Holy Protection
Orthodox Christian Church
UOC of the USA-Ecumenical Patriarchate
3820 Moores Lake Road Dover FL 33527
/ What to Expect / What to expect

Where do I park?  

We are a rural church, and our parking lot is basically the lawn.  When you come down the driveway, you will pass the church building (it is the first building that you pass when coming down the driveway).  Immediately after that you will see a parking area to your right and people just park everywhere in that (except on the septic tanks, so pay attention to reflectors and such).  If you drive a little further, there is the fellowship hall to the left, and people just park in front of that as well.  So park "anywhere," come on in, and make yourself at home! 

What to Expect

The unfamiliarity of visiting a new church can be an uncomfortable experience. You don’t know anybody but everyone else knows each other! However, knowing what to expect helps ease the uncomfortability of the unknown.  Awkwardness is normal in an unfamiliar place, but as you will find out, you don’t ever need to feel awkward around here!  We are simply family that you haven't met yet. Here you have a loving church family that you can look to whether you are just visiting one time or whether you want to stay for a while!   Our doors are open and we are already all family, fellow children of our heavenly Father, and we look forward to meet you!   If you have any questions just ask one of the people with the usher or other name tags.  No one will pressure you into membership.  If you are interested in membership at some point just speak to the priest or to one of the parish council members.  Worship is very God-centered and we follow a rule of trying not to talk during the Liturgy as it is a dialogue with God so don't be surprised if no one greets you until after the Liturgy.  Small children belong just as much in Church as do adults, and they sometimes make children small children noises and that is ok.  

What Sunday Looks like

Our main service, the Divine Liturgy, takes place at 10am. There are usually prayers or prayer services going on beforehand, so if you enter and prayers are already going on, don’t worry—you are not late!   If you are able to come over to the fellowship hall following Liturgy, we have a fellowship hour with coffee and some sustenance in the hall, often with Faith studies during the hour and Bible study toward the end.  

     In the Orthodox Church, the main service is the Liturgy. Divine Liturgy is the ancient Comunion service that goes back to the time of the Apostles, and is the participation in the heavenly Liturgy described in the books of Isaiah and Revelation. Liturgy means the “public work” of God with His people. In fact, right at the beginning, the Priest says the prayer “it is time for the Lord to act; blessed is our God, always now and forever and ever. Amen.” The Liturgy is a dialogue of God with His people, and is God working in and jointly with His people to pray for the world, to proclaim His good news that salvation is here, and to make present, week by week, Christ’s one time sacrifice for the salvation of the world, brought forth according to His promise. Many of the liturgical prayers are offered in song, as is the ancient Christian way, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5.19). As the Psalmist says: “how good it is for us to sing praises to our God!” (Ps. 147.1).  

Holy Communion

Please see Guidelines for Communion.  Holy Communion is very serious in the Orthodox Church, heeding the words of Scripture that we are to examine ourselves.  While all Christians can receive the blessed bread at the end of Liturgy, Holy Communion is only for committed Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared themselves. The Orthodox Church does not practice "intercommunion".   To inquire as to how to become Orthodox, please ask the Priest for guidance.  

 What are the Services Like?

At Holy Protection the primary language is English.  However, to show the universality of the Christian Orthodox Faith and to reach out to others, we do "sprinkle" the services with brief phrases in other languages (don't worry, they are in the book).  Most of these are repetitions.  While we avoid vain repetition, which Scripturally is not right, we see from Scripture that there is also repetition that is beneficial.  Biblically, for example, we see that if one is to affirm a particular word, it is repeated three times.  We see this when Christ asks Peter whether Peter loves him.  St. Peter gets irritated, but the repetition is Biblical--it is that of affirmation of a particular reality.  We see this throughout the Bible, and God's logic is this:  when we undertake something important, if we say it once, we can turn back.  If we say it two times, we may mean it but can still turn back.  If we say it three times, we are affirming it, for three is the number of the Trinity. 

We say a lot of prayers in song, as is the ancient Christian way, worshipping in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. All are welcomed to pray and sing along. If you don’t have a good singing voice, it still sounds good to God and the rest of us as we all raise up our part “with one voice and one heart” to the Lord.  We also have other services through the week in which we offer prayer as a daily dialogue with God but also for special purposes and needs (supplicatory services).

How Should I Dress?

