Welcome to Saint Nicholas! Our parish is a multi-ethnic, pan-Orthodox community; as fitting for its Antiochian roots and traditions. We welcome all visitors; whether you are local, visiting on vacation or having just moved here, please make yourself at home!

The Orthodox Church preserves the most ancient forms of Christian worship, which predate Christianity and extend back to the practices of the Jews in the Old Testament.

Orthodox Christian worship engages the body, mind, and soul and is shared by Orthodox Churches throughout the world.

Despite the ancient and universal nature of our worship, however, it may feel a bit foreign to you. Below are a few notes to help you with your first visit:

All Are Welcome!

Everyone is welcome to attend services and worship with us! We are always overjoyed when someone joins us for worship and experiences the beauty of the Orthodox Holy Tradition. And don’t worry – you do not have to be Greek, Serbian, Antiochian, Russian, etc. to attend one of those Orthodox churches!

There's So Much Going On!

Worship in the Orthodox Church is rich with symbolism. You’ll notice many of these differences in worship the moment you enter the church, while others you may not notice for quite some time. Orthodox worship can be overwhelming if you’re experiencing it for the first time or even the first few times. During worship, we mysteriously enter into the never-ending worship in the Kingdom of Heaven, singing with the angels, the Saints, and all other Orthodox Christians, no matter where they are in the world. Because we involve all our senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing) in our worship, there is a lot for your brain to process. Take time to absorb what you see, what you hear, what you smell. And ask questions! After the service ends, you can approach the priest and ask him about things you saw or heard during the service. He will be more than happy to talk with you!

Worship For All The Senses

The first thing that you may notice when you visit us is that Orthodox worship engages all the five senses. For us worship is not a passive event. The burning candles and oil lamps, the color, form and placement of the icons, the music of the choir, the fragrance of the incense, all work to focus our entire being on the worship of the Living God. 

Candles and Oil Lamps
 
The light of the candles and the oil lamps brings our attention to our Savior, the Light of the World (John 8:12), our candles and lamps ultimately refer to His radiance which illuminates the whole world.

Wax candles are prayer offerings, and as in Psalm 67, remind us of how the fire of faith and prayer melts the wax of wickedness. As we light a candle, we say prayers, on behalf of ourselves and those whom we love. You are always welcome to light one as well.

Some of our light is provided by oil lamps. These recall the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids who kept their vigil for the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13) and help us to remember that we also must keep our watch for His coming again.

Incense
 
“Let my prayer arise in Your sight as incense; the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141. Incense is thus linked to prayer and honoring the Lord’s Divinity. As the priest or deacon censes, we offer our prayers so that they may arise with the incense to Heaven.

Icons

No, we do not worship idols! We only worship God. Iconography started in the Old Testament when Solomon represented the Cherubim in 1 Kings 6:23. When the Lord became incarnate, we were able to see Him and depict Him in icons as well. The first icons were written by Saint Luke the Evangelist of Jesus and His Mother. Icons are depictions of our Church family members; the Lord, His Mother, and His beloved Holy Saints. The Holy Cross is an icon which elevates us to Christ’s death and resurrection. The Holy Gospel, which sits on the Holy Altar is the verbal icon of Christ. The Altar Table itself is an icon the Throne of God. Icons represent the presence of the holy men and women and the events in the history of salvation and finally all the faithful people who have assembled for worship are censed. They are windows into heaven, through which we encounter the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who were made in the image and according to the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). Thus, we are icons too! 

Icon Veneration

We venerate and kiss icons, just like we do with our family members. A kiss is an expression of love and longing; a bow is a sign of honor. Venerating an icon is a greeting we offer to Christ, His Mother or whomever is depicted in the icon. The icon is a window where we communicate with heaven and heaven communicates back with us. Icon veneration might take a while to get used to, don’t feel obliged to until you are ready.

Prayers are chanted “A Capella”

The human voice is at its best in song. The voice is the musical instrument created by God Himself. For Orthodox Christians then, the voice is the one instrument which is most fitting for the praise of God. Therefore, all services are sung to reflect the heavenly music of the angels. The divine words of the services are much too precious to simply speak in normal, spoken form. Rather, they are couched in golden melodies fit for the worship of Almighty God.

Why Do People Stand For The Whole Service?
 
