In our culture, which seems to become more relativistic with each day, the Orthodox Church can seem like a vast liturgical dinosaur in our midst, something that has frozen in time, that represents an obsolete era or dead ritualism. Yet the experience of the Orthodox themselves is quite different, that their faith is very much alive, dynamic, relevant and applicable at every moment. It is also trustworthy, remaining as Christ himself is—the same yesterday, today and forever.

Orthodoxy is not a “niche” religion, whether that niche is for a certain ethnicity, temperament, age, or social status, but it rather represents a timeless, universal and saving way of life, beyond religion itself. Ultimately, Orthodox Christianity is not a religion, but is rather a dynamic, divine program for the healing of the soul, bringing mankind and all the cosmos into harmony and communion with the Holy Trinity in Jesus Christ.

Though we cannot hope to summarize the entire life of the twenty centuries of the Orthodox Church’s presence on Earth in this short presentation, nor even what it means for one person to live as an Orthodox Christian, I hope that you have at least been adequately introduced to what it means to be Orthodox. You are invited to come and experience our worship with us any time, because especially for the Orthodox, experience of the Truth teaches and transforms far more than words.