Thank you! I'd make a separate thread, but I'm not sure I want to inflict my constant whining on you guys, haha. You're probably better equiped to deal with my brand of tortured intellectualism than many, but it's pretty wild.
Your call.
it's good either way, but if you make your own thread (just a suggestion) and put your own thoughts, questions in it, we can get to know you and reply better to where you yourself are coming from. Answers are sometimes better given knowing that, rather than risking creating confusion but giving too much info, or misunderstanding what you are thinking or really want to know.
I just really enjoy getting to know people and talking to them as persons rather than giving "one size fits all" canned responses that can confuse or mislead.
You guys do the kiss greeting! That's good to know in advance--I'm a little bit... nomadic, so pretty likely to finally get around to dropping by an EO church in kiss-happy Europe before the US. Not sure how many cultural complications that'll add to the mix!
That's an "it depends". Officially we do. In our parish we do. What I know of our diocese is that we are rare for doing so. I'm told sometimes people turn it into a big greet and chat, and it's really supposed to be a liturgical act with meaning, but because we happen to "do it the right way" - greeting people in our most immediate vicinity with the proper greeting and kiss, our bishop told us to keep doing it, but told some parishes to stop.
I do think it is widely practiced in general in Orrhodoxy, but no idea what the real boundaries of practice are.
Though we've actually got an OCA church right down the road. Are they in any way different from ethnic churches? (Are they ethnic churches? The Greek Orthodox church is elsewhere, so I have no idea what this one is.)
Again it depends on who made the parish up to start it, and who is still there. I've been in OCA parishes that were essentially American convert Orthodoxy, and those indistinguishable from Russian Orthodox in ethnicity of parishioners, language, food, and everything about the priest, Liturgy, and Church. Other ethnicities are possible too. I suspect chances are a bit higher you'll find the American convert sort.
The same is true of Greek Orthodox, somewhat. They tend to hold onto their "Greekness" to some degree, since they were mostly established by immigrants, for immigrants, who desire to keep what they value (their culture), but depending on succeeding generations they Americanize anywhere from a little to a lot, depending on the local parish and priest.
And what is Great Vespers anyway?
A prayer service, rather than the service centered around communion. There are prayers, hymns, reading of Psalms, OT, Epistles, Gospels (varying a bit - and we rarely have it so I'm no expert). And more prayers, hymns, and Scripture.
I assume that still includes head coverings, or does that depend?
You're getting it - it depends!
LOL At least in some matters of cultural practice.
In the US, head coverings I've seen commonly at Russian and OCA parishes. Rarely at Greek ones. Always at monasteries. Antiochian seems to be hit and miss, but more without coverings than with. It's rarely something they will make a fuss over if someone goes against the flow, except being a requirement at many monasteries. And you will come to understand that often the yiayias, babas, or whatever the grandmas are called .... dear, dear, precious ladies! .... they very often fulfill the role of keeping others in line with expectations, raising up the young ones. And sometimes they use guilt or grandmotherly words, as if they are YOUR grandmother and have every right to correct you, anytime they think it's needed. I have learned to love that sentiment from them so dearly and appreciate it, but strangers may be taken aback, or even take offense.
Titus 2:3-5 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Orthodoxy!