by Fr. Silviu

We Orthodox stand in church. Or we bow or prostrate. But we do not sit. Even though some Orthodox churches have recently introduced pews (but not our St. George), to us Orthodox sitting is not proper in worship. This is so because to us worship is not a spectable, a concert, or a gathering focused on us and/or expressing us. It is our presence in the place in which God rests. In worship we are in the presence of God, in front of His holy table. If we had a different theology which views worship in other ways, if we had a view which answered the question "What is church?" in different ways, it may have been proper for us to sit. But we do not. Therefore, we stand. Yet, at St. George we do have seats along the walls, as it is traditional in Orthodox churches. To put it simply and plainly, they are not for sitting, as if sitting would be the normal thing to do, but they are for our weakness. The Church in her wisdom has always made concessions to our human limitations, to our illnesses, old age, and all sort of weaknesses which would force some of us to sit at times. But this is a concession from the common practice of standing, not a second rule or practice. And to an Orthodox heart having to sit in church should be hurtful and should feel unnatural at all times. Thus, regardless of our personal situation it is always wrong to ask ourselves, "When do I have to stand?" It is wrong because this question assumes that sitting is the common thing to do; it is not. The question is rather, "When, if I really must--due to weakness or illness or old age--am I allowed to sit, briefly?" And here is the answer.

• We cannot sit during the opening prayers of the Liturgy and its initial blessing, "Blessed is the kingdom..."
• We cannot sit during the entrance or procession with the Gospel book.
• We cannot sit during the reading of the Gospel.
• We cannot sit during the great entrance or procession with the holy gifts--the chalice and the disk, while the choir sings slowly "Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim..."
• We cannot sit during the recitation of the Creed ("I believe in one God...") and we cannot sit down afterwards for a while, because immediately after the Creed begins the eucharistic prayer, the peak of the Divine Liturgy during which the holy things are consecrated into the body and blood of Christ. This prayer is followed by a blessing given by the priest ("and the mercies of our great God...") and the prayer "Our Father," during all of which we cannot sit.
• Before communion there is one more brief period during which the weak ones can sit, if they must. After the Priest calls out "The holy things are for the holy" and closes the veil of the sanctuary, the choir will recite the prayers before communion. We can sit immediately after the prayers are finished, while the choir sings some hymns before communion. Yet, as soon as the veil is opened again and the Priest comes out with the holy things, we must all stand. And we do not sit down again for the rest of the Divine Liturgy.