Tyler Martawibawa - Church Visit #1

Church name: St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church

Church address: 1855 5th Ave, Aurora, IL 60504

Date attended: February 28, 2016

Church category: Orthodox

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

I attended an orthros ("matins" in Latin) service at St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church. The church had a guest priest lead the service as the regular priest was not present this weekend. The service was led in both Byzantine Greek and in English, because as Lou explained, "it is hard to be spiritual in a language you don't understand." The Byzantine Greek is so different from Greek that Lou, despite being able to speak and understand Greek, told us that he could only pick up on every third or fifth word of Byzantine Greek. The prayers were recited and sung in both Greek and English with the priest leading it from a table at the front of the church and the deacons standing off to the side against the wall behind some sort of pulpit.

As members arrived before the Divine Liturgy service, some would approach icons along the walls, pray to them, and kiss the corners of the icon. The walls of the church were covered with icons and a set of screens at the front of the church with eight icons including saints, archangels, and Jesus. Lou informed us that certain icons were specifically prayed to for certain purposes. For example, St. Nicholas was the saint known for healing, so members of the church would pray to his icon for healing. There were also icons on the ceiling, Sistine Chapel style with prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Elijah. In my regular context, there are never any icons in church, as I assume that the idea of any images and icons other than of Jesus usually denotes some sort of idolatry.

After the priest read from what I believe was a gold colored, metal covered Bible, he proceeded down the middle of the church as attendees of the service shuffled toward the center aisle to kiss the cover of the Bible. Not long after several more prayers, the priest came down the aisle again and swung the censer towards each row, praying as he did so. As the service neared the end, the priest walked down the aisle one more time to greet and shake hands with each individual. After shaking the priest's hand, the members would kiss the back of the hand before sitting back down in their seats. In my regular context, once the service begins, the pastor does not come down from the front. The priest seems to have a lot more flexibility in terms of movement as throughout the service he would always be moving about.

Lou also mentioned that prayers in the Orthodox church were commonly repeated every week, as they believe that repetition is a healthy practice when praying to the Lord. In my regular context, prayers are never the same each week. It was interesting listening to the priest and deacon recite and sing. When speaking, they read and spoke fast, in a monotone that resembled a bad PowerPoint presentation. In my regular context, we pray to the Lord with emotion and vigor. This contrast, however, begged the question if we, as contemporary Christians, rely too heavily on our feelings to fuel our faith?

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

For me, this service illuminated the vast range of history that different churches lean on. While this Greek Orthodox church relied primarily on a church framework from the time of the apostles, contemporary churches appear to have abandoned their roots and adapted the church service to suit a modern audience. One prominent difference I noticed during the service was the lack of a time devoted to corporate praise. Instead, they sung their prayers to the Lord throughout the service without the need of a single instrument. Having attended churches in several different countries such as China, Indonesia, and Australia, all the services had a time of corporate praise led by instruments. I felt that this element further pointed out how the design of the church service has evolved and developed throughout history and across the world. Overall, this service highlighted that there are many different ways to worship the same God, and that my way isn't the only way God is worshiped throughout the world. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

This worship service illuminated how strange I thought it was to see images of anything or anyone other than Jesus in a church. The myriad of colors and icons that hit me as I walked into the main sanctuary was overwhelming. I saw these paintings as pieces of art, yet the church saw each one as an icon that told a narrative and a different saint that could answer prayers. I had always seen the division between the Protestant and Roman Catholic church, but I had no idea of the difference the Protestant church had with another Christian church that held similar, if not identical, doctrines.

Ultimately, I found that my personal identity as a Christian is and should be rooted in Christ's death and resurrection. Despite all these differences and disparities between the Protestant, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches, we all acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I wouldn't endorse universalism, but I think it's always healthy to be open-minded and patient with other brothers and sisters in Christ who I might not always agree with.