We Orthodox christians stand during 95% of our Qurbono or Eucharist.
The catholics kneel and sit, some other christians sit during most of the service etc.
Why does our church insist on standing during most of our Eucharist?
And why are we taught to not to kneel or prostrate the day we take the Holy Eucharist? Is it because we dont have enough money to buy benches?
The only time we sit is during the readings and speech. We also prostrate(kubideel) during our worship (Except on sundays and days of eucharist/qurbana).
Its actually a tradition and part of our faith that we stand during Worship. Its not because we can’t afford benches.
Some of the reasons for it are because:
1)The Israelites stood when the sacrifice was made on the altar in the Jewish Temple.
“The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.”–2 Chronicles 7:6
In the description of the blessing of Solomon’s temple it is said:
“The Levites and all the singers, being arrayed in white linen and having cymbals and psalteries and harps stood at the east end of the altar” (II Chronicles 5:12);
“All the congregation of Israel stood” (II Chronicles 6:2).
The OT worship was afterall just a shadow of things to come.
(btw the Qurbono is not a sacrificial ceremony like the jewish, its a remembrance and during the eucharist the bread and wine are sanctified into flesh and blood of christ)
If the Israelites, held their OT worship so holy,
HOW MUCH MORE should we be respectful of the Flesh and Blood of Christ(the immortal and timeless sacrifice) which is being brought down from the altar to us??
Heavenly worship
2) Orthodox Worship is heavenly(angelic) and timeless.
The Orthodox worship is heavenly and its partakers are the christians on earth, the saints and the angels.
The Orthodox worship resembles the heavenly worship of angels. Like there are 9 classes angels, there are also 9 classes of priests in Orthodoxy.
The angels in heaven worship God standing on their feet and by prostrating(kumbideel) before God.
“And I saw the seven angels who STAND before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and STOOD at the altar.”–Revelations 8:2-3
“And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heavenSTANDING by him on his right hand and on his left”–1 Kings 22:19.
“A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand STOOD before him”–Daniel 7:10
“And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,”–Revelations 7:11
3)Early Fathers on standing during worship.
St.Augustine, when discussing standing in church, says only those who are afflicted of their legs by old age or sickness should sit during worship. The healthy should stand. He says thus:- “Thus, I ask you noble daughters, and implore you with fatherly concern, that none of you should sit during readings or homilies, unless a profound weakness of the body forces you to do so..”.
Tertullian, in the year 190 A.D., mentions the practice of standing during services. He says:
“Some, in preparation for prayer, throw off their cloaks, and some think it their duty not to stand, but to sit, and we are not to imitate these.
It is especially improper to pray while sitting at the very time that a multitude of angels stand before the face of the Lord in fear and trepidation; sitting shows that we are somehow praying unwillingly, carelessly, in a lazy manner..”
In another such writing it says: “One must stand and not look around, nor lean against a wall or pillar, nor stand with a cane, nor shift one’s weight from one foot to the other.”
Mark 11:25 “And when ye stand praying….”
Jesus starts thus when talking of prayer.
In the bible, apostolic tradition and in letters of early fathers, even in letters send by our bishops today we find the phrase– “Let us stand well”
Spiritual uprightness and not spiritual unrulyness.
The Apostle Paul says: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith” (I Cor. 16:13); ”Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (Ephes. 6:14); “Stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved” (Philippian 4:1).
Also we are teached not to prostrate or kneel after taking the Holy Qurbana/Eucharist.
We shouldnt prostrate or kneel till evening of the day when we took the Qurbana.
This is because the Flesh and Blood of Christ had entered us, and it is not proper for it to be kneeling or prostrating, since we have been reconciled with Christ or have partekn in his Body.
That is why we are not advised to kneel or prostrate on Sundays.
But Prostration is a feature of our worship during our various daily prayer cycles.(namaskarams). Prostrating before God also has great importance in Orthodoxy.
Our worship may seem strange and uncomfortable to many in today’s age where everything is instant and easy.
Thats only because we inherited the style of worship of the early christians who lived 2000 years ago and follow the biblical way of worship. And a true christian life is a life full of tribulations and trials.
Why Orthodox Christians Stand During Divine Services:-
{From Orthodox Life, Vol.33, No. 6, pp. 48-49. This is an excerpt from the book The Concern of the Orthodox Church for the Salvation of the World by Rev. G. S. Debolsky. Translated from the Russian by Maria Naumenko}
http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/whystand.aspx
First Visit to an Orthodox Church–Twelve Things I Wish I’d Known
http://www.ourlifeinchrist.com/Program%20Notes/12Things1_031305.htm
http://holycrossoca.org/newslet/0612.html
“We are all concelebrants in this heavenly worship. We all are participants in this angelic worship around the Throne of God. This is precisely why we stand for worship. We come together to worship with one voice in the presence of God. Scripturally speaking, the two postures for worship are on one’s face in prostration or standing with faces turned towards the great I AM with arms outstretched”.
