Freddy Sanchez - Orthodox Church Visit

Name: Freddy Sanchez
Church name: St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church
Church address: 6980 S. County Line Road Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Date attended: 10/23/16
Church Category: Orthodox

The service I attended was very dissimilar to my home church. As I walked into the service, there was a potent smell of incense. Candles were lit and we began with the divine liturgy. It was interesting to see how the divine liturgy was carried out, as I read the divine liturgy book I noticed that the actions of what the priest would do at that moment came up. If it said, he would kiss the altar then he would. If it said, he would walk and kneel before the image of Christ he would. My church doesn’t have a liturgy. The band at my church is also on the stage which is in front of the sanctuary, here the front of the sanctuary was filled with wooden artwork displaying many Biblical images. There were also many flowers and large candles that took up the space at the forefront.

 It was a very enlightening experience to be a part of such a historically-rich filled atmosphere. The images and artwork that surrounded me forced me to go back in time and catch a glimpse of the many narratives of the Bible. From the crosses on the pews to the dome of the ceiling I saw these stories vividly captured through numerous art forms. I was able to see the nativity of Christ, the flight to Egypt, the crucifixion, and the ascension of Jesus Christ. It seemed as if everything that took place had a deeper meaning to it. For instance, the bread that was chosen was leavened, I was told that the reason for this was to reveal the theological implication of Jesus rising from the dead since the bread rises as it is being baked. The service also gave me a visual for how ancient our faith is; it shows the stories that have lasted for generations.

My personal identity as a Christian has expanded to a much more thankful one. Everywhere I looked I saw a “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) surrounding me. I saw John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Basil, Mary, Michael the Archangel, and the believers who were next to me in their pews all around me. It felt as if we were all with God. With such a visual I felt more confident in myself as a Christian. If all of these historical figures are real, then they must be cheering for me as I continue in my walk with Jesus Christ. It also gave me a vision for what to look forward to and hope in after this life. I have been given such a wonderful opportunity and inheritance to be in the position to follow Christ and what He has called me to do. My identity as a Christian was continuously brought back to the foundation of when I first believed.