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Mar 25th, 2025
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,953
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Joined: May 2009
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Gad, I tire of those who fail to engage in self-criticism in any church - Orthodox or whatever. I have NEVER heard any credible contemporary Orthodox Bishop or cleric from any non-schismatic Orthodox jurisdiction preach or teach that belief in an earthly monarch is a prerequisite to being a 'true' Orthodox believer. I suspect that if such were the case, the exits would be quickly blocked by those of us heading for the hills. Thank God not all of us romanticize the Russian past and the role that the Church played in her tortured history.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,994 Likes: 10
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Joined: Jan 2003
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I was in Moscow just recently, and the Orthodox church I visited was packed on Sunday. The Easter Vigil was crowded that you could barely move, but on the Sunday after, too, the church was very well-attended.
I know that only a small proportion of Russians regularly attend church. But we cannot remind ourselves enough that in 1991 they had to start virtually from scratch. Considering that church attendance in Western Europe declined in the same period - considering, too, the length and complexity of Orthodox services, and the rigours (fasting etc) of living an Orthodox life - the comeback that Orthodoxy has made has been truly amazing.
What really impresses me is that the Russian Orthodox have managed this without dumbing down their liturgy or watering down their theology. On the contrary, I am told that Russian services actually tend to be *longer* than Greek or Antiochian ones. It's a far cry from the "We have to make the faith more modern and progressive to attract young people" way of thinking that has held sway in western Christianity for far too long. And more effective. Good points! Thank you for sharing your experience and welcome to the forum! In Christ, Alice
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 16
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What really impresses me is that the Russian Orthodox have managed this without dumbing down their liturgy or watering down their theology. On the contrary, I am told that Russian services actually tend to be *longer* than Greek or Antiochian ones. Excellent observation. My brother attended an Antiochian parish in Arkansas until an OCA parish was started much closer to his home (only a 30 minute drive versus over an hour). Having attended both when visiting him, the OCA service is longer and I do not say this to minimize our brother-Antiochians at all. My family experience is that our services in Moscow are longer than most Orthodox services in the States.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,309 Likes: 3
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I am told that Russian services actually tend to be *longer* than Greek or Antiochian ones. This was the case as far back as the 12th century, when ambassadors from Constantinople were astonished not only by the length of Russian services, but also by the way in which the people stood, unmoving through it all, "as though their feet were turned to stone".
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 78
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I am told that Russian services actually tend to be *longer* than Greek or Antiochian ones. This was the case as far back as the 12th century, when ambassadors from Constantinople were astonished not only by the length of Russian services, but also by the way in which the people stood, unmoving through it all, "as though their feet were turned to stone".Sounds about right.
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 16
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Junior Member
Joined: May 2012
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Speaking of standing for long periods, a family friend has a dacha in the small village where several old Russian generals were buried. One of the graves is a stone coffin set off to the side on the floor of the village church. It is unmarked inside although signs outside the church identify the burials inside.
Some years ago we were there for the weekend and during the Sunday liturgy our eldest daughter (who is now 31) was tired of standing and thought it a good idea to go sit and rest for a moment on the unmarked concrete / stone "box" on the floor in a corner. With 3 daughters at that time ranging from jr high to high school age and who were well behaved and learned to move quietly when in church, we didn't even notice that she was no longer standing in our little cluster.
Well you can imagine our chagrin when locals immediately rushed over and lifted her off the grave of Lieutenant-General Illarion Matveevich Kutuzov, father of the victorious General Mikhail Kutuzov from the war of 1812 against Napoleon. The elder Kutuzov had served under Peter the Great and there was our gal resting quietly on top of his unmarked tomb.
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