When you depart on a journey, when you begin your work, when you go to study, when you are alone, and when you are with other people, seal yourself with the Holy Cross on your forehead, your body, your chest, your heart, your lips, your eyes, your ears. I've been doing the cross similar to the orthodox way then. is definitely out). Here is the Orthodox view: "Everything in the scriptures is true but not everything that is true is in the scriptures." If you're going somewhere after church where you need to dress casually, bring a change of clothing with you and change after coffee hour. In our North American culture, while there are no real taboos concerning crossing one's legs [outside of church], we tend to cross our legs to get comfortable while sitting. Chairs or benches on the side walls are usually reserved for the elderly and infirm. [Women should not wear pants to church.]. In fact, dress clothes were often referred to as Sunday clothes. No one should wear T-shirts with any kind of writing on them ("This Bud's for You!" How to properly cross yourself stmarylivonia 424 subscribers Subscribe 1.9K Share 282K views 12 years ago Father George Shalhoub from the Basilica of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church teaches. It may be difficult to us to "see" the joy that . Let this be the way you approach all of worship. We make if from right to left to mirror the actions of the priest when he blesses us. In North America,we have tended to build our churches with pews, and since we have them, we need to figure out when we may sit and when we should stand. Step 2: Thank Heavenly Father. Not to Cross At the chalice before or after taking Communion (you might hit the chalice with your hand); when the priest or bishop blesses saying, "Peace be to all" - bow slightly and receive the blessing; when receiving a blessing from a bishop or a priest (kissing the right hand of the bishop or priest is appropriate, but not making the sign of the cross). This is called Sola Scriptura(ignore what the church has always said the scripture means just interpret it yourselfjust you and God). After taking Holy Communion and at the end of the liturgy, it is traditional to eat a piece of holy bread orantidoron-- the bread that was left over after Holy Communion was prepared. Archived post. The act of "Placing the cross on oneself" is a request for a blessing from God. In Eastern (Orthodox) churches, you touch your right shoulder before your left shoulder. You can cross yourself ; 1st = Touch Your Head , 2nd = Tourch Your Body 3th = Touch Your Right Shoulder 4th = Touch Your Left Shoulder And When Doing this Just Say "Name Of The Father , Son and Holy Spirit Amen" After all, God is not impressed with how attractive you look externally - your makeup or clothing - but how attractive you are internally, your adornment with good works and piety. To leave immediately after Communion is to treat church like a fast food restaurant where we come and go as we please. Prayers Will Always Be Answered. Orthodoxy teaches that salvation is a process not an event. We are in church to worship God in Holy Trinity. Leaving church before the Dismissal, besides being rude, deprives us of a blessing. And for those of you who just can't handle sitting in the middle of the pew [or those with small children who may need to make a fast exit - NTK], take the outside aisle spot and graciously allow those coming after you to go past (by moving out for them so they can get by). I am not sure how its done and whether its different from catholic style. Blot that Lipstick! Approach the priest or bishop with your right hand over your left hand and say "Father (or "Master" in the case of the bishop), bless." Entering the Church (Late) The time to arrive at church is before the service starts, but for some unknown reason, it has become the custom - or rather the bad habit - for some to come to church late. Upon entering the Cathedral, at all times, but especially during services, an individual should remember that he or she is in the House of God. Let us know what other shorts you'd like to see. The slanted crossbeam and the "inverted cross" do not interest me as much and I do not know if they are really significant or mean much Theologically, the Crossing right to left and how to cross yourself is the part I want to find out about. The entire life of an Orthodox Christian, according to the Scriptures should be in continuous Spiritual uprightness and attentiveness toward God. Orthodox typically light candles when coming into the church - and that is usually the best time to light them, but there are times when candles should not be lit. Here are some specific guidelines we use in our parishes: Children Only young children (under 10) should wear shorts to church - and then only dress shorts. I'm not so sure about other denoms. And for young children (0-2 years old), this is fine. The Orthodox Church teaches that it is proper to venerate, not worship, icons. Lighting Candles Lighting candles is an important part of Orthodox worship. A 'heart' from me will indicate my appreciation for your answer. But there are times when it is specifically proper to cross yourself, and times when you should not. When we pray, it is typical to do our cross after the prayer is done. There are surely a lot of other areas that could be covered here. When sitting in church, keep those feet on the floor, ready to stand at attention (which is what "Let us attend" means). To a certain extent, when to cross oneself is according to personal piety and not an issue of dogma. Allrightsreserved. When in doubt, stand. God views your internal beauty, not the external.]. We are told to pray in private and call on our father. Chairs or benches on the side walls are usually reserved for the elderly and infirm. Not because it is "wrong" to ever cross legs, but rather because it is too casual -- and too relaxed -- for being in church. Should we cross our legs in church? I just stumbled across this blog and perhaps I could find this in one of your other posts, but I was wondering why you agree with Eastern Orthodoxy instead of Roman Catholicism? Leaving Before Dismissal Leaving church before the Dismissal - besides being rude - deprives us of a blessing. In many parishes, the Divine Liturgy books in the pew have suggested times when sitting is acceptable. Reverence and good manners are required so as not to disturb those who are already engaged in prayer, but, even more importantly, as an expression of sincere faith and awareness of the presence of the Lord. We should offer Christ our 'Sunday best", not our everyday or common wear. It is never wrong to stand in church. Kiss (Don't Shake) the Priest's or Bishop's Hand Did you know that the proper way to greet a priest or bishop is to