This is my church in Cincinnati, OH. It looks like a very simple place, but when I enter here the world becomes timeless. I am in the 21st century and in the ancient past all at the same time. It is a mysterious feeling. I was in this building twice today. This morning, celebrating the Divine Liturgy at the feast of the Transfiguration, and again this evening celebrating Vespers. I'll be here again tomorrow morning (Sunday) for the Divine Liturgy once more.
This church has an interesting history - If you're interested check out the website at www.christthesavioroca.org
One of the big differences between the traditions of Protestant and Eastern Orthodox worship is that in the Protestant model, the building is generally viewed as primarily a physical location for the spiritual practices of the church. The worship happens inside while the building remains circumstancial. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the building itself becomes sanctified by the worship within it and is transformed into a representation (or Icon) of Heaven.
It is the teaching of the Orthodox Church that through the Incarnation, God has blessed the physical world by His presence. The Kingdom of Heaven is now here, "among us" as Jesus said. The physical can be spiritual - the two are no longer opposed to one another. This is why Orthodox Christians venerate Icons and fully engage their bodies in divine worship by standing, bowing, prostrating and making the Sign of the Cross during prayer. These activities keep you centered in the present moment, focused on worship with a reverential attitude.
In Protestant "Mega-Churches" the trend is to turn the worship services into entertainment. While this does attract "Seekers" and "Unchurched" people to the message of Christ, which is a good thing, it leaves many new believers with no place to go for deeper teachings that bring real lasting spiritual formation. This is one of the reasons I walked away from Evangelical Christianity into Buddhism. In Buddhism I found a focus on lasting inner transformation through meditation and historical liturgical practice. This made me realize the value of liturgical tradition and led me to the Eastern Orthodox Church and true Christianity. It's like seeing a great work of art in person after seeing a postcard representation, or like reading a great novel after watching the cartoon adaptation.
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