Baptist Went to First Divine Liturgy
I am a born and raised Protestant, primarily Baptist in my adult life. But I’ve been reading and learning about Orthodoxy, and took the advice of everything I’ve read. Last Sunday my family and I attended our first Divine Liturgy.
It was a great experience. I was prepared for what would be different, yet it still held many surprises. It was a beautiful experience. If anything was surprising, it was that the priest asked everyone to sit from time to time (though I suppose that is not unusual for the Greek Orthodox).
Perhaps the biggest surprise was just how much my oldest son enjoyed it. He seemed really touched. And was the most eager to do the sign of the cross whenever he noticed others doing the same. My youngest is not on the spectrum—but gosh, he’s as close as one could get otherwise. And he was restless and a bit fussy. But everyone was super kind, welcoming, and friendly in the best of ways.
At the end, we were invited to have lunch with them. The priest and his wife joined us, as did some other members of the church. The priest also gave me some books I have not read, which I thought was super kind and I appreciate it very much. I am partly through the first of these already.
All in all, I hope this might encourage others curious about the orthodox faith to attend their first Divine Liturgy. It truly was beautiful, and not all manipulative or “foreign.” The priest read scripture (in both English and Greek), and everything was focused on Jesus—just as service at my home church would be. But the reverence and depth took on new life, and that was something that really resonates with me.
10/10. Would recommend. And I look forward to learning more about Orthodoxy and becoming even more familiar with regular attendance at Divine Liturgy.