Faith
Our Orthodox Faith
Source: www.stgeorge.ia.goarch.org
An ever-growing number of persons from various backgrounds are becoming interested in the Orthodox Church. These individuals are discovering the ancient faith and rich traditions of the Orthodox Church. They have been attracted by her mystical vision of God and His Kingdom, by the beauty of her worship, by the purity of her Christian faith, and by her continuity with the past. These are only some of the treasures of the Church, which has a history reaching back to the time of the Apostles.
The Orthodox Church is the modern outgrowth of the early churches founded by the original Apostles of Christ in places like Jerusalem, Antioch and Greece. It has had a continuous, unbroken existence in these places since the First Century A.D. For the first thousand years of Christianity, Eastern and Western Christians were united in one Church. Cultural and political differences led to increasing conflicts between East and West, especially over the issues of Church governance and the procession of the Holy Spirit. A major split between the two halves of Christianity occurred in 1054 A.D. (“The Great Schism”), eventually creating the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Five centuries later, the Protestant Reformation emerged from an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Today, Orthodox Christianity constitutes the second largest Christian faith community in the world, with over 250 million adherents, located largely in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox. This description comes to us from the fifth century and has two meanings which are closely related. The first definition is “true teaching.” The Orthodox Church believes that she has maintained and handed down the Christian faith, free from error and distortion, from the days of the Apostles. The second definition, which is actually the more preferred, is “true praise.” To bless, praise, and glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All her activities, even her doctrinal formulations, are directed toward this goal.
Occasionally, the word Catholic is also used to describe the Orthodox Church. This description, dating back to the second century, is embodied in the Nicene Creed, which acknowledges One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. From the Orthodox perspective, Catholic means that the Church is universal and also that she includes persons of all races and cultures. It also affirms that the Church has preserved the fullness of the Christian faith. It is not unusual for titles such as Greek, Russian, and Antiochian to be used in describing Orthodox Churches. These appellations refer to the cultural or national roots of a particular parish, diocese, or archdiocese.
The Orthodox Church in South Africa owes its origin to the devotion of so many immigrants who came from Greece, Cyprus and many of the islands, in search of freedom and opportunity. Like the first Apostles, they carried with them a precious heritage and gift: the ancient faith of the Orthodox Church.
Operating under councils of bishops organized along national or ethnic lines, Orthodox churches are often identified by their national origins, such as Greek, Russian, or Antiochian (Syrian-Lebanese). All such churches are in communion with one another, and consider themselves to be part of the one true Church.
For the first thousand years of Christianity, Eastern and Western Christians were united in one Church that believed in Holy Scripture, the Nicene Creed and the teachings of the first seven Ecumenical Councils.
These teachings include:
Belief in the Holy Trinity, The divine and human natures of Christ, His virgin birth, His Resurrection, His Ascension, The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, The future Second Coming of Christ, The final judgment and life in the world to come.
Orthodox worship is highly liturgical, and involves many different kinds of prayer services, the most important of which is the Divine Liturgy. At the Liturgy, the sacrament of Communion is celebrated, in which the Body and Blood of Christ are believed to be truly present.
Orthodox worship places great emphasis upon all of the senses. It involves:
Sight
with the visual beauty of icons and vestments
Smell
by the use of incense
Sound
through the use of elaborate forms of chanted hymns and choral music
Taste
in the sacrament of Holy Communion
Touch
by the sign of the cross, lighting candles, and reverencing icons
Sight
with the visual beauty of icons and vestments
Smell
by the use of incense
Sound
through the use of elaborate forms of chanted hymns and choral music
Taste
in the sacrament of Holy Communion
Touch
by the sign of the cross, lighting candles, and reverencing icons
It should be stressed that we do not worship the Virgin Mary, the saints, or the icons that depict them. We do, however, greatly venerate these people because they are models of the Christ-like, Christ-filled life. When we pray to them, it is only to ask them to pray to God for us, just as one might ask a friend – for we believe the saints are alive today in the presence of the Lord and are eager to serve us in this way.
Orthodoxy has endeavored to maintain the worship, faith and practices of the Church as they were received and taught by the original Apostles of Christ. This is called Holy Tradition, which is contained and communicated through:
The Holy Bible, The Divine Liturgy, Icons, The writings of early Church theologians, The statements of faith from the first seven Ecumenical Councils, the last of which occurred in 787 A.D., Text containing codes of conduct process and procedure found in the early canons of the Church.
All Orthodox Christians are called to engage in weekly corporate worship, daily prayer, frequent fasts, and good works. The quiet contemplation of the healing presence of Christ, using the Jesus Prayer and such aids to prayer as prayer ropes, breathing techniques and sitting postures – known as hesychasm – is a distinctively Orthodox approach to spiritual growth.
For centuries, individuals have been striving to develop a closer relationship with God. In our eagerness to achieve such a connection, we often find ourselves influenced by new trends, dynamic personalities or even exotic faiths and teachings. We seem to be searching for that 'missing' element in our life that would allow us to 'feel' closer to God. The Orthodox Faith has within its essence, the means by which one can achieve a more intimate relationship with God. This does not simply occur by sprinkling some type of 'secret ingredient' into the 'recipe' of our life, but rather occurs through the nurturing of many individual acts and deeds over time.
As Christians it is important to remember the teachings of Saint Paul and strive to "pray constantly" (Thessalonians 5.17), for it is through prayer and meditation that one becomes closer to God. When we begin to develop our prayer life, we must begin with a positive attitude, understanding the many blessings that God continues to bestow upon us and ultimately that 'every good and perfect gift is from above.’ This acknowledgement will assist us in gaining the proper frame of mind to establish an open and comfortable relationship with God.