downloadWorship Leading
Eastern Orthodox Worship Part I
The rule of prayer is the rule of faith. We pray what we believe and we believe what we pray. Christ handed down to his apostles not only the rule of faith (the doctrine of the apostles) but also the rule of prayer (the worship of the apostles).
Perhaps the most provocative questions asked by pastors, ministers of music, and students today are these: Can we know what the worship of the ancient church was like? And can that worship be adapted to our current situation? The answer to both is yes. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom has preserved the ancient practices of the church handed down to us through the apostolic tradition, and it is being used today not only by churches united to the ancient patriarchates in the East (Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Constantinople), but also by churches here in North America made up largely of former evangelical, Protestant, and charismatic Christians who have been united to those ancient sees. At first glance the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom may seem foreign, flowery, and long. But a careful examination of the prayers and hymns reveals that the orthodox faith, once for all handed down to us, is imprinted in the worship itself. Certain guidelines in adapting this Liturgy to the contemporary scene should be followed:1. The Liturgy needs a leader (celebrant), an assistant (deacon), and a congregation. It is also very beneficial to have a choir to help and inspire the participation of the congregation.
2. The liturgy is best rendered as a sung liturgy (i.e., the various sections of the liturgy are chanted rather than read). This technique can be learned and incorporated into the Liturgy on a gradual basis. 3. The music of the responses ("Amen"; "Lord, have mercy"; "To You, O Lord"; and others) as well as the music of the antiphons and hymns should be set very simply in order to encourage full congregational participation. 4. In adapting the texts of the hymns of the church, great care must be exercised to preserve their theological meaning. 5. The prayers of the celebrant should be prayed aloud for the edification of the people. 6. Certain portions of the Liturgy may be omitted for the sake of time, but the order of the service should not be changed.The Basic Pattern
THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
St. John Chrysostom was a fourth-century saint from Antioch. He was called Chrysostom, or "Golden Mouth," because of his incredible gift of preaching. St. John eventually became bishop of Constantinople in 398 and died in a.d. 404. The word liturgy means the work of the people. The worship of the church is the corporate work of the royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). The Liturgy is an action in which a group of people corporately become something that they had not been as a mere collection of individuals. Christ stands at the head of the congregation as the Great High Priest—a minister (or liturgist) of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord, not humans, erected. Opening Benediction Celebrant: Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. The Liturgy is a joyous gathering of those who are to meet the risen Lord and to enter with him into the bridal chamber. It is a journey of the church into the dimension of the kingdom of God. Christ said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The congregation responds "Amen," and in so doing, accepts the journey to the kingdom of God as their ultimate goal. Great Litany Deacon: In peace, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, for the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For this holy house and for all who enter with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, for our Metropolitan Name, for the honorable priests and deacons in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For this country and for every authority and power within it, for this city, for every city and for the faithful living in them, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For seasonable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, for those who travel by land, air, and sea, the sick and suffering, those under persecution and for their deliverance, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For our deliverance from all affliction, anger, danger, and need, help us, save us, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by Your grace. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Remembering our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God, and Ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ our God. People: To You, O Lord. Celebrant: O Lord, our God, Whose power is unimaginable and Whose glory is inconceivable, Whose mercy is immeasurable and Whose love for mankind is beyond all words, in Your compassion, O Lord, look down on us and on this holy house, and grant us and those who are praying with us the riches of Your mercy and compassion. For to You are due all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Great Litany to Prayer of the Entrance. The petitions of the Great Litany refer to all the needs of the church, the world, the praying community, and each individual. In its petitions we find the true order of prayer and discover truly Christian priorities and values. This prayer is not simply the prayer of a man or a group of people, but the prayer of Christ himself to his Father, which has been granted to us. This prayer is made possible only by Christ himself, who is our peace (Eph. 2:14). Therefore, we pray in him, with confidence that because of him, our prayer is being accepted by God. By responding "Lord, have mercy," we commit the outcome of each petition to the will of God. First Antiphon Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: O Lord our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Guard the fullness of Your Church, sanctify those who love the beauty of Your House, glorify them by Your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in You. For Yours is the dominion and the Kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Second Antiphon Hymn (Only-Begotten Son) People: Only-begotten Son and Word of God, although You are immortal, yet for our salvation You condescended to be made flesh by the holy Mother of God and Ever-virgin Mary. Without undergoing change You became Man and were crucified, trampling down death by death. O Christ our God, Who are One of the Holy Trinity and are glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us! Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: O Lord, Who have given us the grace to pray together in peace and harmony, and Who promise to grant the requests of two or three who agree in Your Name, fulfill even now the petitions of Your servants as is best for us, giving us in this age the knowledge of Your truth, and in the age to come, eternal life. For You are good, O our God, and You love mankind, and we send up glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Third Antiphon/Processional Hymn Prayer of the Entrance Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: O Sovereign Lord, our God, Who appointed in heaven the orders and armies of angels and archangels for the service of Your glory, grant that the holy angels may enter with us, to serve and glorify Your goodness with us. For You are due all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Deacon: Father, bless the entrance. Celebrant: Blessed is the entrance of Your saints, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Deacon: Wisdom! Let us attend! Entrance with the Gospels to Feast-Day Hymn/Prayer before the Trisagion Hymn. The Eucharist is a procession of the church following the ascension of Christ (Heb. 9:11–12:29). This entire passage from the book of Hebrews is best understood as a progressive discourse about a heavenly place to which we can spiritually ascend in worship and in prayer. We experience this heavenly dimension fundamentally in the Divine Liturgy, and this ascent is revealed when the celebrant enters into the altar with the Book of the Gospels. We can ascend to the place where we are surrounded by "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1, kjv). This is not a physical place (v. 18) but a spiritual realm, Mt. Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (v. 22), inhabited by God, the angels, and "the spirits of just men made perfect" (v. 23). In Hebrews 9:11–12 we see that Christ came to the greater and more perfect tabernacle, obtaining eternal redemption for us. Since we believe this tabernacle is the same spiritual place mentioned in Hebrews 12:22, we can enter that holy place with Christ by virtue of our union with him (10:19–20). We enter into this heavenly and invisible place fundamentally in corporate worship (12:28–29). The content of this worship includes remembering the righteous (11:4–40); (cf. Prov. 10:7 and Ps. 112:1–6). We join the timeless worship of the angels that is already taking place around the throne of God; we are standing in heaven and we sing their hymn (Isa. 6). Deacon/Choir: O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. People: O Son of God, Who rose from the dead, save us who sing to You, alleluia. Feast-Day Hymn Hymn to the Patron Saint Feast-Day Hymn Prayer before the Trisagion Hymn Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: O Holy God, Who rest in the saints, Who with the Trisagion Hymn are praised by the Seraphim, glorified by the Cherubim and worshiped by all the heavenly powers, Who out of nothing brought all things into being, Who created man in Your image and likeness and adorned him with every gift of Your grace, Who give wisdom and understanding to anyone asking for them, and Who do not disregard the sinner, but have appointed repentance for salvation, Who have made us Your humble and unworthy servants, even at this hour, to stand before the glory of Your holy altar, and to offer You the worship and praise due to You: accept, O Lord, from the mouths of us sinners the Trisagion Hymn and visit us in Your goodness. Forgive us every transgression, whether voluntary or involuntary. Sanctify our souls and bodies, grant that we may worship You in holiness all the days of our life, through the intercessions of the holy Mother of God and of all the saints who have pleased You from the beginning. For You are holy, O our God, and we send up glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever … Deacon: … and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. The Trisagion Hymn. According to the tradition of the church, this hymn was divinely inspired. When Proculus was archbishop, the people of Constantinople were praying in public to avert some threat of divine wrath. At that time, a child was taken up out of the crowd and was taught the Trisagion (Thrice-Holy) Hymn by some angelic choirmasters in the following manner: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us." When the child came back again and told what he had been taught, the whole crowd sang the hymn, and the threat was averted. The Trisagion Hymn was also sung in this manner at the Fourth Ecumenical Council held in Chalcedon in a.d. 451. People: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Deacon: Let us attend! The Liturgy of the Word (Opening Greeting to Sermon). The Liturgy is a manifestation of the Word of God. The Lord will speak to us through the readings from Scripture. We cannot understand our worship without knowing the Scriptures. The Bible is the key to the understanding of the Liturgy. Yet the opposite is also true since the meaning of the Scriptures is disclosed in worship, supplying us with a key to the interpretation. In other words, the Liturgy is a living explanation of the Bible. Furthermore, the whole structure and spirit of Orthodox worship is intimately linked with the Scriptures and is deeply rooted in them. Opening Greeting Celebrant: Peace be to all! People: And to your spirit! Deacon: Wisdom! Gradual Psalm Deacon: Wisdom! Reader: The Reading from the Epistle of the holy Apostle N. to the N. Deacon: Let us attend! Epistle Lesson Alleluia Psalm Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: O Sovereign Lord and lover of mankind, enlighten our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our minds to understand Your evangelical proclamations. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, so that trampling down all sinful desires, we may live a spiritual life, both thinking and doing everything pleasing to You. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with Your Father, Who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Deacon: Wisdom! Let us listen to the holy Gospel. Celebrant: Peace be to all. People: And to your spirit. Reader: The reading from the holy Gospel according to St. (N.). People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You. Deacon: Let us attend! Gospel Lesson People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You. Sermon/Litany of Fervent Supplication. As we continue our ascent to the heavenly Holy of Holies, we pray for the actual and immediate needs of the congregation. Here the church prays for individuals and particular needs by name. We intercede as a royal priesthood before the Lord. Deacon: Let us say with all our soul and with all our mind, let us say, People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: O Lord Almighty, the God of our fathers, hear us we pray and have mercy. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, in Your great mercy, hear us we pray and have mercy. People: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Again we pray for the godly and Orthodox Christians; for our Metropolitan N.; for the priests, deacons, and all other clergy; and for all our brethren in Christ. People: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Again we pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy Church; and for all our fathers and brethren, the Orthodox Christians departed this life before us, especially (N.N.), who here and in all the world lie asleep in the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and visitation, for the servants of God (N.N.), and for pardon and remission of their sins. People: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Again we pray for those who bring tithes and offerings and do good works in Your holy Church; for those who serve and those who sing; and for all the people here present, who desire Your great and bountiful mercies. People: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: For You are a merciful God and love mankind, and we send up glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. The Liturgy of the Faithful. The Eucharist is a mystery; the mystery of the church, the mystery of the heavenly kingdom and the fullness and manifestation of the church as the age to come. Deacon: Let us, the faithful, pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Celebrant: Often and again we fall down before You and implore You, O gracious Lord and Lover of mankind, to regard our prayer and to purify our souls and bodies from all defilement of flesh and spirit. And grant that we may stand before Your holy altar without guilt or condemnation. And grant us, O God, and those praying with us, progress in life, faith, and spiritual understanding. Grant that they may always worship You and partake of Your holy Mysteries with fear and love and without guilt or condemnation, and that they may be made worthy of Your heavenly Kingdom. Deacon: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Your grace. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Wisdom! Celebrant: That always being protected by Your power, we may send up glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Cherubic Hymn. The Eucharist is the mystery of universal remembrance. Remembrance is an act of love in which God remembers us. His remembrance—his love—is the foundation of the world. In Christ, we remember, also, the church in its separation from "this world" on its journey to heaven remembers the world, remembers all men, remembers the whole creation, and takes it in love to God. We remember his life, his death, his resurrection: one movement of sacrifice, love, and dedication to his Father and to men—this is the inexhaustible content of our remembrance. Choir: Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim, and who sing the Trisagion Hymn to the Life-creating Trinity, lay aside all earthly cares … Deacon: All of you, may the Lord our God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Entrance with the Holy Gifts. The Eucharist is an entrance of the church into the joy of the Lord. It is an entrance into the risen life of Christ—the very movement of the church as passage from the old into the new, from "this world" into the "world to come." God is holy. We cannot enter his heavenly Holy of Holies without the proper offering. That offering is the once-for-all sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We join now with him in the continual presentation of his body and blood before the Father. The Eucharist is a movement: a movement of adoration and praise in which all joy and suffering, all beauty and all frustration, all hunger and all satisfaction are referred to their ultimate end and finally become meaningful. It is a movement of love toward God, the only movement in which the meaning and the value of all that exists can be revealed and fulfilled. Choir: … that we may receive the King of all, invisibly attended by the Angelic Hosts. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Litany of the Offertory to the Creed. As Christians we live and worship in a unity of love and faith. Our love is expressed in the kiss of peace and our faith in the Nicene Creed. Deacon: Let us complete our prayer to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For the precious Gifts that have been offered, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For this holy house and for all who enter with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: For our deliverance from all affliction, anger, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Your grace. People: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: That this whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask of the Lord. People: Grant this, O Lord. Deacon: For an angel of peace, a faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord. People: Grant this, O Lord. Deacon: For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask of the Lord. People: Grant this, O Lord, Deacon: For all that is good and profitable for our souls and for peace in the world, let us ask of the Lord. People: Grant this, O Lord. Deacon: That we may spend the remainder of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord. People: Grant this, O Lord. Deacon: For a Christian end to our life, painless, blameless, and peaceful, and for a good defense before the dread judgment seat of Christ, let us ask of the Lord. People: Grant this, O Lord. Deacon: Remembering our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God, and Ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ, our God. People: To You, O Lord. Celebrant: O Lord God, Ruler of all, Who alone are holy, Who accept a sacrifice a praise from those who call upon You with all their heart, receive also the prayer of us sinners, and bring us to Your holy altar. And make us worthy to offer You gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our sins and for the errors of Your people. And grant us to find grace in Your eyes, so that our sacrifice may be acceptable to You, and that the good Spirit of Your grace may rest on us and on all Your people and on these Gifts set before You: through the mercies of Your Only-begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Celebrant: Peace be to all. People: And to your spirit. Deacon: Let us love one another that with one accord we may confess: People: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity, one in essence and undivided. Kiss of Peace. The kiss of peace is an act of love in which the members of the church acknowledge their reconciliation with God, with all people, and with the whole creation. We are a reconciled people. God the Father has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are also reconciled to each other as we walk in the light together. As we exchange the kiss of peace, we say, "Christ is in our midst. He is and shall be." Celebrant: Christ is in our midst. Deacon: He is and shall be. Deacon: The doors! The doors! In wisdom, let us attend! The exclamation "The doors! The doors!" is probably a reference to the practice of reserving the eucharistic liturgy for the intiated alone.