My wife and I were in the United States during the passion week. For Good Friday, we had the opportunity to attend the church in Raleigh in North Carolina. Fr. M.K. Thomas is its vicar, and Fr. Tenny Thomas serves as the assistant vicar. Fr. M.K. Thomas, well-known as a very scholarly priest, is unable to perform his priestly duties due to his ill-health. Fr. Tenny Thomas, well-known in the Orthodox church in the US, is a scholar as well as a charismatic leader. I felt happy at some of the innovations I noticed there, which I like to share here.
1. Fr. Tenny Thomas, who led the worship, was very people-friendly. Toward the end people were supposed to come to the front to kneel down and kiss the cross. Before that he made an announcement that those who have back pain may wait till the end, when he would hold the cross up so that they can kiss the cross without kneeling down. I was really excited to hear this announcement.
At the time of the procession, he announced that although it is customary to exit through the south door to begin the procession, as people have their shoes outside the west door, they may exit through the west door and wear their shoes and then come outside the south door. I was excited to hear this announcement as well.
Once the worship was over, we saw Fr. Tenny Thomas outside the church mingling with people as if he was one among them. Here is a priest who cares for the people. When people realize that the priest cares for them, they will care for the priest in return.
2. I noticed that Fr. Tenny Thomas was making a conscious effort to make the worship meaningful to the congregation. At the time of the cross celebration, I noticed that he took the freedom to elaborate some of the phrases to make them meaningful. For example, instead of saying “He whom the angels serve” he would say, “Let us also serve the one whom the angels serve”.
3. Fr. Thomas helped all people follow the worship by making arrangements to project the entire worship on the walls in the front. All the songs and prayers were projected in two places in the front wall, so that the congregation could conveniently read everything and participate in the worship. This could eliminate the need for using books by the participants. Someone was in charge of doing the projection, and he did an excellent job.
4.I also noticed that in order to accommodate those young people who can use only English, many of the songs and prayers were in English. As everything was projected on the wall, people could follow everything in spite of the difference in language. Songs and prayers in Malayalam were projected in Malayalam script as well as in its transliteration in English.
What I saw in the Orthodox church in Raleigh is an example that all priests everywhere may follow. Let the people feel joyful to be in the church! Let them know that they are cared for. Let them experience love and peace there, so that they can carry love and peace with them outside in their daily life! Let the worship be meaningful to the people! Let them experience God in the church!
| In Raleigh Orthodox Church |
1. Fr. Tenny Thomas, who led the worship, was very people-friendly. Toward the end people were supposed to come to the front to kneel down and kiss the cross. Before that he made an announcement that those who have back pain may wait till the end, when he would hold the cross up so that they can kiss the cross without kneeling down. I was really excited to hear this announcement.
At the time of the procession, he announced that although it is customary to exit through the south door to begin the procession, as people have their shoes outside the west door, they may exit through the west door and wear their shoes and then come outside the south door. I was excited to hear this announcement as well.
Once the worship was over, we saw Fr. Tenny Thomas outside the church mingling with people as if he was one among them. Here is a priest who cares for the people. When people realize that the priest cares for them, they will care for the priest in return.
2. I noticed that Fr. Tenny Thomas was making a conscious effort to make the worship meaningful to the congregation. At the time of the cross celebration, I noticed that he took the freedom to elaborate some of the phrases to make them meaningful. For example, instead of saying “He whom the angels serve” he would say, “Let us also serve the one whom the angels serve”.
| Projection |
3. Fr. Thomas helped all people follow the worship by making arrangements to project the entire worship on the walls in the front. All the songs and prayers were projected in two places in the front wall, so that the congregation could conveniently read everything and participate in the worship. This could eliminate the need for using books by the participants. Someone was in charge of doing the projection, and he did an excellent job.
4.I also noticed that in order to accommodate those young people who can use only English, many of the songs and prayers were in English. As everything was projected on the wall, people could follow everything in spite of the difference in language. Songs and prayers in Malayalam were projected in Malayalam script as well as in its transliteration in English.
What I saw in the Orthodox church in Raleigh is an example that all priests everywhere may follow. Let the people feel joyful to be in the church! Let them know that they are cared for. Let them experience love and peace there, so that they can carry love and peace with them outside in their daily life! Let the worship be meaningful to the people! Let them experience God in the church!
