Q&A

Q: Why do Orthodox crosses often portray a skull and crossbones? Isn't that a sign of evil or a symbol of the Illuminati or other secret organizations?

A: That two organizations share a common symbol should not be understood to mean that those two organizations are the same, or similar...or have anything whatsoever in common. The Church used the skull and crossbones for centuries before the Illuminati, or the Bonesmen, or Richard Worley even existed.
That goes for other symbols as well. The inverted cross has been adopted by anti-Christians, but was originally known as the Cross of St Peter, because he is believed to have been crucified upside down.

The skull below the cross is there because the hill on which Christ was crucified was known as Golgotha, which is Aramaic for "Place of the Skull." (in Latin, this is Calvariae Locus, which is where we get "Calvary"). On a Russian Orthodox Cross (pictured), the letters next to the skull stand for "Глава Адамла," which is Slavonic for "the Skull of Adam."

According to Fr. John Shandra, "The skull that viewers can see in iconography of the Orthodox crucifixion symbolically represents the skull of Adam. Some believe (although this is not a dogma of the Orthodox Church, but rather a pious tradition) that Jesus was crucified on the same place where Adam was buried. Theologically, it does make sense because in the writings of St. Paul the Apostle Jesus is called second Adam. Just as through the first Adam we all become inheritors of the fallen human nature and therefore are subject to death, through the second Adam, Who is Jesus Christ, we become inheritors of the renewed, healed human nature and granted life eternal."

In other words, whether or not Golgotha was in fact the actual location of Adam's burial, the theological truth remains: by His crucifixion, Christ, the "Second Adam," conquered the sin and death brought about by Adam's first sin. The skull beneath the Cross reminds us of this fact.

What To Expect

I make no secret of the fact that part of the purpose of this blog is to encourage my friends and family to look into Orthodox Christianity. I’ve said before that I truly believe a sincere inquiry into Orthodoxy will ultimately result in the inquirer becoming Orthodox. However, to someone raised in the Protestant faith, there remains a large obstacle to conversion: becoming comfortable with attending Orthodox worship.

I’m not going to lie to you: it is a big shock to the system the first time you witness an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. When I tell you that Orthodox worship could not possibly be more different from Protestant worship, you'll think I'm exaggerating...until you attend Orthodox Liturgy.

But please don’t let that scare you. If I, a Baptist since childhood, can do it, so can you. Here are some suggestions to prepare you for what you can expect to encounter at an Orthodox church:

Be ready to do a lot of standing. Orthodox houses of worship have historically not included pews. In fact, I learned recently that until the Reformation, it was unusual for any church, eastern or western, to have pews or chairs of any kind that weren’t specifically reserved for the elderly or handicapped. Most (but not all) Orthodox churches in the United States do in fact have pews, but even so, worshippers stand for nearly the entire duration of the Liturgy. Don't worry, you won't raise any eyebrows by sitting for a while.

Expect to see a lot of candles.

And icons.*

Orthodox Christians cross themselves…a lot. If you’ve ever been to a Roman Catholic Mass, you’ve seen people making the Sign of the Cross once or twice during the service. Occasionally you’ll see Lutherans and other high-church Protestants doing this as well. During an Orthodox Liturgy, it is not unusual for worshippers to make the sign of the Cross somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred times or more! No kidding. They do it after every “Lord Have Mercy,” and at every mention of the Trinity, and then some.

Don’t be too shocked to see people kissing icons.* Orthodox Christians kiss a lot of things: icons, the Bible, the cross, the chalice, the priest, each other. (But don’t panic, they won’t try to kiss you…at first) Calm down, it’s not idolatry. It’s how they show respect and reverence. It comes from the culture of the Middle East, which, in case you didn’t know, is where Christianity originated. Westerners are squeamish about such things, so it takes some getting used to.

You may even see people prostrate themselves. This is not terribly unusual during Orthodox Liturgy, especially in churches without pews (although people still find a way even in churches with pews). Orthodox Christians prostrate by kneeling, placing their hands palm-down on the floor in front of them, and then touching their forehead to the floor between their hands. (The prostration method you see in the movies where people lie flat, face-down on the floor is the western style, not used in Orthodox worship.)