The Lord declared that “Whenever two or more are gathered in My Name, I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) Orthodox Christians could not conceive of simply sitting in the presence of the Lord especially while in worship. It is a sign of respect when the elderly, a judge, president or king enters a room that those assembled rise. No less do we stand (or kneel in humility) before the King of Glory who comes invisibly upborne by unseen armies of angels. In the Orthodox tradition standing is the most appropriate attitude for prayer and worship because, for us worship is not a “spectator sport.” But, do not worry! Those who cannot stand for whatever reason are not, of course, expected to do so. You may use the chairs provided. Church services are long. Vespers and Matins last about an hour, The Divine Liturgy about a couple hours, and some Lenten services can be three or even four hours. Feel free to briefly sit down if needed, especially during the Old Testament or Epistle readings.

The Sign of The Cross
 
Throughout the course of a service, Orthodox Christians make the Sign of the Cross often. The Sign of the Cross is an important expression of our faith. In fact, it has been said that as long as Orthodox Christians are taught to properly make the Sign of the Cross, the Orthodox Faith will remain safe, since this symbol encapsulates so much of our core theology. In the Orthodox Churches, the Sign of the Cross is made with the right hand. The thumb is joined with the first two fingers at the tip, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. The remaining two fingers are closed at the palm symbolizing the dual nature of Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Who entered time as the God-Man Jesus Christ into the womb of Mary, the Mother of God. The Sign of the Cross begins with the right hand touching the forehead, the abdomen, the right shoulder, and finally the left shoulder. The Sign of the Cross is typically made at the mention of the Holy Trinity, at the beginning and end of the reading of the Holy Gospel, and as a response to the petitions in the litanies. Please see the Church Etiquette page for more details.

Facing East

During Orthodox services, everyone, including the priest, faces East toward the altar. We look to Jesus Christ throughout our worship, who comes from the East (Matthew 24:27). From the Altar, the priest faces the congregation to bless them or cense them in order to extend the grace present at the Holy Altar to the people or to give a sermon.

Holy Communion

The Orthodox Church believes the Eucharist is a sacred sacrament, a family meal shared between those who are under the same Bishop, or another Bishop with whom he is in Communion. Simply put, this means Orthodox Christians practice inter-Communion with other Orthodox, but not with Protestants or Roman Catholics whose church leaders are not in communion with Orthodox Bishops.

Only baptized Christians confirmed in the Orthodox Faith who have prepared themselves through fasting, prayer, repentance and a recent confession may approach the priest for Holy Communion. The Orthodox believe the leavened bread and wine are the literal Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is holy beyond our comprehension; it is the Church’s treasure and must be protected. That is why it is reserved only for those who unite themselves with the Holy Orthodox Church.

Thus, the fact that Communion does not extend to persons from other Christian groups is not meant as an insult. All visitors are invited, at the end of the service, to approach the front to receive a blessing from the priest.

Do I have to do what everyone else is doing?

You might notice people crossing themselves or worshiping, sometimes in different ways. If you feel uncomfortable doing as we do, that is perfectly understandable. We do these things as outward expressions of our faith. Until you feel the conviction we feel, you do not have to feel obligated to do as we do.

Church Etiquette

What to wear to an Orthodox church

We can often put a lot of thought into our public appearance and ask about the dress code. This is normal and healthy and is to be considered when entering the church as well.

When in church, our goal is to worship God and not make a fashion statement or call attention to ourselves. Therefore, always keep modesty and godliness in mind. God deserves our best effort and our humility and love. What we wear should reflect this, while keeping God’s commandments in mind.

For men, this means wearing clean dress pants and collared, button-up shirts or sweaters. Ties and coats are not required but are most certainly encouraged.

For Women, this means long dresses or long skirts with long sleeve tops. Please avoid tight clothing, low-cut and sleeveless tops, open backs and shorter-than-knee-length skirts or dresses. Some women also choose to cover their heads during worship. It is a wonderful way to express humility before God and remove temptation from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

How and when to cross yourself

In the Orthodox Churches, the Sign of the Cross is made with the right hand. The thumb is joined with the first two fingers at the tip, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. The remaining two fingers are closed at the palm symbolizing the dual nature of Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Who entered time as the God-Man Jesus Christ into the womb of Mary, the Mother of God. The Sign of the Cross begins with the right hand touching the forehead, the abdomen, the right shoulder, and finally the left shoulder.

