THE WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH
Worshiping God is the lifeblood of the Church. Prayer and worship are a central and regular part of our parishes, families and individual lives. Worship does not start and end on Sunday morning. There is neither a beginning nor an end to it. We join with the angels and saints in heaven who are continuously worshipping around the throne. It is important for believers to maintain a private life of worship and family devotions, as well as to participate in the worship of the Church.
On the Lord's Day, we meet for one primary reason: to gather together as Christ's Bride to worship Him—and not for our personal benefit or experience. True biblical worship is God-centered. He alone is the audience. It is centered on the Holy Trinity. Worship in the church is ministry to God (Acts 13:1-2).
LITURGY
God is a God of order, and the liturgy (order of service) for any worship gathering plays an important role in how we perceive and interact with God. The Church's earliest records show that what we think of as "historical liturgy" was central and common to their gatherings and has changed very little since the Liturgy of St. James, written by the first bishop of Jerusalem, was instituted some 2,000 years ago.
Liturgy takes the worshipper out of the mundane world and into the atmosphere of the ongoing heavenly worship. It narrates the story of redemption from eternity to eternity. It also helps us as the worshipper to remain part of the ancient and authentic Church that Jesus started. We do not invent the Church or the Divine Liturgy; we only perpetuate it.
The meaning of worship can be best understood from the Eastern worldview, which has lots of images, pictures, and visual representations that help us experience God in worship through the use of our five senses. In the biblical pattern of worship we follow, which is Eastern in its approach, it retains the mystery and awe in the worship of the Almighty God.
Our liturgies provide a God-centered worship experience that engages our bodies, minds, hearts, wills, and spirits. Each part of the liturgy is meant to draw worshipers into God's redemptive narrative and into deeper fellowship with the Lord. The liturgy brings each aspect of our being into the exaltation of Christ.
The Believers Eastern Church adheres to this historic pattern of worship. Spirit-filled, liturgical worship is the primary way that we, as a church, meet with our Lord. The Word of God and the Eucharist are the two most important elements of a worship service. We believe the pattern handed down by the Apostles and brought to its fullness by the Church Fathers is essential for worshiping God with our whole being.
SACRAMENTAL WORSHIP
The ancient Church was a sacramental church, and the sacraments have been part of Christian worship ever since. The sacraments, or “mysteries,” as they are known in the East, are Scripturally-based, God-given rites that use physical elements—such as bread, wine, oil, and water—to help us interact with God in ways that enable us to receive His grace. These “means of grace” do not cause us to become more holy by performing them; rather, they allow us to interact with God in such a way that He can bless us spiritually as He chooses. The Believers Eastern Church affirms and practices the seven historic sacraments of the Church.
To learn more about the sacraments of the Orthodox Church, click the link below.
https://www.bec.org/the-sacraments/
To learn more about why we worship the way we do, download a free copy of "The Worship of the Church" today.
EUCHARIST
The historic worship service of the Church has two central parts: the Ministry of the Word and the Eucharist (Holy Communion). From chapter 2 of the book of Acts, the Church has been devoted to the practice of remembering the Lord's death through the sacrament of the Eucharist. We believe the Eucharist is the epicenter of worship and should be celebrated on a weekly basis, if not more often.
As taught by the Orthodox Fathers, we believe the Eucharist is a mystery and is sacramental in nature. It is the real presence of the risen Christ.
For a deeper understanding, you can download the book "Eucharist" for free.
CHURCH CALENDAR AND LECTIONARY
Our lives as human beings are governed by time, days, weeks, and years. The rhythms created by our secular calendars and watches form the content and moods of our lives. Therefore, for our spiritual life in Christ to overcome the demands of these secular rhythms, it is necessary and profitable to allow a spiritual calendar to bring spiritual formation to our days, weeks, and years.
The Believers Eastern Church adheres to the historic Church calendar and the Lectionary embraced by churches around the world. The Church calendar creates seasons for each year, such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, directing our thoughts and daily lives toward a holistic aspect of our life in Christ.
The Lectionary provides Scripture readings from the First Testament, Psalms, Second Testament, and the Gospels to provide a platform for God to speak into our lives and direct our spiritual lives in accordance with the Church Calendar.
Our Lectionary contains the Scripture readings for every Sunday of the Church calendar as well as a theme that helps unite the readings and provide direction for teaching God's Word and for personal spiritual formation.
Our Lectionary for the Church calendar year 2023-2024 is available as a free download.
PERSONAL FAITH
The Believers Eastern Church is profoundly committed to the Orthodox faith and worship that transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Theosis, the spiritual journey of being partakers of the divine nature according to 2 Peter 1:4, is best accomplished through embracing the sacramental life and worship, where God alone is the audience. The more we gaze into His face in worship, the more we become like Him.
KYRIE ELEISON
Kyrie Eleison (a Greek phrase meaning "Lord Have Mercy") is our weekly Friday gathering of God's people to seek Him, modeled after the Taizé style of gathering (www.taize.fr/en). The liturgy, based on the monastic hours of prayer, provides an atmosphere to worship God in song, silence, and Scripture reading. It has become a tremendous help to our parishes in their journey with the Lord. Rather than focusing on the proclamation of God's glory, believers observe His glory and respond in worship.
You can attend a Kyrie Eleison service or organize one yourself.
https://www.ay.tv/watch/kyrie-eleison/
