Eastern Orthodox Knowledge Thread

[boswd]

Please share with the readers what iconostasis is and how its involved in your worship.

So Simon will you be attacking the EO like you do the RCC for similiar views on such things as the Eucharist, Mary, and such?

 

[Julina]

Maybe something about our practices...

The most basic prayer in Orthodox Christianity is based the story of the Publican and the Pharisee... "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." And of course the Lord's prayer.

Most of our hymns are composed from the Psalms and other scripture, often with a refrain in between verses. I tried to find some examples in English:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3PWNyBddvg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yys0Y1MSMg

ooh thanks! i've been looking for some of those to show my friends

 

[boswd]

My wife and I are looking to visit a new church that the EO built here in Braintree MA. it looks absolutley beautiful and was wondering if there is any sort of dress requirements or retrictions that we should know about.
I've always had a big fancinastion with the EO,
When in Greece a few years back as part of a tour we visted a monestary and all the women on our tour had to make sure the legs were covered, if not they handed out long skirts to wear.

Thanks
here is a picture of the Church they built

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

ooh thanks! i've been looking for some of those to show my friends

Do you find that you have to listen hard to understand the words?

Forgive me...

 

[Julina]

Interesting... it should.

It's Christ the Pantocrator Icon.

The earliest surviving original work is this one.

One half of the face is said to be judgement and the other mercy.

It was written in the 500's and is the first Icon of Christ fully grown.

The Prototype of Christ's head is this... The shroud. Even the flowers are in the right place.

Forgive me...

that overlap is insaaane! i've never seen that before!!!

also, i confess, before i knew what that icon was His eye used to freak me out

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

that overlap is insaaane! i've never seen that before!!!

also, i confess, before i knew what that icon was His eye used to freak me out

http://www.shroudofturin4journalists.com/

Forgive me...

 

[Julina]

My wife and I are looking to visit a new church that the EO built here in Braintree MA. it looks absolutley beautiful and was wondering if there is any sort of dress requirements or retrictions that we should know about.
I've always had a big fancinastion with the EO,
When in Greece a few years back as part of a tour we visted a monestary and all the women on our tour had to make sure the legs were covered, if not they handed out long skirts to wear.

Thanks
here is a picture of the Church they built

wow! that is one gorgeous church!

as for dress requirements, just look respectful. i always wear a skirt. in some places women cover their heads but it's not necessary. and wear comfy shoes because you'll be standing for a while.

 

[Julina]

Do you find that you have to listen hard to understand the words?

Forgive me...

the first one, no.
the second one, a little, but i've sung a variant of it before so i got the gist of it.
why?

 

[Thekla]

My wife and I are looking to visit a new church that the EO built here in Braintree MA. it looks absolutley beautiful and was wondering if there is any sort of dress requirements or retrictions that we should know about.
I've always had a big fancinastion with the EO,
When in Greece a few years back as part of a tour we visted a monestary and all the women on our tour had to make sure the legs were covered, if not they handed out long skirts to wear.

Thanks
here is a picture of the Church they built

The dress requirements are certainly more "restrictive" in the Monasteries

In my experience, in general modest dress is safe. In the parishes I have attended, there certainly is variation. The GreekO parishes do not have as many women using a head covering; if visiting another jurisdiction (ex Russian or Serbian) it is wise to go prepared with a head scarf for women.

(what a beautiful basilica !)

 

[simonthezealot]

So Simon will you be attacking the EO like you do the RCC for similiar views on such things as the Eucharist, Mary, and such?

Not the place for this...Be respectful!

 

[boswd]

thanks Thekla, being here in New England a scarf is not far away.

Yeah it is gorgous isn't it? We are very excited, for one I have never been to an EO service, I love to go to different denominations and learn as much as I can, and second we have watched them put this church up from the first brick, it took them a few years but it was completed a few months ago and we are very excited to go.

Thanks again

 

[boswd]

Not the place for this...Be respectful!

