Comments on: Why do we pray facing East? Why does the priest not face the people when he prays? http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/05/18/why-do-we-pray-facing-east/ McKinney TX Homilies, scripture commentary, spiritual reflections Tue, 21 May 2013 19:41:23 +0000 hourly 1 By: Natalia Arzhantseva http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/05/18/why-do-we-pray-facing-east/comment-page-1/#comment-1855 Natalia Arzhantseva Thu, 21 May 2009 09:29:23 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=877#comment-1855 There are a lot of talks nowadays about Russian Orthodox Church here in Russia, there are voices raised for maiking the church language "simpler, closer to people", appeals for service texts into Russian...And there are tendencies to adjust Church to "comfort". Some people say it's difficult for them to stand during the service (they ignore the fact that there are benches there, and if you are tired or don't feel well, you may sit down for some time). LKiturgy lasts 1,5 hours, but this seems to be difficult. At the same time, it appears for those people to stand hours in queues for tickets, for boat trips, to spend whole days working at their cottages, dancing etc . But the tendency to trasform even the Church into sort of an entertainment is tracked. Either to make it "more comfortable", with sitting & dowsing, either "more amusing". Some people also says they don't understand the language, and feel bored because of this. A lie. They feel bored not because of this. Everyone knows - when you come to Church seriously, and try to be a part of it, you will soon understand the church language, read on it, and feel it as a real treasure. Christ & His successors did not look for comfort. No real Christians surrounded themselves with much comfort. Of course, we are too far from them, and we need comfortable things in our daily life, we get accustomed to some things without which we feel difficulties. But even in our daily life we forget that things serve people, not vice versa, we become slaves of our things & facilities. Example: I had a lovely small lamp (actually a torch), where I used to put little candles, and I liked looking how they glitter at night. A couple of days ago the window, where it stood, was suddenly opened by a strong blast of wind. And my favourite "toy" fell down on the floor & was broken, with glass fragments scattered all over the floor...It was such a pity! I got so much upset! This example is very indicative. It's understandable from the human point of view, but if we think deeper...does our reaction differ much when we are deprived of any insignificant thing? Even if we don't think we are very tired to things & earthy moments, our attachment for them can be much tighter than we expect. I thought then after this happened - what if I get deprived of much more, and what is really valuable for me? What will be my reaction? Will I be able to overcome, to reject "comfort" (or at least give ot its real price) and prefer Christ? Will my faith survive? There are a lot of talks nowadays about Russian Orthodox Church here in Russia, there are voices raised for maiking the church language “simpler, closer to people”, appeals for service texts into Russian…And there are tendencies to adjust Church to “comfort”. Some people say it’s difficult for them to stand during the service (they ignore the fact that there are benches there, and if you are tired or don’t feel well, you may sit down for some time). LKiturgy lasts 1,5 hours, but this seems to be difficult. At the same time, it appears for those people to stand hours in queues for tickets, for boat trips, to spend whole days working at their cottages, dancing etc . But the tendency to trasform even the Church into sort of an entertainment is tracked. Either to make it “more comfortable”, with sitting & dowsing, either “more amusing”.
Some people also says they don’t understand the language, and feel bored because of this. A lie. They feel bored not because of this. Everyone knows – when you come to Church seriously, and try to be a part of it, you will soon understand the church language, read on it, and feel it as a real treasure.
Christ & His successors did not look for comfort. No real Christians surrounded themselves with much comfort. Of course, we are too far from them, and we need comfortable things in our daily life, we get accustomed to some things without which we feel difficulties. But even in our daily life we forget that things serve people, not vice versa, we become slaves of our things & facilities. Example: I had a lovely small lamp (actually a torch), where I used to put little candles, and I liked looking how they glitter at night. A couple of days ago the window, where it stood, was suddenly opened by a strong blast of wind. And my favourite “toy” fell down on the floor & was broken, with glass fragments scattered all over the floor…It was such a pity! I got so much upset! This example is very indicative. It’s understandable from the human point of view, but if we think deeper…does our reaction differ much when we are deprived of any insignificant thing? Even if we don’t think we are very tired to things & earthy moments, our attachment for them can be much tighter than we expect. I thought then after this happened – what if I get deprived of much more, and what is really valuable for me? What will be my reaction? Will I be able to overcome, to reject “comfort” (or at least give ot its real price) and prefer Christ? Will my faith survive?

]]> By: Deborah http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2009/05/18/why-do-we-pray-facing-east/comment-page-1/#comment-1846 Deborah Tue, 19 May 2009 12:56:07 +0000 http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/?p=877#comment-1846 Until only very recently my experience has been decades of worship (mostly while seated) with the worship leaders facing the congregation. As a child, and even as an adult until only a few years ago, it never occurred to me that I was anything more than a spectator, audience member or a student in a lecture hall, in church. There was the elevated ‘stage’, the podium, and in the later years, bands and orchestras---and always, always, someone performing before us. Each of these elements of this style of worship places the congregation in the passive role of spectator, not participant. Yes, there is a place for the passive role of receiving God’s grace during services, but worship is an activity, our movement towards God in offering Him our praise, thanksgiving and petitions. Singing together is the only active part, nowadays in most evangelical services. (In my younger days, there was also ‘responsive reading’ of the scriptures—but that has mostly disappeared from modern evangelical services. And in some Protestant churches there is also regular communion and recitation of a creed [Apostle’s or Nicene]—but that was not my experience in the churches I attended.) Most of the service is spent in a passive sitting position. And as a concession to our culture’s affinity for comfort, it is usually spend sitting in padded pews or chairs. It is very easy to lose focus and even to fall asleep under these conditions. Perhaps this is why we now are seeing more and more desperate attempts to wake up and keep the attention of the ‘audience’ with loud music, videos, props and unexpected stunts. Much of today’s evangelical worship has disintegrated into a spiritual form of circus entertainment with the lead performers facing and focusing on the people rather than on God. Until only very recently my experience has been decades of worship (mostly while seated) with the worship leaders facing the congregation. As a child, and even as an adult until only a few years ago, it never occurred to me that I was anything more than a spectator, audience member or a student in a lecture hall, in church. There was the elevated ‘stage’, the podium, and in the later years, bands and orchestras—and always, always, someone performing before us. Each of these elements of this style of worship places the congregation in the passive role of spectator, not participant. Yes, there is a place for the passive role of receiving God’s grace during services, but worship is an activity, our movement towards God in offering Him our praise, thanksgiving and petitions.

Singing together is the only active part, nowadays in most evangelical services. (In my younger days, there was also ‘responsive reading’ of the scriptures—but that has mostly disappeared from modern evangelical services. And in some Protestant churches there is also regular communion and recitation of a creed [Apostle’s or Nicene]—but that was not my experience in the churches I attended.) Most of the service is spent in a passive sitting position. And as a concession to our culture’s affinity for comfort, it is usually spend sitting in padded pews or chairs. It is very easy to lose focus and even to fall asleep under these conditions. Perhaps this is why we now are seeing more and more desperate attempts to wake up and keep the attention of the ‘audience’ with loud music, videos, props and unexpected stunts. Much of today’s evangelical worship has disintegrated into a spiritual form of circus entertainment with the lead performers facing and focusing on the people rather than on God.

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