FAQs

Absolutely! The church is a house of prayer. We welcome everyone who's interested in worshiping the Holy Trinity. Most of our parishioners weren’t born into the Orthodox faith. Some were. But, like you, most of us started our journey to the ancient Church with a desire to know the truth, the beliefs of the early churches, and their practices.

Feel free to sit anywhere you like. We have books if you want follow the service or you may sit or stand prayerfully and enter into the beauty of worship unfolding in a sacred place.

If you visit on a Sunday, you’re invited to join us downstairs in the fellowship hall for Coffee Hour. It’s a good time to meet one another and chat.

A good rule of thumb is that we wear our best. When we step into the church we enter into the presence of the God of heaven, who is invisibly present among us.

We encourage men to dress as they would for an important meeting and women to dress with modesty. Proper attire helps lift the heart of God's people to heaven and away from the distractions of earthly beauty.

It isn’t our custom to wear shorts or the types of clothing that one might wear to the beach, a ballgame, or a barbeque. In our tradition, the worship gathering is different. We present ourselves to God accordingly.

You have two options:

• You can park on the street and enter the church through the street-level entrance. That's the easiest way for people who have difficulty with stairs.
• We also have a huge parking lot on the north side of the building. You can park there and enter the church through the Narthex.

The best time to arrive is before the service begins. The schedule is found on the homepage or under Calendar. If you’re new or a visitor, please come inside. We don’t want you standing outside in the heat, the rain, or the cold.

You’ll find that there are times when we don’t move around, for example:

• when the priest is censing;
• during the Little Entrance;
• during the reading of the Epistle or the Gospel;
• during the Great Entrance;
• during the consecration of the Bread and Wine.

But if you’re a first-time visitor, you would have no way of knowing. It isn't expected. So be at peace; and don't worry. Please come inside. A parishioner will help you settle in.

Of course. It’s an important part of prayer and worship. We invite you to participate. The physical act of lighting a candle reminds us:

• God is light;
• Jesus is the light of the world;
• He's the light of my darkened soul as well;
• The Lord dwells in light unapproachable;
• He covers Himself with light as with a garment;
• The light of Christ illumines all.

Say some prayers when you light your candle. You can light candles for others, too. You may leave a small donation, if you wish, but it isn’t necessary.

Broadly speaking, there are two parts of the Divine Liturgy:

• The Liturgy of the Word (through the Epistle, Gospel, and homily).
• The LIturgy of the Faithful (the Eucharistic service).

At the end of the Liturgy of the Word, you may hear a Litany for the Catechumens which ends with the exclaiming, “Catechumens, depart!” And that can be a little confusing. Oftentimes, the exclaimation is omitted.

In the ancient church, all who were not prepared or who were unable to receive Holy Communion were dismissed. The catechumens were one of the groups dismissed in order for them to attend catechism classes. Today some parishes have a system and staff in place to instruct the catechumens during the Liturgy of the Faithful. But most parishes do not. It's a pastoral call based on the local custom.

At St. John the Theologian we want you to remain for the entire Divine Liturgy and the Post-Communion Prayers.

When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).

It is our custom to stand. But sometimes health considerations prevent us from standing. Please sit down when you need to do so.

Sitting isn't the normative form of worship and prayer. The early Church understood:

• only the work of Christ is finished;
• He sat down at the right hand of the Father;
• but Liturgy is the work of the people. Our work isn’t finished.

Part of that work includes the endeavor to pray and make intercessions for everyone in the world and for all of creation. Standing helps us to focus and be attentive.

But you are our guest. We prefer you to be comfortable. Please sit down when you need to do so.

You'll find that there are times when it’s customary for all to stand. Just follow the example of others.