a simple basic melody which can be expanded to fit the words). Russian singing uses 4-part harmony and sounds very beautiful. Greek singing sounds rather “Eastern” to English ears and is often performed only by men. Records of Orthodox music are readily available. Because the singing is very complicated, it is normally only performed by the choir. However, this does not mean that the congregation takes no part in the service. The people join in by using gestures as a visible prayer.

There is a special air of silence in a church outside service time which can be as important for sensing the “holy” as any sound.

Incense is used quite a lot in Orthodox services. Psalm 141 declares “Let

my prayer arise in Your sight as incense; the lifting-up of my hands as an
evening sacrifice.” Incense is thus linked to prayer. In the
Apocalypse (8:1-5) we also see this connection in a Christian context. In

addition, we show that we honor someone or something when we burn incense before it or them. You will notice that the Gospel Book upon the altar table (the verbal image of Christ), the altar table itself (a sign of the throne of God), the icons (themselves representing the presence of the holy men and women and the events in the history of salvation), and finally all the faithful people who have assembled for worship are censed (remember that human beings are made in the image and according to the likeness of God – thus we are icons, too).

Standing is the normal way an Orthodox prays. It is a positive thing – not an absence of kneeling, but a standing to attention, like soldiers awaiting orders. Whereas kneeling emphasises feelings of sorrow or repentance.

Prostrating (kneeling down, forehead to the floor) is a sign of repentance, reverence, awe. Bowing – either a bow of the head or a deep bow touching the ground with the tips of the right fingers – is a sign of respect, or with the Sign of the Cross as a visible “amen”.

Orthodoxy makes much use of symbolism. Everything in church is designed to convey an experience of faith and so has several meanings on different levels.

The Sign of the Cross is made with the right hand. The thumb and first two fingers are Joined together, symbolizing the Trinity – Three in One. The remaining two fingers represent the two natures of Christ – both God and Man. They are brought down into the palm of the hand, symbolizing Christ’s coming down from Heaven to earth.

With the hand in that position, it touches the forehead, the heart, the right shoulder and the left shoulder, symbolizing the dedication of the mind, the heart and bodily strength offered to God. It is used as a visible “amen”, as a blessing, as an invocation of the Trinity with the words “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.

During services people often cross themselves at these words, or at the beginning or end of particular prayers (e.g. the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed), or as a response in the litanies. Priests make the Sign over individual people as a blessing, as do parents over their children. The Sign is made over food at the end of Grace.

Material things such as water, oil, bread, wine, wheat, foliage (e.g. palms on Palm Sunday) are used as symbols of God’s presence and action in the world.

The cross is the most famous Christian symbol. Orthodox often use an eight-point cross. This has a top bar on which Pilate’s inscription was written and a slanting footrest. Other written symbols include the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and omega, and the initials and letters of Christ’s name.

(to be continued)