Question about bells and Orthodoxy

[27B6]

Dear all,

I recently attended an OCA parish for the first time (my regular is Antiochan) and became interested in the use of bells in the service, particularly during the recitation of the Creed. Can anyone give me some of the history of bell use in Orthodoxy and the points in, for example, a Russian liturgy at which a bell is rung? Also, does anyone here use a bell during their daily home prayers, and if so, how and when?

With Love in Christ.

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

I think it's something that varies parish to parish. I grew up in a UOC parish, attended an OCA parish for a while, and currently attend a GOARCH parish. Each parish uses bells in different capacities. I've never heard bells used during the creed, but that's not to say it can't be done.


In the UOC parish I attended, right before the epeklisis the priest would use bells in the following manner:


Priest: Singing the triumphant hymn, shouting (rings small bell), proclaiming (rings small bell) and saying (rings small bell)

People: Holy, holy, holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to God in the highest

I've also heard bells rang during funeral services, but these were the large heavy church bells in the bell tower, not small bells. The large Church bells were also rung during the Holy Friday procession.

In regards to the Greek parish I currently attend, aside from the bells attached to the censor, we really don't use bells in the service.

In all three parishes I've attended, bells were attached to the censor and used during Liturgy.

 

[27B6]

Thank you, that is interesting. Yes, my parish priest strikes a small bell three times during the epiklesis as well, and of course there are the bells on the censor except during Lent.

In this OCA parish I referred to, one of one the readers held a fairly large Russian-style hand-bell and struck it after various sections of the Creed. I don't recall exactly at which points or how many times, but it was something like:

...and of all things visible and invisible; (ring)
...by whom all things were made; (ring)
...and became man; (ring)
...and was buried; (ring)
etc.

I was just wondering if this was the common practice in the Russian tradition, and also whether anyone knows of use of bells during home devotions.

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

While I've never heard of anyone using a bell at home, I don't think it would be uncanonical to do so. (I could be wrong.)

 

[Kristos]

http://audio.ancientfaith.com/interviews/bells.mp3

http://russianbells.com/intro/intro.html

 

[cobweb]

The only bell used at our parish (OCA) is right before the prayer to bless the food for coffee hour. We are a small mission parish though, so that may be why.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

The only bell used at our parish (OCA) is right before the prayer to bless the food for coffee hour. We are a small mission parish though, so that may be why.

The only bells we have are on the censer lol.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

If this is off topic, please forgive me.

Many of our rural parishes had a variety of traditions.

At the Nicene Creed, the tower bell was tolled once at the beginning of each of the three parts of the Creed.

Ringing the tower bell during the Lord's Prayer is a custom which is still done by a number of our Congregations.

These practices allowed those who could not be in Church; shut-ins and those who had to work, to recite the Creed and Lord's prayer at the same time as those who were in Church, as an expression of the Communion of the Saints.

I'm sorry it is not done more.

 

[27B6]

Thank you all. Very helpful. That podcast was very interesting Kristos, as was the Blagovest Bells site. There's some good info on there about bell use in the liturgy.