Sept-Oct 2018 ‘And the disciples were first called THE NARTHEX Christians in Antioch’ (Acts 11:26)

The Orthodox of St Dunstan of Canterbury, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset BH14 9JG The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland. Archbishop: Metropolitan Silouan The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. Patriarch: His Beatitude, John X

Parish Priest: Fr. Chrysostom Tel. 01202-602628 e-mail: [email protected]

Asst Priest: Fr Filip Tel. 01308-868543 e-mail: [email protected]

Deacon: Fr Dc Alexander Tel. 07765417610 e-mail: [email protected]

Subdeacon David Tel. 01209-217499

Parish web site: www.saint-dunstan.org Archdiocesan web site: www.antiochian-orthodox.co.uk

Standing is certainly the normal posture for symbolic beauty and ritual employed in

Something Understood worship on all Sundays of the year, in the old Catholic rites and ceremonies,

commemoration of the Resurrection. And what was once liturgical, they replaced indeed, the Holy canons actually forbid with long sermons and the Heaven in ordinarie, man well drest, kneeling for worship during the whole of exhortations of a more verbose and The milkie way, the bird of paradise, the season of Pascha. (They also forbid didactic form of worship. Worshippers Church-bels beyond the starres heard, fasting at that time as well, which is still became sedentary listeners.

The souls blood, Antiochian practice.) I remember once, when I was The land of spices; something understood. The second reason is really teaching in Nottinghamshire, I had the

GEORGE HERBERT (1593-1633) ascetic. Standing for long periods does, of opportunity to visit Lincoln . I course, take effort. Having been raised up was delighted to discover that in that At certain times during the Divine with Christ to this dignity, we stand in Him great mediaeval building, there were Liturgy, the deacon exclaims, Stand upright! not just for our own sakes but as servants, no pews in the ; the vast floor Indeed, it has been the tradition within waiting on God. In a paradox, our service is space was empty, save for the great Orthodox liturgical practice to stand for the discovery of the perfect freedom. All columns. (There were, of course, prayer since the days of the Apostles. This our ascetic practice, as part of our life in stacking-chairs at the sides which were was inherited from Old Testament practice the Church, takes real effort. Our fasting put out for the Anglican services.) Two but takes on a dynamic character in the New takes effort; our time given to prayer takes lessons were confirmed for me during Covenant in Christ. effort; so does our charity, our turning of this visit. Firstly, that if you wish to There are, of course, exceptions to the other cheek, our forgiveness of others, improve the internal appearance of any this posture: one thinks of the Kneeling our fostering of a humble spirit: all of it is a building, then take things out! Great

Prayers at Pentecost or the natural synergy, a co-operation with Grace, architecture can stand for itself when inclination to go down on ones knees as an forming within us the lineaments of the not cluttered. Secondly, there is an expression of repentance. (However, we New Adam. The very word, Liturgy, means artistic rule that I have always found to might recall the repentant publican in the a public service. We talk of priests serving be true: you can put old items into a ‘who stood a long way off...’ the Liturgy; of those who approach the new building (they look curious and

[Lk.18:13]) But under normal circumstances, holy chalice as the servants and interesting) but you cannot put new we stand. handmaidens of the Lord. Truly, in standing items into an old building; they become

The prime reason for this tradition for the liturgical services we are the an eyesore. Sadly, they had made this of standing for prayer is symbolic. I do not servants of God, as Christ Himself was mistake at Lincoln Cathedral, with a mean by that, mere symbolism and that is all, among us as one who serves ( Mk.10:43- hideously modern metal construction, as if it were of no real importance. The word, 45). erected over the tomb of Hugh of symbolic, refers here to the physical Bearing this in mind, it is normal Lincoln at the east end of the building. manifestation of something spiritual. There to think of the , the Orthodox In short, then, there is no is no mere symbolism in the Orthodox faith Church building, as having few seats. It reason for ranks of seats in our and practice; the whole point of our religion, strikes me as a shame that so many newer Orthodox Churches. One of the great in terms of praxis, is that everything church buildings, especially those in the blessings of our own building is that becomes sacramental for us; an expression Greek tradition, seem to be filled with there were no pews from its original of something understood among us. seating, whether chairs or pews. Is this Anglican days. The two long wooden Apart from those who, for obvious because the people have become, benches that are there were originally reasons, are unable to stand for long suddenly, ascetically weak? Is it because used by the choir. We do indeed have periods, or cannot stand at all, in standing the seats are required now by stacking-chairs, stored along the north for prayer, whether during the liturgical congregations that have grown old and are wall, and these may be used if you services or in our own prayers at home, we not renewing themselves with younger need to sit during the homily, for are doing so for two clear reasons. members? example. They are also used when The primary reason is that, having In the past, in both the churches there are musical concerts in the nave. been baptised into Christ’s death we now of the west, as well as the east, there was (One practical point: if you do use a stand with Him in His resurrection. In other little by way of seating until the Protestant chair, it would be much appreciated if words, standing is a mark of our dignity in Reformation. Monastic churches would they were replaced afterwards and in the New Adam; not the arrogance of human have misericords for monks to rest upon stacks of no more than six chairs.) But pride, rooted in the old Adam, but a mark of and, as the expression says in English, ‘the whether you stand or have to sit at the grace with which we have been blessed weak go to the wall,’ where there would be certain times, there are points in the and in which we stand before God. seats for those who needed them. Pews service when we should stand, if were a Protestant addition to the of physically able. the Reformed churches, suited to their These times are: new services. Having removed most of the

