Flowery Language

Is there a concise way to say something? Can extra adjectives be deleted? Can the briskest, most pointed prose be boiled down one more time to a more refined level? Then it's not Orthodox worship. If there's a longer way to say something, the Orthodox will find it. In Orthodox worship, more is always more, in every area including prayer. When the priest or deacon intones, "Let us complete our prayer to the Lord," expect to still be standing there fifteen minutes later.

This made me chuckle. It also hit home because that is exactly what I am like. God has given us the richness and beauty of language. It is only right that we use it in our praise of him and as part of the sanctification of our everyday lives. I am firmly opposed to the dumbing down mentality that brought us the BBC report about Pope John Paul II, as he lay in state, wearing 'crimson robes and his white pope's hat'.

I love flowery language, especially when it is used effectively to carry its meaning in a beautiful way. Language is an art, not merely a form of communication. I am glad that I am moving towards a church that embraces this.