One thing I came to love about Orthodox church life very early on in my journey into it is the way in which elements of liturgical life actually mean something. By this, I mean that they are not simply interesting things we do, whose symbolism is an optional extra for people who like That Sort Of Thing™, and which must be explained to them because it is so far removed from their everyday church life, but rather that they are a normal part of the life of the Church.
This is something that I never really experienced in my Anglo-Catholic upbringing. Yes, we did all of the stuff with all of the bells and whistles, and it was splendid, but it was never anything more than a local conceit. We were always well aware that there were those all around us with whom we were in communion and who saw what we did as something odd, peculiar, and a means by which to define us. Indeed, in many cases it was how we defined ourselves. Rather than the way we worshipped being simply the way we worshipped, it was a badge of distinction that we wore self-consciously. This was no fault of our own, to be sure, but simply the natural result of a situation in which what is right and proper is nothing more than a fringe belief, seen by the majority as something to be gauped at - whether enthusiastically, respectfully or disparagingly, the result is the same.
Received today from Father Deacon Andrew Bond of the Church of the Mother of God, "Joy of all Who Sorrow":
Of your charity
pray for the soul of
Mary
Bond (née Galitzine)
who reposed in the Lord
at All Hallows Hospital
15 November 2010
May our merciful God grant her a place of refreshment, light and peace.
May her memory be eternal.
I had the great pleasure over the past weekend of being the house guest of Reader Mark and his wife Elizabeth from the church of Our Ladye of Mettingham in East Anglia, (or the Far East as my hosts call it). I visited for the church's patronal festival on Saturday and I had a splendid time. It was one of only two churches in our diocese that I had not visited and it was a joy to spend time with my friends and get to make new ones.
The Liturgy itself was served by Fr Philip Steer of the Sourozh diocese, with Deacon Andrew Bond serving with him.
The joy of the occasion was tempered only by our knowledge that the foundress of the church, Matushka Mary Bond, is very unwell and was unable to attend the celebrations. She is currently receiving round-the-clock care but her illness is such that it was considered inappropriate to sing the Many Years for her. Instead, she was commemorated with the singing of a solemn Kyrie, eleison. Please remember Matsuhka Mary and Deacon Andrew in your prayers.
For those who missed it on the Orthodox grapevine about two years ago, this is the newest purpose-built Orthodox church in Great Britain and is really a beautiful gem of a building. It is not a large building but is more than adequate for its purposes and gives a firm Orthodox witness in the Waveney Valley area. The church is dedicated to the Mother of God under her title of "The Joy of All Who Sorrow" and represents a restoration of love for the Most Holy Mother of God in an area where she was once held in great devotion.
Original plans for the church were laid aside with the expectation that planning permission would not be granted. Only the revised plans were rejected as being too unimaginative, with the suggestion from the planning department being more or less identical to what was desired in the first place, which was an octagonal nave. The result of this combined with the high ceiling and wooden floor results in a really quite amazing acoustic worthy of the musical efforts of the singers there, and adding to an immensely prayerful atmosphere conducive to the worship of God by his people. I had the great privilege of serving in the altar for the Liturgy and it was effortless. There was no worry or panic about the practicalities. It simply happened and I was able to pray. They are are certainly doing something right there and I hope and pray that the mission continues to grow.
Some photographs I managed to take may be viewed here.
Archbishop Mark waiting while I made my prostrations
Vladyka blessing me to wear the orar (stole)
Preparing to wash Vladyka's hands. This is usually done at this point anyway but if a new subdeacon has been ordained he performs the washing.
The Lesser Entrance at the Divine Liturgy
Preparing for the washing of Vladyka's hands before the Great Entrance
(left to right) Priest Paul, Subdeacon Aleksander, and Archpriest Thomas at the Holy Unction service.
Subdeacon Aleksander and me assisting Archbishop Mark at the Unction service.
(l to r) Priest Nikolai, Reader Felix, Deacon Andrei and me.
Well, I'm back from my travels. I got home at about 7 o' clock last evening and am still very tired.
Having negotiated my way around changing service times and two partially closed tube lines, I managed to get to the cathedral on Saturday morning with enough time to see the people I needed to see and to make my confession, which had been my main worry. As it happened, the morning Liturgy was fairly low-key. The Unction service had been planned for the afternoon, and that is a major event which always sees the cathedral full, and I am sure that some of the people wanted to stay for the Vigil, so it is understandable that numbers were a little thin for the morning Liturgy, especially as it is not a usual part of the cathedral's weekly schedule of services. The choir, though depleted in number, sang beautifully as ever, under Anna's leadership, and the reception of the bishop consisted of Archbishop Mark simply walking into the church, venerating the icons, and entering the altar - not the grand affair that I had seen on previous occasions.
