by Dr. David Carlson

The Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church follows a beautiful and deliberate pattern.

The opening of worship begins in the narthex, where we light candles and begin to unload the concerns and burdens of our everyday lives. The Liturgy itself begins with the priest announcing the presence of the Kingdom of God among us — “Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, to the ages of ages.” We then begin to deepen our connection with Christ, who has come to be with us, by several cycles of prayer. In these prayers, we plead for Christ’s mercy (Kirie, eleison) as we bring to Christ the needs of our lives, our families, our parish, as well as the entire world. The first twenty to thirty minutes of the Divine Liturgy are of immense importance, for it is in these moments that Christ first gives us His peace as we offer Him our concerns and settle our minds and hearts.

The message from God comes next. The Gospels are processed through the community, which reminds us again that Christ is among us and is about to teach us. The scriptures and homily/sermon follow.

Next is the offering, when we give something of value to Christ who gives us the greater gift of Himself.

Following the offering is the Eucharist, when Christ communes with us, forgiving us and sharing His life with us. The Eucharist is truly the spiritual high point of the Divine Liturgy.

At the close of the service, we offer prayers that lead us back into our everyday lives. We have been renewed, Christ has given us much needed meaning, peace, and joy, and we leave to share those gifts with the world.

So perhaps now we understand why we are encouraged to be on time for the Divine Liturgy. It is not the priest who needs us to come on time. And it is not Christ Himself who needs us to be on time. It is we who need to be present from the very beginning. Why? Because we, as human beings, need time to let go the concerns of our lives and turn our thoughts to God. Establishing a connection with Christ takes time and effort, for our hearts and minds are often elsewhere.

If you have ever come in late during Divine Liturgy (during the Scriptures, homily, or the Eucharist), did you notice how hard it is to be “in touch” mentally with Christ? We are easily preoccupied, as we drag our innumerable concerns from the parking lot into our Temple. Contrast that mindset with what we experience at this same point of the Divine Liturgy (Scriptures, homily, and Eucharist) when we have been present from the very beginning of the Liturgy. Our hearts are calmer; our minds are clearer. We literally hear more and consequently receive more.

Please do not assume that those who come on time for Divine Liturgy are any different. No, nearly all of us in this fast-paced culture come into worship preoccupied with a myriad of concerns. The good news is that the first half-hour of the Divine Liturgy understands this and is blessedly designed to help us be truly “present” with Christ.

Please join us for Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.