No you're right this isn't the time or place put just wanted to point out your double standards.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Men should have their arms covered when visiting Monasteries.

Forgive me...

 

[Mikeb85]

Please share with the readers what iconostasis is and how its involved in your worship.

Orthodox churches are designed in a similar fashion to the Temple. We are told that in the Biblical Temple, the Holy of Holies was built with Cedar boards, overlaid with Gold, and had a curtain and double doors to separate it from the nave. Throughout the Temple there were Cherubim and other statues/icons... Source - 1 Kings 6, 2 Chr 3.

Here's the description of the Holy of Holies from the Bible:

He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits [i] at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits [j] long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. [k] He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.
23 In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits [l] high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits—ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29 On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. 31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood with five-sided jambs. 32 And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold. 33 In the same way he made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall. 34 He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

Orthodox churches follow similar architecture, the iconostasis is the wall that separates the sanctuary (representing the Holy of Holies) from the nave. As in the temple, it's constructed of wood, often overlaid with gold (though not all churches can afford this), and covered in iconography (the Bible tells us the the temple had carved figures of Cherubim, palm trees and flowers). Most Orthodox churches also have a curtain as the temple did.

Picture of an ornate gold iconostasis.

 

[Julina]

Please share with the readers what iconostasis is and how its involved in your worship.

the iconostasis is an icon-covered screen or wall that's in front of the altar. in the middle is a set of doors that only the priest uses during services. to the right of the door is an icon of Christ, and to the left is an icon of the Theotokos (Mary). there are more doors and icons on either side of these.

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Iconostasis

can finish explaining it, but i think i got the basics. i'm still learning!

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Please share with the readers what iconostasis is and how its involved in your worship.

Sharing with the class.

From: http://www.byzantines.net/epiphany/iconostasis.htm

CONCLUSION

From the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem until the present day, priesthood and people have been separated by real and synbolic barriers. While the iconostasis in its later evolution cannot be said to derive directly from ancient and venerable tradition, the separation of clergy and people upon which it is predicated existed in Apostolic times, being directly inherited by the Church from the Temple. None of the ancient, Apostolic Churches challenges this practice. From veil to reiling to chancel screen to iconostasis the intent and purpose has remained the same; only the form has changed. The iconostasis of today is merely the continued manifestation of the ancient belief and practice that the holy of holies is to be reserved exclusively for those who are ordained to celebrate the Holy Mysteries.

I understand that after Mary's death the Icon of her holding Christ as a Child, by the hand of St. Luke, was brought forward in services as she was said to be there with them during prayers. They did not think of Mary as dead but risen to be with her son and this picture was a "window to heaven" for us. St. Luke wrote many Icons during his life. Few survive today.


Forgive me...

 

[Uphill Battle]

No you're right this isn't the time or place put just wanted to point out your double standards.

according to my current war (see signature) this is uncalled for. Simon has said nothing that warrants such a reacation in this thread. Perhaps it is more prudent to wait until someone actually says something offensive, before ascribing offense.

tally-ho.

 

[Uphill Battle]

Men should have their arms covered when visiting Monasteries.

Forgive me...

may I ask why?

 

[Thekla]

thanks Thekla, being here in New England a scarf is not far away.

Yeah it is gorgous isn't it? We are very excited, for one I have never been to an EO service, I love to go to different denominations and learn as much as I can, and second we have watched them put this church up from the first brick, it took them a few years but it was completed a few months ago and we are very excited to go.

Thanks again

my pleasure

If you have the inclination, it can be wonderful to visit different jurisdictions. In this way you can experience the same worship rendered through different hands. The iconography is a bit different, and the sound of the music varies somewhat too (though honoring the same "rules"). The Liturgy is the same (except for a few Sundays, etc. a year).

 

[simonthezealot]

No you're right this isn't the time or place put just wanted to point out your double standards.

Whats with the accusations today? I show no double standards, if you think I do the least you could do is put it out there so I can defend myself.
Where is UB with his war declaration?