“All you do is stand . . . and sit . . . and then stand and sit again.” That’s how a lapsed young adult responded when I expressed how much I missed seeing him at liturgy on Sunday mornings. He is just one of many, that our church is losing. He concluded the conversation, “I want to come back, but it’s just not part of my routine,” and walked away.
The splendor of the Divine Liturgy and this beautiful routine may be lost, along with the next generation, if we continue to assume that our faith has no action. The Divine Liturgy, Θεία Λειτουργία, is translated as, “The divine work of the people.” What work do the people do if the priest and chanters are doing it all? Are the faithful merely to stand and sit, only to stand and sit again?
At the most crucial moment of the Divine Liturgy, the climax, the priest exclaims, “Let us stand well! Let us stand in awe! Let us be attentive.” Emulating soldiers, ready to respond to duty, we are to STAND dignified, pay close attention and show great respect because we are about to “present the Holy Offering in peace.”
To STAND is to make a proclamation of respect. As Christians, we need to discern when to fit in, versus when to STAND out. Our priorities have blurred, and our routines are commanded by digitized voices named Siri, Alexa and Google. As the chaos surrounds us, I encourage you to STAND well, STAND in awe and be attentive to our Faith. St. Paul urged the Ephesians to STAND. He speaks of the struggles they endured in life. Routine was a struggle then just as it is today; like depression, bullying, anxiety, and peer pressure. Over 2000 year ago, St. Paul encouraged the Ephesians (6:10-18) to “be strong in the Lord,” “to stand” and to “put on the armor of God.”
Our ability to STAND and “put on the armor of God” is based on how we approach our relationship with Christ. We are absolutely strengthened through the constant practice of personal prayer and regular scripture reading; however, by participating in the sacraments of our Church we find fulfillment in Christ. Living a sacramental life, and making it part of our routine, is a way to put our faith into action. We need to practice the sacrament of confession and partake of holy communion regularly to fully combat the struggles, temptations, assaults, and everyday challenges of life.
Yes! Come participate in the Divine Liturgy, Θεία Λειτουργία, “The divine work of the people.” YES! Come and sit and STAND and sit and then STAND again, over and over. Come, STAND well, STAND in awe, STAND in the presence of God. Make it an important part of a loving routine. Find the strength to STAND for what sets us apart and sanctifies us! The Divine Liturgy of our Orthodox Faith is a truly complex web of action that leads to Holy Communion (unification) with Christ. If these actions are trivialized and neglected then that union we enter, the communion we receive, is folklore from Yiayia.
Abraham Lincoln said, “If you don’t STAND for something, you will fall for everything.” STAND for Faith, STAND for Christ, and make it part of a faithful and loving routine. Turn to God and STAND in His presence. Be transformed and STAND to become strong and mighty through Christ.
