Surprises in the Orthodox Church

An Orthodox Church service can be intimidating if you’re not use to a liturgical setting. But what often surprises people as they attend more and more Orthodox services is that Orthodox worship is not stiff and stuffy. In fact, there is a great amount of flexibility. Frederica Mathewes-Green notes that this very thing surprised her when she first started attending Orthodox worship services. She makes a striking analogy between Orthodox Divine Liturgy and a wedding banquet: both are elaborate, both are formal, both are celebratory. But neither should feel stiff, stuffy, or rule-based. Watch and see! Better yet, come and see!

Prayer to the Saints

Most Protestants are uncomfortable with the idea that Orthodox (and Roman Catholic) Christians "pray to the saints." Most of the discomfort centers around the word "pray." What does it mean to "pray to the saints?" Frederica Mathewes-Green explains, in the video below, that the word "pray," in English, used to just mean "to make a request." So, when we pray to the saints, we are, in fact, asking for them to pray for us. We are not praying to them like they are Jesus Christ.

 The Saints who have fallen asleep in the Lord are not dead, they are alive! For our God is the God of the living, not the dead! And they are with Christ, now, worshipping him and praying for us. Watch the video and let me know what you think!