There is no "dress code" per se set by the Orthodox Church itself for Orthodox parishes.  But this scientifically seems to be a psychological preoccupation of about 40 percent of the population per personality studies, so we need to address it here.  There are "boundaries," however, that vary based on climate, but share some things in common.  There are dress codes for Orthodox monasteries, but that is for a different reason altogether (you will, however, find various standards set by individual parishes on a local level).  Rule number 1 is that we are not to be concerned with what other people are wearing.  This becomes difficult for some, which is why there is a normal range of wear.  Certainly if an average store in the United States would escort you out based on what you are wearing, so also it is likely inappropriate for church.  And men should dress like men and women like women in whatever culture we are in.  In our culture women wear (women's) pants.  In other cultures, men never wear pants but wear tunics or the like.  In some cultures people wear sandles and take off their shoes and wear bear feet, in others, nice shoes.  But our focus should not be on what others are doing or wearing, but what we are doing, and also what we are wearing but without scrupulosity.  Some people have a personality (and others practically who don't want to hear it from their children) have a tendency to want uniformity in dress.  This is not the Christian way.  Go somewhere else if this is your position, because it is not Christian (again, when visiting a monastery, the purpose of a dress code there is different, because we don't want to tempt those who are celibate with any temptations lest they fall).  

In southern climates, we find "cooler" modes of dressing for church than in northern climates, especially on warmer days and in the warmer months, and that is true in Orthodox countries where the country spans several climates. In southern climates like ours, some dress in formal attire, some in less formal attire.  One will find it normal for women to wear sundresses, and men often wear "hawaiian style" or "polo-style" shirts on very warm days.The only canonical guidelines (which are biblical guidelines) are that you wear nothing that promotes secular things, or, worse yet, blasphemous things, when in the house of God, and that, if you are dressing less formal, that you don't wear skimpy clothing that shows off too much, and that when you dress more formal, you don't wear things that are hyper-expensively "blingy" because it shames the less financially fortunate (James 2.1-9).  So one might wear at $10k rolex that was gifted to them for their hard work in their workplace ("in context") to a work picnic, but would not wear it to church because of the obvious Scriptural references on this point so that we do not shame those who are not financially well-off.     

The question itself stems from our lack of understanding of sacred space (space reserved to honor the Lord).  You do not have to dress in formal attire. However, it is important to dress respectfully before God in His own house.  One of the most important aspects of respect toward God is to not wear clothes that promote secular things (i.e. no secular logos, images, etc.).  The Lord is clear that only images of holy things and holy messages are allowed in His house.  Comfortable yet respectful and modest dress is always appropriate. Usually for Sunday Liturgy in our climate, men will wear things like button down or polo-style shirt with slacks. Women wear dresses or sun-dresses, or a shirt with women-cut slacks of some sort.  On some days, when we have a work day and there is vespers (evening prayer), those who were working outside just come in what they are wearing to work.  In such cases, it is more important to be present and pray than to worry about what one is wearing, especially if doing the work of God beforehand!  Whenever possible, however, try to make sure that t-shirts are without logos.  If you don't remember, come pray anyway, and do your best the next time.  Please teach children respect for God's temple.   If you wear something that is altogether blasphemous to God, such as shirts, dress or exposed tatoos that in any way show signs or symbols that are idolatrous or satanic, or promote a message that is contrary to God, you will be asked to cover them up, change your attire, or to leave.  We are very serious about keeping God's temple promoting only things that are to His glory, His mission, and His kingdom.     

 

What About My Younger Children?

The Orthodox Church has always encouraged youth, from the time they are babies, to be included in worship of the living God.  We include children in our worship, and don’t shuffle them off somewhere else.  While larger churches often have cry rooms or nurseries, we are a small church, and are blessed to have the facilities that we have.  We actually at one time had an area in the back that we could have kept as a nursery or cry room (the old kitchen), but felt it not appropriate to keep it closed in, as it would distract from what we are supposed to be doing--evangelizing all humans, even babies who cry.  When we took it out, we had an explosion of youth.  Our small parish would have as many as 35 children on a Sunday, but regularly at least 20 for many years.  This has waned.  We still have a good number of children belonging to the church, but with parents that have to work on Sundays, but others with children who have mandatory attendance elsewhere, as well as other migratory reasons.    

We like a liturgy that has some noise from the little ones (Fr. Harry calls it "singing along").  Our church is full of elderly people that will simply love your children and be another grandparent to them, and many others who gladly are aunts and uncles to them.  Sure, with any children there are limits on behavior and must be, but a baby crying is NORMAL.  Younger children wiggling and even complaining a little is NORMAL.   

If you have small children, and they sing along (even if the words don’t make sense), all the better! If they get a little grumpy, give them a little time.  Everyone understands and no one minds a little noise from infants and young children.   If it lasts a little longer, maybe take them for a walk around to see the icons, or to the porch for a breath of fresh air (we have speakers so that you can still hear). If you have a little one that runs up to the priest while he is saying his sermon/homily, don’t worry, our priest is experienced at holding kids while he is preaching, or letting them assist in some way. If your kids are older, have them join in the prayer and worship! Our books make it easy to following along. 

We Ask of You a Little Mercy

While some come in worried about the expectations of others, others come in with a list of expectations.  We ask you to be merciful.  We are a small parish with limited resources.  

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