In this series I have pointed out a bunch of key differences between worship in the Protestant West and in the Orthodox East — architecture, candles, icons, processions and so on. I fear, though, that even with all these things in mind, many Protestants will have a hard time on a first visit to an […]
First Visit to an Orthodox Church (pt. 4): Jazz vs Ballads
I asked one Orthodox priest what he thought the typical newcomer would experience when visiting the Liturgy. His response: Chaos! He was joking. His congregation has a lot of free-range children. But I think he was right. Once the service begins in that icon-filled space, your typical Protestant is hard pressed to make much sense […]
First Visit to an Orthodox Church (pt. 2): Passageway vs Preparation
Last week I started writing about how to have a really excellent first visit to an Orthodox church. I think you need to be aware of several differences — just six or so — between the Christian East and the Christian West. The first one is outside, when you look up and see a dome […]