Serbian Orthodox

[Orthodox_Servant86]

Hello everyone,
Christ is Risen!

I am just here to post that on the morrow I will be attending a Serbian Orthodox Church to experience a nice traditional orthodox Church upon reccomendation of a good friend. I have been in there before, but there was no service, it is a wonderful church (no pews, walls frescoed in icons). As such, I would like to know if there is anything I should know that might be different from less traditional (kind of redundant, I know ) Orthodox Churches. A friend had told me that they do not allow everyone communion every week and that confession is required beforehand.

Any comments or assistance will be greatly appreciated,
In Christ,
-Justin

[尼古拉前执事]

Hello & welcome!

Indeed He is Risen!

Well communion would be allowed every week if you had confessed at Vigil the night before every week and have completed the pre-communion prayers. I don't know what you are coming from to explain any differences otherwise. Sorry.

[Orthodox_Servant86]

oops, sorry about that.

I am coming from an Antiochian Orthodox background. We have a nice Church though communion is given every sunday and I am not too certain about confession (I am a convert for one month by now).

hope this might help
-Justin

[bogoliubtsy]

The body and blood of Christ will be "offered" every week, in every Orthodox church to the people, as it's the main point of the Liturgy. However, you will see far fewer people in this Serbian church(most likely) receiving it than you have seen in your Antiochian church. Frequency of communion is a hot topic and there seem to be many stances taken on it.

[Orthodox_Servant86]

Hello everyone, Christ is Risen!

I recently returned from the serbian divine liturgy this morning, that church truly is a wonderful bulding, though one thing shocked me about their policy of receiving communion.................... nobody received it! I mean, the priest, after the epiklesis and the our father came out with the chalice, then went back inside, said his sermon, and blessed with the chalice again, no partaking of the liturgy by anyone (except the priest, of course). This confused me somewhat, and when I asked one of the faithful present, she said that it wasn't the lenten season anymore so fewer people were fasting and so would not go to receive communion.

Other than this, I understood and followed along regularly.

In Christ,
-Justin

note to self: Wear more confortable shoes next time attending pewless orthodox church :mrgreen:

[Logos]

Hello everyone, Christ is Risen!

I recently returned from the serbian divine liturgy this morning, that church truly is a wonderful bulding, though one thing shocked me about their policy of receiving communion.................... nobody received it! I mean, the priest, after the epiklesis and the our father came out with the chalice, then went back inside, said his sermon, and blessed with the chalice again, no partaking of the liturgy by anyone (except the priest, of course). This confused me somewhat, and when I asked one of the faithful present, she said that it wasn't the lenten season anymore so fewer people were fasting and so would not go to receive communion.

Other than this, I understood and followed along regularly.

In Christ,
-Justin

note to self: Wear more confortable shoes next time attending pewless orthodox church :mrgreen:

That sounds a little weird to me. This is Bright week, a fast free week for all Orthodox, so I don't quite understand why no one would take communion. Was it a small church? What is the name of the church that you visited? I am curious about this. In some churches, such as the Russians, confession before communion is the standard practice. I am not sure how it is in the Serbian church.

[Methodius]

So did you like it? Will you be going again? Glad you visited a proper pewless church and were able to experience it. Not receiving often is a sad fact of the Serbian church.