Orthodox Worship

The word “Orthodox” means “right glory” or “right worship”.  “Right worship” is central to Orthodoxy, but why?

Humans were originally made in the image and likeness of God – to act like Him, to love like Him, to experience love in communion with Him and others. But, we’ve marred that likeness, the more we engage in sin. Sin makes us less human in a sense; less than we were originally intended to be.

The right worship of God transforms us; it helps us to be healed, to become more like God as we gaze upon Him and pray to Him. God does not need our worship for His sake, but we need to worship God for our sake so that we can be healed. 

Orthodox worship therefore engages all the senses – beauty (our eyes), incense (our sense of smell), chanting/singing (our mouths and our ears), sign of the cross (the members of our body). We engage all that we are so as to bring our whole selves into worship and the transformation it brings.

We also recognize that worship goes on continually in God’s presence and when we worship God as the church we enter into the worship that is already happening. Worship then includes the church alive upon the earth as well as all of those who are now in God’s very presence in the heavens. 

Even the church building itself is related to the worship of God. And of course, the holy mysteries (sacraments) are also a part of worship and union with God.