Dear Baba

I’m new to Orthodoxy and more than a little overwhelmed. I’m so scared I’m going to do something wrong in church. - Newly Illumined

My dear newly illumined friend. Welcome. You must be tired from your journey. Come sit down with me and have a cup of tea. Now first and foremost, please do not worry about a thing. I think you’ll be surprised how much you already know. The rest will come but realize too, it is a lifelong journey and there will always be more to learn.

• Upon entering the church, remember you are entering a holy place. Practices vary somewhat parish to parish and depending on the layout of the church building. But there are some things that are universal. You come into church with all your worries and cares hanging heavily on your shoulders. It may seem that focusing on God and prayer is the hardest thing to do with all those worries. Light candles and say some prayers anyway. There are beautiful prayers in the prayer books if you wish to use those.

• As you move about the church, reverence the icons and light candles – your movement in the church is gently bringing your body and soul into worship. It is traditional to pray before the icon of Christ and the icon of the Theotokos. Linger and pray. If there are other icons, don’t hesitate to pray for a while before the other icons. There are variations to reverencing the icons - making the sign of the cross and bowing. Some parishes have a more set pattern, others do not. Follow the lead and I’m sure you’ll be at ease in no time.

Now that you are in the nave of the church, your initial prayers are said and candles lit, I would guess you are already feeling the peace of being in a holy place. I think many of your burdens are lightening and you are finding a peace that only God can provide. You know, you can’t lift your burdens by yourself. Ah but I promise to keep to the practical things:

• We face reverently forward and are careful not to turn our backs to the altar. This is especially true when the chalice is out.

• When the deacon comes through the nave with the censer, move to the middle of the church reverently and quietly. He is designating a holy space and reverencing the icons with incense. When he censes you, remember that he is censing the icons and you are a living icon made in God’s image and likeness. What a beautiful and humbling moment.

• I encourage you to learn the liturgy and the depth of meaning. Most liturgy books will offer explanations and you may find it very useful. There are books too for children to help them feel a special part of the liturgy. Participate. Sing, pray. You are fully part of the work of the people. It isn’t a performance of the clergy and the choir. All of us glorify God together.

• Many are worried about when it is acceptable to sit. I’ve mentioned before there are especially holy times. Wouldn’t you know it, as the Liturgy progresses and the more tired your feet become, the more holy it becomes and less appropriate to sit down. Basically, you should be standing when the church is being censed, for the entrances, Holy God, the Gospel, the Cherubimic Hymn, the Creed, the Anaphora (starting with A Mercy of Peace and concluding with We Praise Thee), the Our Father and of course when the chalice is out. A litany (the Lord Have Mercy’s) is usually a safe time to sit down if you need to but be aware some are short litanies so you may get the feeling you are bobbing.

• If you have to sit down, you have to sit down. And tradition has it that we don’t cross our legs if we do sit down. It is a holy place and that is just too casual a posture for being in a holy place. It is the same philosophy with applause – we traditionally do not applaud in the nave of the church.

• As you know, we all frequently make the sign of the cross. Don’t be shy about it. I remember dear folks years ago that learned to make the sign of the cross so quickly and with such poor definition that it was referred to as the ’sign of the banjo.’ The sign of the cross is powerful.

• And when in doubt, my dear, please ask questions. We are all still asking questions and there is no such thing as a silly question. In time it will all become so much more familiar

So sit down, relax, have a cup of tea and know I am sending my love and big enveloping hugs,

Baba