Sean Luke Church Visit Number #1

Church name: St. Demetrius Greek Orthodox Church
Church address: 893 N Church Rd, Elmhurst IL
Date Attended: February 28th, 2016
Church category: Orthodox

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The Divine Liturgy was highly centered around the creeds, and centered around what the liturgical guide called "Therapeutic theology
The liturgy was centered around how the Resurrection empowers us to set our gaze on Christ, to heal, and to defeat sin in our lives. This 
is similar to my own context in that my church places a lot of emphasis on how Jesus conquered death through His Resurrection. At the same time,
my church also focuses a lot more on the atonement made at the Cross. Additionally, the service was almost entirely done in Greek. This is
very different from what I'm used to, as I've never been to a service in a language other than English. The dome at the top was strewn with images
of Old Testament saints, and icons of saints from the history of the church were available to be kissed by the congregants. This, of course, is 
forbidden in most Protestant churches! Incense played a predominant role throughout the service. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity? 
As we recited the creeds, the Filoque clause was absent from the Nicene Creed. This exemplifies the fact that the central issue over which the
Orthodox and Roman Catholic church split is still an issue today. I also thought the reverence of the saints was interesting--it struck me that 
many Christians throughout the world feel a special connection to saints who have gone before. While I still would never kiss a saint or pray 
for his or her intercession, I nevertheless appreciate the deep sense of union with brothers and sisters "who have fallen asleep". I also was made aware
of how central the Resurrection is to other traditions. I honestly wish Protestant theology placed more emphasis here than it does. I appreciate how,
while theories of the atonement are vital, they lead into a deeper appreciation of the victory of God in Jesus' Resurrection for other traditions. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?
The theme of union with Christ was the backbone of most of the liturgy. It made me deeply appreciative of the fact that I'm one in spirit with
my Lord. Somehow, the Holy Spirit has united me to Christ, and through both His death and resurrection, has killed sin in me and has joined me
with the people of God. The use of the creeds enabled me to remember those Christians who have gone before us, and who have faithfully proclaimed
the Gospel of our Lord. In a way, I felt connected to them in the common worship of God through Jesus Christ. It also helped me appreciate my own tradition;
I think services ought to be done in the common language of the people, and the saints, while they ought to be revered, should never be treated as though they
have some special power in themselves. Nevertheless, I have a deeper appreciate of my union with the saints, past, present, and future, through our union
with the Lord of glory.