Joey Miser - Church Visit #1

Church name: The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Demetrios

Church address: 893 North Church Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126 

Date attended: February 28, 2016

Church category: Greek Orthodox

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

Immediately, I was overwhelmed with the staggering difference between this church and my normal context. As I walked through the large, ornate wooden doors, music that was being sung in a strange, foreign language was being broadcast throughout the church. The smell of incense permeated anything and everything, and only grew stronger throughout the service. The marble floors marked the outside room of the church, characterized by tables decorated with candles. Walking yet again through another set of doors, we finally entered the sanctuary, unlike any I have ever experienced. The walls, when not covered in gold paint or ornate decor, were littered with the holy paintings of Scriptural events. Icons were everywhere from large, stain-glassed windows to the interior of the massive dome. In the front, four men were singing in Greek, and a partition with icon-covered doors separated the congregation from the area of the priest's activity. The congregation itself seemed more removed than any I have ever partook in, and I was not even sure if anyone else understood what was being sung. The only response they had was an occasional bowing and crossing of themselves (from right to left) and constant standing and sitting. The whole time I was anticipating a sermon to be taught, yet no one came to the pulpit. Instead, the service was entirely a procession of events. In all, I left feeling like I had come from a different world-a world filled with icons (seemingly equal in presentation to Christ Himself), incense, and heavy Greek worship.

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

For me, the service broadened my understanding of the church as the body of Christ. This congregation of small, strange sounding people seemed so distant and so removed, yet I realized that they are simply doing the same thing I do every Sunday morning, just in a different manner. They were there, seeking the face of God and giving Him praise. It showed me how global and diverse the church is, and how various traditions comprise this conglomerate body of Christ. While I initially had some reservations, my heart was softened to see the beauty of people seeking God in a way that was alien to me. Whereas I first was skeptical of their use of icons, I eventually began to see how valuable it is to remember the deep, strong history of the church. Instead of imposing my personal views onto them, I learned to just listen to them and expose myself to what it means to be Greek Orthodox. What I found shocked me-God listens to, accepts, and loves His children if they humbly seek Him, no matter how they do it. My shallow understanding of the global church was challenged, and I learned to accept that the church is a body that is beyond my understanding and labels. After all, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:11, "For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

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

Once again, this worship service forced me to humble myself. It cast light on the ignorance I unknowingly harbored in my heart, and the skepticism with which I graded other believers. God used this experience to show me that He is beyond comprehension, and that He is good to His faithful children. It also helped me analyze the context I come from, and how elitist I was making it out to be. As I stood in the incense-filled room, I knew that I was holding too tightly to my context, and this inhibited me from showing love to my brothers and sisters in Christ. The diversity of global Christianity is a tool that God uses for His ultimate glory, but only if we open ourselves to it and approach each other with His glory in mind. When I felt like an outsider and did not immediately make myself vulnerable and teachable, I was loving like the world loves. I was only ready to extend my love and acceptance if I felt connected with the congregation. Examining, wrestling with, and surrendering my feeling of unconnectedness allowed me not only to see and appreciate the diversity of the global church, but also opened my heart to feeling and sharing the love of Christ.