Orthodox Christians are Not Seeker Friendly

A recent visitor to our Church noted that we Orthodox are not “seeker friendly,” that is, there is nothing in our service which caters to non-Christians who might be seeking for deeper truths. What he meant, of course, was that our service was too complex, too sophisticated, for the average person who might be attempting to understand simple issues of faith and salvation.

To suggest that there is nothing in our worship which can be comprehended by outsiders is, of course, not true, but the statement that our worship does not cater to non believers is absolutely true. It is true because the Church has always designed its worship to minister to the faithful, not to outsiders or unbelievers, or “seekers.”

Let me provide some examples. The earliest Christian worship, at least the part which included the Communion [“Eucharist” in Greek], was only for Christians. It was done on Saturday night, in the privacy of Christian homes, and communion was administered only to the baptized. The proof of this lies in the first century Roman response to Christianity. Obviously, some among the Christians mentioned what went on behind closed doors, but because no one from the outside could gain access, none could confirm. Thus the Romans fell prey to believing rumors about the secretive Christian practices: the Christian “Love Feast” and the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ could mean nothing less than that Christians were engaging in sexual orgies and acts of cannibalism. Indeed, it wasn’t until the mid second century that the first Christian attempts to combat these rumors were publicly made, thus indicating how long the non-seeker quality of Christian practice continued [it actually continued for several more centuries].

There was also the Christian treatment of the catechumens, those who were seeking admission into the Christian community. Once these people expressed desire to enter into the Christian life and faith in Jesus, they were subjected to several years of instruction and preparation, BEFORE they were baptized. We know historically that this practice was in place in some form by the end of the first century [still in the Apostolic age]. These catechumens, or “seekers” were only admitted to the first part of Christian worship, what we today call the “liturgy of the word.” When that first part of the liturgy ended, the catechumens were given a blessing and ushered out of the service; the Eucharist was the great Mystery [from which we get the word “sacrament”] which was only understood by, and intended for, the committed Christian. Thus, there was nothing “seeker” friendly about the treatment of the catechumens.

Lastly, there is the historical use of the “Our Father” in Christian prayer. Our Lord Jesus instructed us to pray the “Our Father” when we pray. However, the early Christians understood that it was a prayer which was only intended for the Faithful. Hence, it was done quietly in Christian circles whenever non-Christians or catechumens were present. A residue of this practice is found in Medieval Offices or prayer services. When it is time to introduce the Our Father in the service, the cantor chants the first two words, then the remainder of the prayer is said in silence [it is still said this way]. It was understood that this prayer was not for uncommitted ears or usage. In other words, “seekers’ didn’t have any business praying this prayer.

So what’s the point of this? To attempt to formulate Christian worship so that it attracts non-Christians or seekers is to miss the focus of Christian worship. Worship is not intended to be a tool of evangelism, but a means by which committed Christians offer their praises to God and by which they are nurtured in corporate proclamation of the Gospel, fellowship, and reception of the sacraments. It is only in this way that worship becomes a tool for evangelism in that the “seeker” might come and desire to be a part of the mystery of the believers’ lives and worship.

It has always been the practice of the Church to design its worship for the faithful. That is why the Orthodox Church has never had worship that is “seeker friendly.”

HOME