You’re going to hear a lot of Scripture. Nearly every word you hear during the Liturgy is straight out of the Bible. Much of it is from the Psalms.

Don’t be shocked to see Mary honored. She is certainly not worshipped in the Orthodox Church (that is only for God). But, unlike what you’re accustomed to, she is praised and venerated. Just bear with it. She is most often referred to as Theotokos (this is Greek for “God bearer,” which of course is not so much a statement about her as it is about the Incarnation of Christ).*

The entire Liturgy is sung.

But there won’t be any instrumental accompaniment. Very seldom will you find an Orthodox church that uses instruments. Not sure why. Tradition I guess.

And don’t be too surprised if at least part of the Liturgy is in another language. Even at churches that conduct the Liturgy in English (and most do), they’ll still slip in a “Kyrie Eleison” here and there. But don’t worry if you don’t understand it: God does.

The Orthodox use incense. And it smells really nice. But it has actual liturgical significance as well: it is how God Himself has chosen to be worshipped.

Everything is a big deal in Orthodox worship. At no point should you expect to see anyone casually open their Bible and flip to such-and-such chapter and verse. Everything—and I mean everything—is preceded by prayers and hymns and bowing and kneeling and more prayers and processions and more hymns and incense and more prayers and more bowing. And rightly so; the whole purpose of the Liturgy is to worship Almighty God. Nothing should be done casually.

There are no nurseries or “cry rooms.” Children who are baptized* into the Orthodox Church are full members of the Church and are not excluded from participation in worship.

And, yes that includes Communion. The Orthodox Church does not exclude any of its members—from infants on up—from receiving Communion.* But if you have not been received into the Orthodox Church don’t expect to partake; the Orthodox do exclude non-Orthodox from Communion. Don’t take offense to this, it’s not out of disdain for the non-Orthodox; it’s to preserve the integrity of the Sacrament. In fact, so great is the Orthodox respect for the Body and Blood that not even all Orthodox will receive Communion every Sunday, but only those who have properly prepared for it (i.e. with fasting, confession, etc.).

When you attend Orthodox Liturgy, do so with an open mind. In fact, go ahead and forget everything you ever thought you knew about Christian worship. Stand somewhere in the back, and don’t try to follow along, just watch, and realize that what you're witnessing is an imitation of heavenly worship (Heb 8.5, 12.22-24). What you see will be beautiful and reverential and moving...and you won’t understand any of it the first time. But give it a chance. And when you see something that shocks you (and you will. Believe me), consider the possibility that what you’re seeing isn’t wrong, only different from what you’re used to. It is, after all, the way the Church has done things for two thousand years.

My challenge to all my readers is this: attend Orthodox Liturgy for four Sundays in a row. If after that time you can return to your regular church and not feel that there is something missing—that it lacks reverence or dignity or a sense of sacredness or true God-centered worship—then maybe you should start a blog yourself!

*These items will be addressed more fully in later blog entries.

For further reading:
First Visit to an Orthodox Church: Twelve Things I Wish I'd Known
For Seekers: What To Expect When You Visit

Quick Answers

There are certain practices within the Orthodox Church that will cause a lifelong Protestant like me to recoil and start citing Christ's warnings about the "traditions of men" (Mk 7.8).

It turns out that this reaction is really more a result of the lingering after-effects of Post-Reformation "Romaphobia" than of any particular scriptural or doctrinal objections.

Here is a very brief defense of a few such practices for your consideration.

Crucifix: When Protestants display the cross, it will normally not include the Corpus. They feel that a bare cross better represents the doctrine of the Resurrection. However, a crucifix doesn’t deny the Resurrection any more than a bare cross affirms it. Does an empty cross necessarily indicate an empty tomb? Wouldn't the cross still have been empty if Christ hadn't risen from the dead?

Displaying the cross—either with or without the Corpus—is proper as long as the reason for doing so is in keeping with sound Christian doctrine. It would be wrong, for example, for someone to display the crucifix with the intention of suggesting that Christ didn't rise from the dead. But who's doing that?!

