SERVICES
We invite you to become part of our God-glorifying Church family and join us
in praising God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Our Service Schedule
WEEKEND SERVICES
Great Vespers: Saturdays at 5pm
Orthros: Sundays at 9am
Divine Liturgy: Sundays at10am
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All are welcome to attend!
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Following each Divine Liturgy we gather in the parish social hall to enjoy fellowship, coffee and doughnuts. This is a great time to catch up with friends, greet our guests and strengthen our sense of community. Adults and children alike are welcome!
Vespers
The Orthodox Church follows the biblical pattern of celebrating the beginning of the day with sundown. This seems unusual to us now, but in Genesis God made the day, "evening and morning - the first day." So, Orthodox Christians start the liturgical day with an evening service.
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The Prophet Malachi predicted that when the Lord came in the flesh that a time would begin when, "in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering," not just at the Temple in Jerusalem. Vespers is that fulfillment and is our evening incense offering and prayer service. (Ex. 30:7-8)
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For more detail about Vespers click here.
Orthros, commonly also called Matins, is the morning prayer service of the Orthodox Church. It is the morning offering of incense fulfilling Old Testament prophecy (Mal. 1:11, Ex. 30:8), and includes intercessory prayer, Old Testament Psalms and Hymns of Praise written throughout the history of the Church.
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Sunday Orthros includes the reading of the Resurrection accounts of our Lord and the veneration (kissing) of the Gospel book by all present. It is a service marked by the joy of the risen Son at the "rising of the sun."
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For more about Orthros (Matins) click here.
Orthros
The Divine Liturgy - Christ is in our Midst
There is an often-told story of how Russia came to embrace the Orthodox Christian Faith. At the end of the 10th century, Prince Vladimir sent envoys out to various countries of the world in search of the true faith. When the envoys returned, they offered various reports of the traditions they had visited. But when describing Orthodox worship, they told the Emperor:
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“We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. We cannot describe it to you: only this we know, that God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. For we cannot forget that beauty.”
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Today, at St. Elias Church, we live the same experience in every divine service. We believe that every Orthodox Christian is united with Christ through the Divine Eucharist. Consequently, we as parishioners, are all united to one another through Christ. The source of our unity is the Eucharistic gathering around the Chalice of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Because there is one Bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” (1 Corinthians 10:17)
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The Sacrament of the Great and Holy Communion, the Sacrament of Sacraments, forms the focal point of our life as Orthodox Christians. Therefore, every activity in our life revolves around the Eucharistic altar, where the whole Creation is assembled in spirit around to partake of the glory and redemptive work of Christ – through His Death, His resurrection, the Glorification of His Risen Body, His Ascension, and His second glorious coming.