COVID-19 Lockdown, Day 322

So, I went to church today at the local Greek Orthodox church as I said I would. I love the liturgy and all of the icons in the sanctuary. Plus, I am a sucker for domes. Plus, the priest was very nice; since the only Greek I know is "Kyrie eleison," "Chrystos anesti," "Alithos anesti," and "S'agapo,"  he showed me a website I could use to follow along to the liturgy, called "Ages Initiative." It helped me quite a bit, but learning Greek would help me better. For that, I would need to learn a new alphabet. Even so, I love the chanting, the incense, and the blessed bread (not Eucharist) concluding the service. In fact, I saw something spectacular today. When the priest burned incense all over the altar area, which was behind a wall called an iconostasis (like the curtain to the Most Holy Place), the incense made a fog above the altar. When it streamed through the iconostasis, the sun hit it as it spread out and landed on all of our heads like little haloes. It was very beautiful. Even more beautiful was the turnout. 

Including me and the priest, there were 42 of us. Forty-two souls who would not let frozen temperatures stop them! From the pictures I have seen, there would be plenty of people coming if not for COVID-19 and the deep freeze. About 1/3 of those who have been attending are over the age of 70--those at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. They put Lutherans and Protestants to shame. 

Now, for those who are wondering, no, I am not converting. There are some doctrinal issues that confirm my Lutheranism and prevent me from converting. First, while we believe the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son, they believe that the Holy Spirit only proceeded from the Father--one of many disagreements that caused the Great Schism of 1054. Second, while Lutherans honor Mary as the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we do not pray to her or any saint to intercede for us as they do. We believe that we can boldly go directly to God. Plus, the deacons do most of the singing, with the congregation sometimes joining, but the hymns are already set. I like the singing of hymns, and if not for COVID-19, we would have a musician and a choir. Who knows? Maybe my hymns could someday be used. Still, there was a time I entertained the Orthodox faith--especially since good Lutheran churches (and ELCA are Lutheran in name only) are limited. Too many Lutheran churches in Northern Illinois either have congregations that are not interested in mission and outreach or are led by pastors that belong to the Church of Ephesus. If there were no viable Lutheran options or Anglican Orthodox options, Eastern Orthodox would have been my third choice. 

The funny thing is, I found this church when I was trying to go elsewhere. Since my previous congregation, on New Year's 2020, would not have services, I noticed that St. Panteleimon of Summit, an American Orthodox church, had services announced on their event calendar. I went there, and the doors were closed. No one at the rectory answered the door. Then, I saw that Holy Cross of Justice was having services, so I went there last year, this New Year's, last Sunday, and today.  If for some reason, my church does not have services next Sunday, I will continue going there, those I miss taking communion. I pray that my church would at least be open for Ash Wednesday. If not, I will be quite unhappy , as this is the beginning of Lent. The Orthodox Lent is not until St. Patrick's Day (March 17), so going to Holy Cross is not an option. 

No matter what the issue is, the church should always be open on Sunday and on each major festival (Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter/Pascal Sunday, Pentecost, Reformation, Christ the King, and even Ascension). Not doing so creates missed opportunities for evangelism and encouragement of believers. Even if there is no electricity, we can light candles. If there is no heat, we can wear our coats. Families can huddle together. We can adjourn to smaller spaces. Our Lord said that we should meet constantly for prayer and worship (see Hebrews 10:25 and Acts 2:42). The recording of services might have had its place in April and May of last year, but it is not enough. We need to be together--to support each other and to encourage each other. For those who are still not (allegedly) comfortable with worshipping with your brothers and sisters under one socially-distanced roof (and many churches have more than enough room for it) you are not only getting the encouragement you need, but you are not able to be a service to those who may need encouragement from you. I tell you this because I love you. I am only straight with those I care about and can possibly handle the truth. It's time for us all to return to church. There are many blessings waiting. 

--Signing off.

(PS: I did not take these pictures. They are from their websites.)