The Orthodox Church
Now that we’ve discussed the Orthodox Christian as an individual it is critical to describe the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church has three core characteristics we will discuss in this guide: liturgical, sacramental, and joyful. Since the Orthodox Church plays a crucial role in the life of the believers, it is important to discuss these three aspects.
A Liturgical Church – The Divine Liturgy
The first of the characteristics of the Orthodox Church is the liturgical aspect. The term “liturgy” means “work of the people.” Although there are multiple services that can be considered “liturgies,” here we refer specifically to the Divine Liturgy, the core service held by the church. The Divine Liturgy is the most important service in the church because it ends with the sacrament of communion, in which we reunite with the body of Christ and gain forgiveness of our sins[1]. *Note: This section will not provide a breakdown of the Divine Liturgy itself, but will address the preparation, practices, roles, and hymnology related to the Divine Liturgy. Since the Orthodox Church has many different liturgical services that change throughout the year, we have dedicated a different section to discussing these services. This will be in the section labeled “Church Services” towards the end of the guide.
Preparation
The practices done before the liturgy and most of the liturgy itself prepare the congregation for the sacrament of communion. Attending the liturgy on Sunday in the Orthodox Church is the ultimate celebration of our faith. By taking part in it, we worship our God who loves us, take the Holy Eucharist of our God who died for us because of His love for us, and join in one Spirit with the fellowship of believers in profession of our faith. In the Orthodox tradition, preparing to attend church services is an important time to reflect on our thoughts and behavior to ensure we enter our Lord’s house with the proper reverence and humility.
To prepare ourselves for a worthy acceptance of Christ’s body and blood, we fast from all food and drink (including water) from midnight the previous night. In addition, the believer should be regularly practicing the sacrament of confession before partaking of the sacrament of communion.
Practices & Reverence
In addition to this preparation before church, there are many church traditions during the liturgy that are reminders for the believer. These are shared below.
Incense
Incense is one of the clearest examples of a tradition that serves as both a meaningful symbol and a reminder for believers. Incense symbolizes the prayers that we offer up to God, and it is a reminder of the presence of the saints and the heavenly among us during the liturgical services. The traditional use of incense is not a pagan ritual; rather, it finds its source in the Bible: "Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it, with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne" (Revelations 8:3). Incense is raised during Vespers and Matins before every liturgy[2] and during the Divine Liturgy itself. Vespers is the raising of incense service that occurs the night before a liturgy. Matins is the raising of incense service that occurs directly preceding the liturgy. The raising of incense service is an introduction and preparation for the liturgy, consisting of a collection of praises and thanksgiving prayers which request the Lord's blessings upon the sacramental service.
Greet One Another
The holy kiss is another practice that serves as a reminder, but also as a warning. It occurs at the beginning of the “Liturgy of the Believers,” which is the second half of the liturgy. Shortly after the congregation reads the Creed the deacon says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” This is said during a prayer known as the “Prayer of Reconciliation.” Greeting one another with a holy kiss is meant to be a reminder that we must be reconciled with everyone in our lives before partaking of the Eucharist. As Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
When the deacon says the phrase, “Greet one another with a holy kiss,” the entire congregation begins to make a gesture with those around them. To make this gesture, hold your palms flat against each other with your fingers extended and together. Point your hands towards the person you wish to greet with the holy kiss. As you approach him/her, separate your palms and place your hands in between the other’s separated hands. Then slide your hands back to yourself and return them to the original palms-together position. To complete the gesture, bring your hands (still together) to your lips and kiss the side of your index fingers. Repeat with each person you wish to greet.
Prostrations
During the liturgy there are certain times when the congregation bows. This is known as a “prostration.” Oftentimes this is a gesture of reverence to whatever is happening at that moment in the liturgy. The proper way to prostrate is to kneel down and kiss the ground (if you are in the church, since the ground of the church is holy) as a sign of reverence before the altar or the bishop. The altar is the dwelling of the Lord, and the bishop is the Lord's representative on earth. In prayers, we prostrate as a sign of humility before the Lord as we ask Him to have mercy on us.
Liturgical Roles
There are three main groups with different roles in the liturgical services: the priests (and bishops), the deacons, and the congregation.
The Bishops & Priests
During the liturgy the priest has two key roles: interceding for the congregation and preparing the Eucharist through many prayers and practices. The priest performs many symbolic and meaningful actions, but it is beyond the scope of this guide to detail each action of the priest. The key thing to note is that the priest prays constantly while preparing the Eucharist according to the practices passed down by the Church.
The Deacons
The majority of deacons in the Coptic Church are of the ranks “Psaltos” (Chanter) and “Oghnostos” (Reader). The deacons who serve in the Sanctuary have many roles. The most visible role these deacons have is to instruct the congregation. This may be to pray for something (e.g. the Litanies) or to do something (e.g. the Holy Kiss). The majority of deacons during a liturgical service stand outside with the congregation and act as part of the congregation. A few of these deacons will read the readings during the Liturgy of the Word, but their main role is to lead and be to part of the congregation, chanting hymns and glorifying God.
The Congregation
The last group to discuss is the congregation. There is often a misconception that the congregation doesn’t play a key part in the liturgy. This is definitely not the case. The word liturgy literally means “the work of the people.” The congregation is constantly being called to pray, chant, and lift their hearts to God. In the liturgy the congregation signifies the unified body of Christ. By chanting hymns and prayers together in one voice, the members of the congregation draw closer to God and thus one other, as a whole acting as the unified body of Christ.
Liturgical Hymns
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13).
Music is a key part of worship and is very prominent in the Church’s liturgical services. From the hymns in Midnight Praises to the chants and hymns of the liturgical service itself, the many hymns in the Church services help the believers elevate their hearts and worship their Creator.
Purpose
St. Basil the Great once said: “the work of praising attracts the service of the angels, because it is a part of their work, and they become attached to those who share in their service.”
The main purpose of hymns is to help elevate the spirit of the believers and to worship God in the process. There are many hymns, such as the hymns in Midnight Praises, which were used as a means to pass down the Church’s faith and beliefs. These hymns both help us to praise God and to confirm what we believe and know from the Church’s doctrine. In addition to hymns that teach theology, there are also hymns which express the current mood of the church. The church has numerous seasons celebrating and commemorating many different events. As such, the melodies and words of hymns change throughout the year to reflect these seasons. For example, during Holy Week the tune is solemn compared to the much more joyful tunes for the liturgy of the feast of the Resurrection.
In the Coptic Church, many of the hymnal tunes originated from early Coptic culture. Although this is not true for all hymns, many of the long tunes and Coptic hymns can be traced back to ancient Egyptian music.
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