ask his blessing and kiss his right hand? Remember that sitting in church is a concession, not the normative way of prayer. Even if crossing yourself isn't in the Bible is there anything inherently wrong with it? Remember that sitting in church is a concession, not the normative way of prayer. A Final Thought North American society in the late 20th century is rather casual in its approach to life. In all areas of our lives, we should offer Christ our best. You surely don't want to get too relaxed and let your mind wander off too much. If a Christian must always stand on guard spiritually over his salvation then he must do so even more during, the divine church services, which serves as an expression and an enrichment to private everyday service to God. In fact, all too often, dress in church has become too casual. If you prefer this, it would be better to find a place closer to the back or side of the church so as not to stand out or block someone's view. Archpriest Andrew Stephen Damick (2009-2020), The Very Rev. I have also seen the lower part of the cross being made only to the chest and not to the solar plexus (Diaphragm), some say this makes an inverted cross, but the inverted cross may not even have much significance, only in modern times is it associated with anti-Christian things. Nathan Lewis, Sola scriptura (Latin ablative, "by Scripture alone") is the Christian doctrine that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. Eastern Orthodoxy, official name Orthodox Catholic Church, one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of Christianity. [Some hierarchs have compared leaving church before the dismissal to Judas leaving the Mystical Supper early. Seraphim when asking for a blessing. Sometimes, we all make the sign of the cross after saying prayers. Worship has a beginning ("Blessed is the Kingdom") and an end ("Let us depart in peace"). When venerating (kissing) an icon, pay attention to where you kiss. If you're going somewhere after church where you need to dress casually, bring a change of clothing with you and change after coffee hour. You are for us a help indeed and a power to our rulers, strength of the righteous and the dignity of presbyters, by the sign of Thee are we rescued from every ill. Scepter of power invincible wherewith we are shepherded; weapon of peace awe-inspiring, accompanied by the angelic host. Always remember that you are in church to worship God, the Holy Trinity. There are two solutions to pew blocking. Among Christians of our time, this emphasis . 6:14); "Stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved" (Philippian 4:1). In the Orthodox old countries, there are usually no pews in the churches. We live in a fast-paced world where we seem to be hurrying from place to place. It is NEVER wrong to stand in church. While antidoron is not Holy Communion, it is blessed bread and as such, should be eaten carefully so that crumbs don't fall all over the place. Icons, crosses, the communion spoon, and the hand of the priest when we receive a blessing, are no place for this substance. 2:20) and humble themselves as God did in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:1-9). Eastern Orthodoxy is the large body of Christians who follow the . If in doubt, check with one of the ushers to see if it is a good time to seat yourself. Always during the Gospel reading, the Little and Great Entrances, the Anaphora, the distribution of Holy Communion, whenever the priest gives a blessing, and the Dismissal. The Apostle Paul says: "Watch ye. This is much more appropriate (and traditional) than shaking their hands. Here is a brief list of when to cross and when not to cross: To Cross When you hear one of the variations of the phrase, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"; at the beginning and end of the liturgical service or your private prayers; entering or exiting the church, or when passing in front of the Holy Altar; before venerating in icon, the cross, or Gospel book. Then, draw a large circle passing over your forehead, going downwards across your stomach, to the right side and down to the left side. Stay in church and thank God for his precious gifts. You would kiss their hand, and only if they invited you would you even dare to kiss them on the cheek. Don't come to church to go to the fellowship hall - come to pray. When should you definitely stand? If this is true then what should we do with the great schism? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Note there are some occasions where you bow without crossing . To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Chairs or benches on the side walls are usually reserved for the elderly and infirm. 2 Gently touch the index, middle, and thumb to the center of your forehead. "This severe warning refers to the Book of Revelation, not to the Bible as a whole, and admonishes those in the communities addressed not to distorts its message. We deprive ourselves of blessings by not being still and participating in Gods holiness. For example, after we recite the Lord . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Pray Always, With Sincerity and With Faith in Christ. First of all, it is fully acceptable (even preferable) to stand for the entire service. As you cross yourself, say, whisper, or think: The movement traces a cross over your body. It is characterized by its continuity with the apostolic church, its liturgy, and its territorial churches. I too am a Protestant and agree with 90% of what you have said. We come to church to pray and worship God above all else, and that should be our only focus. Sola Scriptura is not that each individual can interpret Scripture as he wills. The offering envelopes in the pews are meant for our visitors. It's just a word. Cross yourself with your fingers and hand -- but don't cross your legs! For example, when we say the Lord's Prayer or pray before a meal, most of us make the sign of the cross. After all, the priest and bishop are not just "one of the boys." That's why I posted the original question. But wait until coffee hour to say "Hi" to them. Kiss fingertips, touch said spot on fingertips to icon. Worship has a beginning ("Blessed is the Kingdom") and an end ("Let us depart in peace"). "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. You would kiss their hand, and only of they invited you would you even dare to kiss them on the cheek. But always during the Gospel reading, the Little and Great Entrances, the Anaphora, the distribution of Holy Communion, whenever the priest gives a blessing, and the Dismissal. The three fingers together represent the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the two fingers in the palm represent the two natures of Christ. 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