Sunday Mornings

Proper Church Etiquette

There are times during the Divine Liturgy which are considered so important that we should know when to enter and when to stand.  An easy rule of thumb is as follows:

• One should always stand when reciting the Creed or the Lord's Prayer; 
• when a blessing is offered by the priest; 
• during the administering of Holy Communion or anytime we are called upon to rise with "Sophia Orthee - Wisdom! Arise!'

We should therefore keep in mind that the church is a very holy place and we are standing before God; therefore we should stand at the proper times unless we are unable to do so because of advanced age or health reasons.

Let us try to keep order and proper decorum within the church.  We should not enter the church at these times:

• During the Small or Gospel Entrance
• During the Epistle and Gospel readings
• During the Great Entrance
• During the Creed
• During the "Se Ymnoumen"
• During the Lord's Prayer
• During the Sermon
• Whenever the priest faces the congregation

Please allow our Church School children to come to Holy Communion first with their parents.  While we must understand that children will be children and that the Liturgy is for them as well as for adults, we ask that discretion be used by parents if their children become, from time to time, excessively noisy or distracting for others.  Children may well need a break from the service and it is perfectly permissible to take them to the Narthex or the hall if necessary.  But please remember that noisy or distracting adults have no excuse!