Signposts on the Eurasian Road #6

Signposts on the Eurasian Road #6

Hans Växby

Explain

I was on a “historic sightseeing mini-tour” in Kiev, and learned about how Russia was born and “baptized”. A liturgy was going on in a church we entered. I stood to the side and enjoyed the beautiful song and silently joined in prayer. Then the host bent over and whispered that I was not supposed to stand with the hands crossed behind my back. “It could be perceived as arrogance and lack of reverence.” I was not aware of how I held my hands, much less that my behavior could be offensive.

In Eurasia most people know what happens in the liturgy and how to behave in an Orthodox church. But new people who come to a United Methodist worship service have probably very little knowledge about our worship order. In addition, there are a lot of local traditions in our churches. Even regular churchgoers may not know why we are doing what.

Therefore it is a good idea always to say, “Let us lit the candle as a symbol for the Holy Spirit and God’s presence in the worship service.” And it is good for everybody – not only the children – to hear that the Psalms are in the Old Testament, that Paul wrote the letter to the Christians in Rom, and that the Apostolic Creed is something we have in common with all Christians around the whole world.