 Whenever the priest comes out of endeavour. It is a mark of our commitment to SERVICES the and into the nave. the ascetic life – the spiritual training of the Vespers is normally served on Saturdays at  At the opening blessing body – that we can carry all this across once 5.00pm and on Wednesdays at 6.00pm. Fr. Chrysostom is available for  During any we have left the sacred courts and portals of afterwards or by appointment. Orthros is  During the chanting of the gospel the Lord. served before the on Sundays (kneeling at this point is a curious Fr Chrysostom at 9.00am and unusual custom, followed by 

some, not to be encouraged). September  During the Creed Developments in the Church Building Sat 1st Beginning of the Church Year  During the Anaphora (Eucharistic It was in great joy that, on Sunday 19th Prayer). At weekday liturgies one August, we received into the temple the Sun 2nd 14th after Pentecost Divine may make a full prostration original, handwritten icon of our Patron, St Liturgy 10.30am following the epiclesis, which Dunstan. We have had a lithographic copy for invites the Holy Spirit to complete some years, of course, but I have long known Sat 8th Nativity of the Theotokos the consecration (‘Changing them of the existence of the original at Glastonbury by Thy Holy Spirit...’). Abbey House, written in 1991 by the Monk  Whenever the command, ‘stand Alypi at the Kiev Caves Monastery, Ukraine. I upright!’ is given. remember the very first time that I saw it,  The final blessing. when I was overawed by its numinous quality. From the sacred images of the Holy Trinity, to Orthodox liturgical and spiritual life is, the saints of God, icons manifest the persons in fact, also very physical; it involves the (hypostases) depicted and I was particularly body, for the body, alongside the spirit, has struck by the sense of ‘presence’ in this icon been sanctified in Baptism and we shall be we have been given. raised up at the last with spiritual bodies, or When the Abbey House closed as a rather, bodies that have been spiritualised, retreat centre I contacted my friend, the icon just as, currently, we have spirits that have painter, John Coleman, regarding the Sun 9th 15th after Pentecost been manifestly made physical. Therefore possibility of obtaining the icon of St Dunstan, Sunday before the Exaltation Divine we use the body in worship, training it as he had contacts in Glastonbury. In fact, it Liturgy 10.30am (hence ascetic practice) in the ways and the was put into the care of the local Anglican service of the kingdom of heaven. This is parish church, so that through the generosity why we make the sign of the cross and understanding of the vicar, the Rev’d frequently; we perform metanoias and full David MacGeoch and the good offices of John prostrations; we bow the head when the Coleman, we have now become the command is given during the service; when custodians of the icon: a real answer to receiving a blessing, we cup our hands prayers. together and bow the head; we kiss icons Further to what was written in the Jul- and similarly, reverence the hands of our Aug edition of the Narthex, we have now priests and ; we greet each other estimated the cost, as suggested, of moving with a holy kiss. All our major senses are the high altar that stands under the canopy. employed and engaged in our worship. Unfortunately, this has proved far too Certainly our cerebral and intellectual expensive, so it will stay where it is. Before Friday 14th Exaltation of the Holy Cross powers are, likewise, engaged but not on too long, however, we hope to be able to Baptism & Divine Liturgy their own, as if we come to church only to reorganise the church furnishings in order to 11.00am think about our salvation. We do that, but use the area of the high altar for the liturgy. not that alone. Our churches are not lecture The main icon stands for the front of the altar Sun 16th 16th after Pentecost halls. It is true that the great St Benedict of are being prepared. You will see two already Sunday after the Exaltation Divine Nursia thought of his monastery as ‘a school in situ with temporary icons, if you venture up Liturgy 10.30am of the Lord’s service’ and there is much, towards the high altar. Using the high altar quite rightly, that we learn at church. But in will entail putting the current into Sun 23rd 17th after Pentecost the first place, we must consider the sacred storage and moving various items in the nave Divine Liturgy 10.30am temple as the place on earth where we forward by one bay. encounter, even now before the time, life in Before this can happen, though, we Sun 30th 18th after Pentecost Divine the kingdom of God. We know, morally, that need to acquire suitable music stands for the Liturgy 10.30am if we are not to be judged hypocrites, our choir that would not be out of place behind life should be no different, whether we are the balustrades, either side of the steps. The October in or outside the church building, altar party, clergy and servers, will also have Sun 7th 19th after Pentecost Divine integrating the kingdom and its service to work out the liturgical ‘choreography’ to Liturgy 10.30am (liturgy) with our daily lives. In church we make sure that the various processions and should be humble, knowing we are servants movements during the service are possible Sun 14th 20th after Pentecost Divine of God and one another; we should be and dignified. Liturgy 10.30am joyful, living in hope of the coming of the The principal icons for the people to Lord; we should allow nothing to disturb venerate, with their votive candle stands, will Sun 21st 21st after Pentecost Divine our peace; we should be repentant and be moved from the west end to just below the Liturgy 10.30am made ready to perform our service in steps. The new icon of St Dunstan will have its whatever office we find ourselves within own shrine on the north side against the pier Sun 28th 22nd after Pentecost the body of Christ. In part, the building itself abutting onto the steps. Divine Liturgy 10.30am [NB Clocks go and all it contains, should help us in this holy forward one hour] 