Isaiah Bornman Visit #2

Church name: All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church

Church address: 4129 W Newport Ave, Chicago, IL 60641

Date attended: October 26, 2014

Church category: Significantly More Liturgical and more than ten miles from Wheaton

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

 I had visited this orthodox church two years ago with a friend for the Pascha (Easter) service there, which started at 10pm and went through the night till the 4am huge celebration for the breaking of the fast. This recent visit was a different experience from the last, but again opened my heart to this beautiful worship tradition.

  The Divine Liturgy service at 9am consisted of reciting liturgy as the whole congregation and also listening to the priests' leading us in their own sing song liturgy. This is what was most obviously different from my home church. There was rarely any words spoken out of this 'sing song' style. Both the worshipful liturgy/songs from us congregation and the day's readings of scripture sung by the priests were offered always with tone and some kind of movement (incense wafted, bells chimed, etc.

  The number of icons on the walls was also quite different from my normal context but did not distract from the daily liturgy. Another new aspect that added to the experience was the absence of chairs.

 

Father Patrick Reardon

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

 I found the constant standing for the whole service to be very interesting. I had forgotten that some orthodox churches have this in place and was glad to experience it again. Not being able to sit down calls each person to stay very engaged in the liturgy, to fully embody it. I may have had a hard time standing, observing all the newness around me, and trying to keep up with reading the liturgy. But most others knew the normal call and responses by heart and I was so moved to hear a whole body of people speak/sing together from their memory and heart.

 The absence also of a formal ‘message’ from a pastor was another very interesting thing. They commit fully to follow in the orthodox lectionary tradition where there is scripture set in place form the Old and New Testaments along with the ordered liturgy for confession of sins, communion, etc. Like the standing, this order brought a unity that was audible. People knew what they were there for, to be in community, to hear God’s call and to come and eat. It was a very encouraging time.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

 At first I was thrown off by the lack of chairs. My mind wandered around thinking about superfluous things like wondering when we would have to sit crossed legged on the floor. I also was caught up in awe a few times at the intricate details written into the service: as the priests had to set up for communion in a specific way passing off elements to each other and to the people. The icons on the walls and covering the front of the sanctuary along with the ornate robes of the priests also caused me to wonder if it was all worth the effort. I’m still not sure what I think but I know that this tradition has strong roots and it truly is beautiful (if its its financially worth it to have all those big old fancy candles I’ll never know).

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

 I heard more scripture read/sung in the orthodox church service than in any other church I have ever attended. Each movement of the liturgy was full of references and allusions to our scriptures. The creed and confessions came alive in a new way to me, as more than a reminder for the individual but a way for a body to speak and believe as one. I’m of the belief that we too often personalize and individualize Christianity if we are not careful. This service made me so proud to worship the same Jesus as every other Christian in this world. The unified liturgy and movement of the body opened me to this in a profound way.