Yesterday was a wonderful day on several fronts. Including that I finally rested a bit.
I knew I was tired and had gotten dehydrated on the way over, so when I left to go to the Cathedral for liturgy, I took the subway. It’s only a mile or two walk to get there (really do need to measure it), but it is uphill and I was feeling the dehydration. Since it works out to about 95 cents I think, not a budget buster though it felt rather decadent.
Got there early as I wanted to get some prayers said others and myself, and get candles lit for others. I also wanted to get my paperwork to the priests as when one travels it is good manners to let them know who you are and that you are Orthodox before showing up for service. Part of my first few days here involved doing just that at other churches; but, I had not been able to do it at the cathedral.
It took a bit, but I finally got someone to take my papers and they assured me they would go to a priest who spoke English. (smile). Not knowing the confession schedule or how they do it at the cathedral meant that I did not get to do confession. That said, I now have options to do it elsewhere and have a better idea of how to do it at the cathedral.
The service was interesting. I was surprised that the crowd wasn’t larger, and at least part of the crowd were tour groups. There were tour groups coming in and going up front just a few minutes from the service starting; and, I strongly suspect some came in during and stayed in the back. A new friend was supposed to be there, but didn’t make it.
It was good to just be a regular attendee. At my church I am a Chanter, which means I sing in the choir and I read Psalms and certain prayers. Which means you tend to focus on what you are doing, getting ready for what comes next, adjusting to things on the fly a bit. Which means you are not able to truly and fully live in the moment of the Liturgy and the progression from time to Eschaton that is the Liturgy.
Even though I was aware of the parts and knew almost exactly where we were in the service at any given time, I was able to let go and live in the flow of the Liturgy. That said, I was also able to note and even appreciate some of the differences. They have a different musical tradition, and it looked like the choir was ten or fifteen people. The music moved more briskly than I am used to, but I liked it and it helped move the service along. It wasn’t quite as uptempo as the Russian Orthodox Church (reminded me of running a 33 1/3 LP at 45 in some ways, though I loved what it did to “Christ has risen from the dead”). Also, if any church I’ve attended so far has used the Cherubic Hymn, it’s not been a version I recognized.
I also very much appreciated what it meant to have the choir located where it was. I think I may have a touch of kliros envy, as our kliros is essentially a lecturn that we gather around. As you can see from the photo above, it’s just a bit different. It also really emphasized something that I think has been lost over time. The original Christian liturgies (there were several dozen if not several hundred, all theologically sound), the laity were equal participants with what became the Clergy (as we know it today). The music rolling towards the altar, and the chanting at the altar rolling back really did emphasize that interplay, though I was somewhat sad to see/hear that no one on the floor was really singing along.
One difference in the service that I will note is how the homily (sermon for you heathens, grin) was done. Instead of when we do it, the head priest walked out during the time the people go around and venerate icons and pray. No fanfare, no commotion, but simply came out a side door and went up into the ambo (raised pulpit area) and began talking in a conversational tone. Some people gathered around, others kept up what they were doing, but in many ways it made his talk stand out more. When he was done, he simply walked down the stairs and back to the altar area through a side door. No fanfare, no fuss, no muss — and oddly effective.
We then proceeded into the Eucharistic portion of the service. For those not familiar, traditional Christian services are the same now as they were around 33 AD in that they are divided into two parts. The first is the service of the Word, which features the Old Testament, the Epistles, then the Gospel (pretty much the order in which they were written). Once that is complete, those who were not baptized and full members were asked to leave. Once they had done so, the service of the Eucharist then took place, wherein the gifts of bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ and are consumed.
These days, no one is kicked out and all are welcome to stay. Those not members of the Church are not allowed to partake of the Eucharist, but can watch. At the appropriate time, I joined those going forward to partake and (no surprise) discovered the paperwork had not been delivered. However, the priest (deacon? Think he’s a priest though he filled the duties of a deacon in part) dispensing the Eucharist asked me if I was a member, and seemed positively delighted to find out I was a member of the Bulgarian Church in the US. I partook and enjoyed the rest of the service. Have a suspicion that the priest and I will talk if we bump into each other there during the week. Hope we do.
One thing did happen that I had been warned about. Everyone does some things differently; but, you are quite likely to be instructed/lectured/castigated (particularly by older ladies) at other churches if you are not doing something exactly as they expect it to be done. In our church, we cross our arms as we go forward to partake of the Eucharist. I was told very firmly by an older lady to get my arms down to my side as the line moved forward. Actually, wish my theology class instructor had been there as he would have appreciated it, as he holds that it was not how it was originally done — instead the hands were cupped. Then again, he would also be making a number of comments about inappropriate artwork (depictions of God the Father as an old man are not approved, appropriate, and are in fact a heresy) in the Cathedral and the Russian Church. For all that all traditional Christian Churches accept the seventh ecumenical council, few seem to live it when it comes to decorating the home church. I tend to find that amusing for some reason.
On the way back home, I broke my fast at what is rapidly becoming my go-to place for breakfast (served pretty much all day). The waitress I had the other day was there, and took the time to come over and talk with me and check on how my Bulgarian is progressing (slow IMO). Tried another traditional breakfast, this time a wild mushroom omelette on a slice of bread, with salad to the side. Most Bulgarian food is not light; but, they are crazy about salads and such. A particular salad is in many ways the national dish. So, not surprised to get a salad with breakfast.
Came home, finished my midterm exam — of course, as soon as I turned it in I began second guessing myself — and did a little set-up for this week’s class, then instead of doing needful things I rested. Well, I did get laundry done but that was a have to do…
I’ve been running (sometimes literally) since 0400 last Wednesday morning. Other than getting in from the airport, I’ve been avoiding using the subway. As a result, I’ve gotten in several miles of brisk walking every day until yesterday. I’m still tired a bit, and would love to take a hot soaking bath if I could.
That said, it has also been a productive and even enlightening time. Still a couple of churches I need to spend time at; but, I have a solid core for prayer, contemplation, and even participation via attendance. I’ve met some good people who are helping me along my way, and have been given some food for thought as well. I may end up changing up some of my plans as a result. We will see. This new week will be spent here and I hope to establish a bit of a routine. My goal is not just to explore the city, but to attend services and spend time in prayer and contemplation every day.
More to come soon.
If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.