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (Jn 3.14-15; cf. Num 21:6-9)

…but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles… (1 Co 1.23)

I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Co 2.2)

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. (Gal 3.1)

“Father”: Christ tells us "Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven." (Mt 23.9) Why then would calling a priest “father” not be a direct violation of a very clear instruction from God? Why, in fact, would calling one’s own biological father “father” not also be a violation?

Christ was using hyperbole to rebuke the Pharisees for their pride in not looking to God as the source of all authority and fatherhood and teaching, and did not intend to forbid all use of the titles “father” or “teacher” that weren’t directed at God.

Here are several New Testament references to legitimate spiritual fatherhood:

…in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. (1 Co 4.14–15)

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you… (Gal 4.19)

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. (1 Jn 2.1)

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 Jn 4)

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you… (1 Ti 1.18)

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Ti 2.1)

I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. (Phm 10)

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. (1 Pt 5.13)

Incense: There are many places in the Bible where incense is used as an offering to God and as a sign of our prayers rising to Him:

"And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon." (Ex 30.1-8)

"He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord..." (Lv 16.12-13)

May my prayer be set before you like incense. (Ps 141)

"...in every place incense shall be offered unto My name." (Mal 1.11)

...they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. (Mt 2.9-11)

[Zechariah] was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. (Lk 1.8-12)

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Rev 5.8)

The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God. (Rev 8.3-5)

*Intercession of the Saints: Christians often ask each other to pray on their behalf. This practice is certainly biblical (Rom 15.30; 2 Th 3.1), but why limit those intercessory prayers only to the Saints on earth? Why not ask for the prayers of the Saints who have finished the race and who are now face-to-face with the Almighty? St James says that the "prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (Jam 5.16) Well, the Christians who are in Heaven are about as righteous as it gets. St Paul reminds us also that we are surrounded by "a great cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12.1) who are still very much a part of the Church and who are every bit as willing and able to pray for us as are the people sitting next to us in the pews.

Making the Sign of the Cross: Christians (with very few exceptions) appreciate the value of displaying the cross, and rejoice in the love and sacrifice that the cross brings to mind. We display the cross on our cars, our churches, our Bibles, in our houses, on our clothes, on rings, earrings, and suspended from chains around our necks. It follows then that we should feel no compunction whatsoever about making the sign of the cross on ourselves at every opportunity. Our attitude should be like that of St Paul, who wrote, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Gal 6.14)

Consider also what some of the early Church Fathers had to say about it:

John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople (4th cent): "When, therefore, you sign yourself, think of the purpose of the cross, and quench any anger and all other passions. Consider the price that has been paid for you."

Tertullian, theologian (2nd cent): "In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our forehead with the sign of the cross."

Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria (4th cent): "By the sign of the cross...all magic is stayed, all sorcery confounded, all the idols are abandoned and deserted, and all senseless pleasure ceases, as the eye of faith looks up from Earth to heaven."

Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem (4th cent): "Let us not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Let the cross, as our seal, be boldly made with our fingers upon our brow and on all occasions over the bread we eat, over the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings, before sleep, on lying down and rising up, when we are on the way and when we are still."

Basil, bishop of Cappadocia (4th cent), affirmed the sign of the cross as a practice handed down from the Apostles, "who taught us to mark with the sign of the cross those who put their hope in the name of the Lord."

*Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!” (Lk 1.28) The Archangel Gabriel said it. Why should we deny it? Mary’s cousin Elizabeth certainly didn’t deny it: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” (v.42) Mary herself said that “from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” (v.48)

Is it enough then to give her a quick mention once a year at Christmas, and maybe again at Easter, and then neglect her for the rest of the year?

Absolutely not!

This is the woman who actually bore God! (hence the title Θεοτόκος), whom Elizabeth calls “the mother of my Lord.” (Lk 1.43)

Should she be worshipped? No. But she is the most important person ever created and certainly deserves more than the bit role to which the Protestant world has relegated her.

Relics: The Lord has seen fit in the past to perform miracles through the relics of His Saints (living and departed), and continues to do so to this very day.

Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. (2 Kg 13.21)

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. (Acts 19.11-12)

It was not Elisha's bones or Paul's handkerchiefs that cause the miracles; it was God working through these items

*We will address these topics more fully in future posts.