Some things you should know while in church.
Special times during the Holy Services are considered so important that special emphasis is given on entering and standing. An easy rule of thumb is as follows:
One should always stand when reciting something like the Creed or The Lord's Prayer, when a blessing or prayer is offered by the priest, during the administration of a sacrament like Communion or anytime we are called to attention - Sophia Orthee - (Wisdom Arise).
- The faithful sit after the petition for the President.
- The faithful stand dung the Small Entrance
- The faithful sit during the Reading of the Epistle.
- The faithful stand during the Reading of the Gospel
- The faithful sit following the Great Entrance and the chanting of the Cherubic Hymn to the end of the ensuing Petitions (Plerotika).
- The faithful stand during the blessing "Peace be with you all" and up to the recitation of the petitions "Having remembered our Saints."
- The faithful stand from the petition "And make us worthy, Master..." to the end of the Liturgy.
The following are the times we should not enter the church.
- During the Small Entrance
- During the Epistle Reading
- During the Gospel Reading
- During the Great Entrance
- During the Creed
- During the "Se Imnoumen"
- During the Lord's Prayer
- During Holy Communion
- During the sermon
- Whenever Father faces the congregation.
We should keep in mind that the church is a very holy place and we are there in front of God, therefore we stand in the presence of God. Let us try to keep dignity within the church.