The sign of the cross is made, with a bow, at:

• Entering or leaving the Church
• “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”
• "Blessed is our God"
• “Blessed is the Kingdom”
• Litanies - as a response to the prayer
• The beginning and end of the Gospel reading
• The mention of the Holy Trinity, the Mother of God, or the Saints
• The consecration of the Holy Gifts: “Take eat”, “Drink of it, all of you”, “Thine own of Thine own”, “The Holy Things are for the Holy”.
• The mention of “worship”, “fall down”, “Alleluia”, “Holy God”, “Glory”, “Praise”
• “Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers”

The Faithful also cross themselves if they are attacked by evil thoughts since the demons fear the Holy Cross.

• When the priest blesses the congregation, the blessing should be received with a bow, without crossing oneself.
• Finally, prostrations and kneeling are not to be done during Sunday services, but only during weekday services since Sunday is the day of the Resurrection.

Proper veneration of icons or relics

It is important to always practice proper etiquette when venerating icons and relics in the Orthodox church. If you are not yet Orthodox and this practice makes you uncomfortable, please know you do not have to venerate the icons. However, if you do decide to, here’s how to do it:

• Cross yourself twice, kiss the icon or incline your head toward it, and then cross yourself a third time
• Kiss the hands or feet of those pictured in the icons, not the face. You may also kiss the Gospel book, scroll or cross in the hand of the saint, if they are depicted in the icon
• Do not venerate icons while wearing lipstick or lip balm – this can damage them

How to greet an Orthodox priest

Traditionally, the faithful greet priests and bishops by kissing them on the right hand. The priest or bishop typically extends his hand but instead of shaking it, you simply kiss the back of it.

When you kiss a priest’s or bishop’s hand, you show reverence and respect for their holy priesthood, especially since they touch the Holy Things from which grace is extended. In return, they bless and sanctify you and offer the Holy Gifts on your behalf in the Divine Liturgy. When approaching simply say “Master Bless” to a Bishop and “Father Bless” to a priest.

Entering and exiting an Orthodox Church

When entering the Church, we prepare ourselves spiritually to enter into the presence of Christ. As we enter, we cross ourselves, say a prayer, light a candle, and venerate the Holy Icons. When exiting, we cross ourselves, say a prayer or thank the Lord and venerate the Holy Icons.

We should arrive before the service starts, to give ourselves plenty of time to say personal prayers, light candles, venerate icons, find a spot in the nave, and spiritually prepare for the service. If you are a visitor, it also gives you the opportunity to take in everything around you.

If late, we should enter quietly and avoid icon veneration in the front of the Church so as not to distract the faithful from the prayers. and locate the priest. Generally, if the priest is standing in front of the Holy Doors or censing, one should wait until he goes back into the altar before entering.

Children are most welcome!

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 19:14

Children are the future of the Church, but the little ones can get restless. Some things to think about:

• Children need to move and get their energy out. But if your child starts running, or crying, consider taking them out to the Narthex until they calm down.
• Unless they are still babies, snacks should be avoided in the Nave.
• If you need to bring toys, make sure they are soft and noiseless.

How to pray during the services

In addition to crossing ourselves and venerating icons, we are called to participate in the Liturgical life of the Church. During worship, we are not spectators, but worshippers. Our minds, hearts and bodies must be engaged in worshipping with love, respect, and without distractions.

Just like it is disrespectful to “daydream” when we are in a conversation with someone, so it is when we are worshipping God. When we love someone, it is natural to be fully focused on their every detail, and so is our Christian worship.

Here are some ways to help us pray during the services:

• Join the worship: Orthodox worship is communal worship. We are all called to chant the faithful’s responses together, to say the “Amen” or “Lord have mercy” in one voice, since we are one body in Jesus Christ.
• Pray, pray, pray! We pray for our loved ones, family, friends, neighbors, communities and of course our enemies and those who hate us. Pray as much as you can.
• During the litanies, bring your mind and heart to pray with what the priest is asking for, and do not let yourself lose focus because certain prayers were repeated. Repetition in the Orthodox Church is not done in vain, but to wake the heart up to wholeheartedly mean its prayers.
• Engage the body: crossing yourself, bowing and chanting are all methods to engage in worship.
• Repeat the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me the sinner” in your mind as often as you can, especially during the moments when no common prayers are being said.