It was in the midst of this simplicity that I was ordained a subdeacon by Vladyka Mark during the Sixth Hour. Because of the shortage of servers at this Liturgy, I was called upon to serve as subdeacon, which is not usual for a new subdeacon at his first Liturgy and which I had not expected. However, I'm very grateful for the experience of that Liturgy and one yesterday morning. I do not know how good a subdeacon I shall be, or how useful to my diocese or parish, but those whose decision it is to make seem to think that it is good, and it is a service that I would very much like to offer, so I shall try my best, with God's help. You will all know by now that I have never met a rubric that I did not like, and I have good teachers in my parish priest and the subdeacon at the cathedral, so in time I will learn.
If you feel that you perhaps forgot that this was going to take place, please do not feel bad. I tried to keep it low key, so you probably didn't know. Without the Christian grounding given to me by my family, especially my grandmother, I would never have sought Orthodoxy in the first place. I must also express particular thanks to my parish priest and his family, and everybody at my parish for their spiritual, emotional, and practical support and encouragement over the past few years, without which I would not be here. I also know that others held me in prayer, for which I am thankful. I am particularly grateful to the parishioner who lovingly made the beautiful stikhar and orar (pictured left). It is good that such talents and skills are offered in service to God through his Church.
A friend was able to come, which really helped, and the cathedral parish, as ever, was characteristically generous to me. The welcome lift to my hotel after a long day of travelling and services, the taking of photographs and videos, my departure gift, not to mention the gentle guidance of their serving team, (who seem to be closer and closer as friends each time I visit, which I think is splendid), all went towards making me feel incredibly wanted and valued. I really cannot express how happy I am. Even the state of the hotel and the resultant lack of sleep on Saturday night was not enough to dishearten me.
Additional delights over the weekend were the opportunity to meet another reader in our diocese with whom I had been in e-mail contact for some months but never actually met in person. He and his family were absolutely lovely and I look forward to seeing them again. Also present was a deacon visiting from Jordanville, who has been known to read this blog and who was truly a pleasure to meet, after having been in touch with him in the past. Perhaps he could be persuaded to transfer to our diocese. ;-) It all highlighted that ROCOR really is a small family spread over a large area, but really everybody knows everybody else: it really is nice, (in the best sense of the word).
So enough waffle - here are a few video clips filmed by two members of the cathedral parish.
This one is the latter half of the ordination itself:
These few are from the Lesser Entrance. Usually, the new subdeacon would be standing before the icon of the Saviour on the solea throughout most of the Liturgy, holding the pitcher and basin, so I was not expecting to serve. However, I was thrown in at the deep end and managed not to sink straight away, so I'm glad I was able to learn a little. If only I had a week of it...
This is from the preparation for the Great Entrance. Vladyka prayed the "None is worthy" prayer then we washed his hands, while the choir sang the Cherubic hymn.
Finally, this one is from the Sunday morning. There were two Apostle readings and I was given a blessing to read a translation of the first. This pattern was followed with the two Gospels later in the Liturgy.
I am now thoroughly looking forward to my next visit to the cathedral or, better yet, Vladyka Mark's next visit to my parish, because if I have one regret over this weekend, (leaving aside the choice of hotel), it was that I was not ordained among my parish family, who really have been a anchor of stability for me.
Now, partly because of my particular love for the Holy Martyrs and partly because of my French ancestry, I hope to learn a little more about, and perhaps develop a devotion to, St Andéol of Vivarais (Andeolus of Smyrna), who was a subdeacon, sent by St Polycarp in 166 to evangelise southern Gaul, and was there martyred on the 1st of May in the year of grace 208 AD under Roman Emperor Septimius Severus. He seems to be little known in the anglophone world but his cult is still strong in France. May his prayers be for our salvation.
Pray for us, O Holy Martyr Andéol,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
I'm sorry things have been quiet here lately. I haven't really been following any of the blogs I usually like to visit and I haven't got round to putting any thought into some decent posts for my own. Even the recent book review isn't new but has been saved to drafts for a few weeks as I didn't want to post it until the current edition of Orthodox News had been posted out.
