Antonious Nikolas said:
Again, thanks very much for sharing. I tried to ninja edit the "How'd you come to Orthodoxy?" question as soon as I realized that it would lead more to a personal conversion story as opposed to anything to do with the topic, but call me Baba Looey, 'cause you were too quick on the draw for me! ;D
So, what in your experience were Molokan services like? How do they compare to other forms of worship you've experienced or are familiar with?
hehe no big deal...i said what i said on it...because honestly there is a huge element of -that- to it....imagine spending your life telling people that your family is Russian.
Random nice people 'So you are Jewish?'
Me: 'erm no....'
Random Nice people: Russian Orthodox, that must be it!
ME: 'erm......' :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Hmmm Molokan services....are more like stripped down Orthodox ones in some ways....the things that were not 'directly' contrary were held over...but shhhh don't tell them that....it would cause a scandal
There are many of these things that if you asked someone -why- they wouldn't have an answer...
They sing the Psalms. If you asked them, that is an -identifying- feature for them. They sing some other songs written over time, each with usually an appropriate 'event' so you hear songs for weddings at weddings, funeral songs only at funerals...etc
A normal service has a segment where if you feel the need to be forgiven and confess.....a large group all prostrate and remain so while they tell God (and to a lesser extent the church) their sins and repent of them. They then turn to each of the 4 directions asking the people in that direction to forgive them (paralleling the 'forgive me brothers and sisters portion in the DL a bit).
Upon arrival at the church for service, members typically wait outside until a small group gathers. By custom, a woman must be escorted in by a male. When the group decides to enter, the men proceed women, with the eldest male or a visiting guest elder at the head. The 'lead' man of the entering group says a prayer before the whole group sits down.
The congregation is arranged with the women to one side and the men around a table located toward one corner of the room away from the entry. The elders who sit in the front row around three sides of the table are called the pristol (literally: “at the table”). They are arranged in five groups by their functional position: (1) the presviter, presiding elder or minister, sits at the end of the table facing the congregation, and at his side, if the congregation is large, is a pomoshchnik, helper; to the presviter’s right are (2) the besedniki, speakers, and (3) the pevtsy, singers; and to the presviter’s left are (4) the skazateli, readers, and, (5) the proroki, prophets. There are usually more singers than any other group. Male members and guests with no rank will sit in rows behind the readers and prophets. Some elders like to sit along the wall for back support, and many congregations have added bench cushions in recent decades.
Women sit facing the presviter and a few feet from the men. Leading women singers sit in their front row closest to the male singers. Others behind them.
The table that has the Bible on it (with Apocrypha so unlike most 'Protestants')as well as a collection of song texts (The Sionskii Pesennik), and the book of prayers (Molitvennik).The presviter coordinates the service and recites the prayers. He rarely conducts a sermon. That function is usually performed by the speakers who read from and elaborate on the Bible in Russian.
My family belong to a subset called 'Jumpers' , who sometimes 'jump' in the Spirit to the singing. I can only say -think- Old Historical Quakers more than modern pentecostal....
After the main service they sit down to eat. They do not even do anything resembling a communion (just like they don't Baptize), but they do have a communal meal every single service.
Each church has a large kitchen to prepare (obedy), meals. Sawhorses and tabletop planks stored to the side in the church are assembled with the benches into rows of tables for these meals. A typical meal consists of four courses: (1) chai, tea, with sugar and sweets (pastries, dates, raisins, nuts, etc.) and a salad (cut lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers); (2) borshcht, usually a beef broth vegetable soup, without beets as in the South Russian style, or lapsha, thin egg noodles in a beef broth; (3) miaso, meat, usually boiled then broiled beef, but sometimes chicken or lamb and, (4) fruit in season. Except for the soups, which are ladled into individual bowls and eaten with traditional wooden Russian spoons (loshki), the meal is eaten with the fingers.
During the meal there are additional speakers and songs, so it is not a coffee hour but a bit more -part- of the service.
Compared to say a modern megachurch...its positively regimented and stiff.....I grew up very much with a set of rules about what you could do.......(oddly or not so oddly, a lot of them are also Orthodox 'customs' like not crossing your legs while sitting, holding your left hand with your right one over it while you stand to pray, etc....). In some ways...Orthodoxy without the beautifulness....no adornment in the area...its a large open square room with -no- permanent furniture at all.
They wear what you would call a stylized Russian peasant outfit to church.....married women -all- cover their hair (its a part of the wedding)
They follow Old Testament food laws, celebrate only OT feasts ....but yes...do believe in Jesus Christ.
