What to expect?

Orthodox divine worship can be different than the worship in any other church. The Divine Liturgy, also known as Holy Qurbana, expresses the entire Christian faith in a continuous song of praise and prayer addressed to God. It is focused on God, not on us. There is nothing just for amusement or entertainment. Since much of the service is the same every week, worshippers know it and can participate personally, either by singing along or just by prayerful attention.

One main thing you may notice is that Orthodox Christian worship engages all five senses:

• Sight: Images of Christ and His Saints in the form of icons, and the colorful vestments which adorn the Holy Altar and the clergy.
• Sound: The entire service (except for the sermon) is sung, mostly to Syriac chants and melodies. No organ or other instruments are used. The words are all from Scripture or ancient Christian texts. All our services are in the English language.
• Taste: The Eucharist – bread and wine – is His holy Body and Blood.
• Touch: We venerate (kiss) Christ (His icon or cross), we give the kiss of peace to one another.
• Scent: The fragrance of incense carry our prayer to Christ (Psalm 141:2).