{"id":347,"date":"2023-07-14T07:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T12:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orthodoxorlando.com\/legacy\/?page_id=347"},"modified":"2023-08-03T16:17:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T21:17:33","slug":"your-first-visit","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/orthodoxorlando.com\/legacy\/your-first-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Your First Visit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Services in this Orthodox Church may be very different than you have experienced in the past. We want you to feel comfortable and very welcome, joining with us in joyful worship. We will not single you out or do anything to embarrass you. Here are a few things that may help orient you a bit to our services:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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God is in this place!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We believe that in this church, we stand in the very presence of God, and that we join the saints and heavenly hosts in joy and prayer and worship. For that reason, we try to avoid \u201cchit-chat\u201d in church, but to stand with reverent awe and attention to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t at all want to be unfriendly! We want<\/em> to say \u201cHello!\u201d and to welcome you, and get to know you, and help you get to know us and about our Church! But during the actual services in church, and also before the services, as people are silently preparing to worship, we try to avoid conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, during the services, please join with us<\/em> in joyful and reverent prayer and worship. And after the services, please join us<\/em> for conversation and have some coffee or tea and a bite to eat, where we can welcome you and try to get to know each other, and answer any questions you may have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are grateful to God for bringing you to visit us here online today — we look forward to meeting you in person!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Service Before the Service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Divine Liturgy, our main Sunday Worship service, begins at 9:30am but it is preceded by two shorter prayer services, the 3rd Hour and 6th Hour<\/a> (beginning at 9:10am), which may seem like you are late if you walk in at 9:30am and observe prayers already in progress, but we are used to people coming in and out so your entrance will not cause a disturbance\u2014come in and find an area to stand or sit and someone will welcome you and answer any immediate questions.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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We Stand to Pray<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the Holy Scriptures, the typical posture of prayer was standing. Jesus said, \u201cAnd whenever you stand praying…\u201d <\/em>(Mark 11:25). The ancient Christian practice has always been standing to pray. Orthodox Christians traditionally hold fast to the ancient ways. By all means, those who are unable to stand may sit in the chairs along the walls. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Sign of the Cross<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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