First Orthodox service done! ☑️

Just posting here as an update and to anyone who’s interested. Here are a few things that happened when I finally had the courage to attend my first ever Orthodox service (in person). 1. I couldn’t figure out how to get in because there were so many doors and it wasn’t angled in a way I am used to. So I caught a guy who was just getting out of the car with his 5+ kids, and I asked him to show me how to get inside. He starts immediately cracking jokes, which put me at ease, as I’m someone who loves to banter. He explained some basic stuff to me, and I felt a little more at ease when I went inside. He ended up being a choir member, and throughout the service was motioning to me subtly to help me follow along.I don’t even know how to describe the service itself. I’ve been told many times that Vespers is a simple service, but it was more elaborate than anything I’ve ever encountered as a Protestant; the only time I can think of that even vaguely compared is when my Baptist church put a little extra effort into the Christmas service by giving everyone a candle when they walked in (ironic, huh....). The lit lamps, the burning candles in the corner, the gates, the PHYSICAL MOTION of the parishioners (im used to sitting, standing, and maybe lifting a hand during worship if you’re being extra)...I’m not an emotional person at all but I found myself getting a little choked up. But somehow, the grandeur of the decor and chanting was subtly undercut by the humanity of it all; the crack in a choir members voice every so often, the little kids making the sign of the cross and then sprinting helter skelter across the floor in the most somber moments, the old people sitting for moments to rest. I really got a sense of humanity joining with divinity and the uniquely Orthodox POV of humanity as something that is to be saved rather than trampled or belittled, the flesh as a tool of salvation and whatnot, really became real to me. At certain points, out of nowhere, I distinctly got the feeling of sitting around a campfire with family. Cant explain it, but thats what I can compare it to, especially when the main lights went out and we all listened about the saint to be honored that day. Almost felt like hearing about your great great great grandfather’s life.After the service the choir member I met accompanied me to a class about confession taught by the priest I emailed before attending; the priest himself was humble and funny, and didn’t try to force anything on me. It’s like he was letting the faith speak for itself, which is uncommon in the evangelical circles I grew up in. Both the priest and choir member asked me about my life and journey in general, and seemed very attentive and interested. The priest’s class was interesting and well taught, and I could tell he was throwing in some extra general Orthodox info for me since I was the only new person. He also spoke directly to a problem I’ve been having; I’m not sure how he even got on the subject from his original point, but it spoke deeply to me and was scarily in line with what I’ve been struggling with.Sorry for the long post; next up is a Divine Liturgy, which I am still a little nervous for but less so than before. Glory to God, because without knowing this would happen, I walked in and felt at home. via /r/OrthodoxChristianity https://ift.tt/3lrHWgB