The simple truth is that I'm busy. Holy Week and Pascha are fast approaching and I have to prepare all of the services, including music and such like. Also, because this is the first year my parish is worshipping in an actual church rather than a private home, we are offering a fuller provision as far as the services go, so there is more to learn, and more to get ready. It's all very exciting and I very much appreciate having this sense of worthwhile purpose but it just keeps me busy. I also realise that, now that we are operating more publicly and people are beginning to come to us who were not part of the tight-knit group who met in the house, and who are perhaps new to Orthodoxy, service booklets would be very beneficial for some of our regular services in addition to these seasonal ones.
We have four weddings coming up as well, the first being on St Thomas Sunday, so straight after Pascha. I think it is wonderful that our church is being used in this way and that we can open our doors to people who are ready to take this important step in their lives. Weddings in the past have always been informal affairs for us, usually with the bride or bridegroom being a parishioner, with a few people in our house chapel. There haven't been a great many - perhaps one every couple of years - so we have never had service wedding booklets and we have always just found some music from somewhere as and when needed. Now that they seem to be happening more frequently, I have compiled, (and in part composed), a collection of music for weddings, and a choir book, and service booklets will be needed as well.
This past year has seen a series of "firsts" for us. I don't think any of us really anticipated just how much of an impact moving into a new church would have on us, how we worship, how we function, how others relate to us, or indeed how much work would be involved. We are learning, and slowly adapting.
Aside from parish life, I am in the middle of deadlines at the moment for a periodical, the editorial team of which I was recently invited to join. I have been assigned my first issue. This is all very new to me and I just hope I can meet people's expectations. I must admit to a certain amount of fumbling in the dark, but hopefully a conversation this weekend should help.
This weekend is the diocesan service of Holy Unction at the cathedral, which I first experienced last year. It was incredibly moving and reminded me of the excitement and awe that I felt when I first visitied an Orthodox church. It will be a full weekend, however. I plan to set off from home in the wee hours of Saturday morning to get to the Liturgy at the cathedral for 9 o' clock, (I'm sure it was 10 o' clock last year, which seems more reasonable). Then the Unction service will be at about 3 o' clock in the afternoon, followed closely by the vigil. I plan to stay in London overnight and go to the cathedral again on Sunday for the Liturgy, before setting off for home in the afternoon. Then I shall come home and sleep for a very long time.
I hope to be able to post more soon, perhaps with a little news next week.
Icons and the altar of the "Joy of All Who Sorrow" parish
The new church of the Mother of God: Joy of All Who Sorrow, in Mettingham, is to be blessed as an Orthodox church by His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Great Britain on Thursday, the 16th of July, in the presence of the relics of the Holy New-Martyrs Elisabeth and Barbara. The church was built in sections in Russia and shipped to the UK for assembly, and is now complete save for the doors of the iconostas. A few photographs may be seen on the gallery linked from the diocesan website. While simple, the building has some notable features, not the least of which are the late Anglo-Saxon/early Norman influence appearance of the arches of the iconostas, along with the lamps which are unusually but beautifully suspended above the Holy Table rather than resting upon it.
It is now the third purpose-built Orthodox church in our diocese and a sign of the restoration of the Orthodox Faith in the British Isles, and has largely come about through the hard work of Father Deacon Andrew Bond, supported by Reader Mark Tattum-Smith and the faithful of the Waveney Valley area. Regular services have been offered in the church now since Pascha.
Unfortunately, I shan't be able to be there, as transportation would be difficult to arrange and this falls two days before my own parish's patronal festival, when we shall move into our new building. Still, I pray that all goes well at this exciting time in the life of this new parish.
God grant them many years!
Our parish is on a bit of a break at the moment, only for a few weeks while my parish priest is away. Perhaps if we get our own building we could have Reader services during August.
Oh well, it gives me the opportunity in a few weeks' time to visit the cathedral in London. I have wanted to go for some time but my plans have always been thwarted by people or circumstances. Our bishop is visiting the diocese at the end of the month and will serve an Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the cathedral, and perform a diaconal Ordination as well. I suppose that a few of you will have had the letter from Reader Andrew Bond that accompanied the most recent edition of Orthodox News, alerting us that he is to be ordained to the diaconate. Am I right in believing that he will need to be ordained to the subdiaconate the day before? Or does the "no two orders in any one day" rule only apply to the diaconate, presbyterate, and episcopate? If he is ordained the day before, it will probably be a quiet affair. In any case, I'm quite excited at the prospect of seeing my first Ordination and visiting the cathedral of my diocese for the first time.
