What to do in an Orthodox church. Rules of conduct and visiting the Orthodox Church for men and women

There are cases when the soul of a person who is baptized, a believer, but does not attend the temple, asks to visit the church. Of course, most often this happens when a person wants to repent of his sins, or ask the Lord for help in business, or to thank for something ... And it happens that you suddenly want to, and that's it. A person will mentally collect himself, make up his mind, but suddenly he will think: “I don’t know how to enter the temple correctly, what to say, how to behave in the temple and what to do there. Will not go…"

As the clergy themselves say, there is nothing wrong with this, one cannot condemn a person who does not quite know the order of actions in the temple. You can ask a clergyman about this, read special literature, or simply ask those people who also came to the temple to pray. It is unlikely that anyone will refuse such a request.

We will also consider in detail the rules of conduct in the temple (church).

Rules of conduct in the temple (church)
	regulations		explanations//exceptions
	Appearance
	necessary	forbidden
	womanit is supposed to wear a long skirt or dress, and cover your head with a scarf or scarf. The malemust take off his hat. Everyoneparishioners are encouraged to wear long sleeves.	womanwear trousers, use cosmetics, especially lipstick. Everyone: tracksuits, shorts	Most modern clergy believe that a woman can enter the temple in trousers if her decision to enter the church was not planned in advance. This rule was bequeathed by the apostle Paul himself, who wrote: “Christ is the head of every husband, the husband is the head of the wife, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered shames his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered shames her head, for it is the same as if she were shaved ... So, the husband should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God, and the wife is the glory of the husband ... The wife must have on her head the mark of power over her" (1 Cor. XI, 3-10).
	The fact that a person should look neat is not worth talking about.
	You need to come to the temple 10-15 minutes before the start of the service. During this time, you can submit notes, put a donation on the eve, buy candles, put them on and venerate the icons, order a commemoration. If you are late, then you must be careful not to interfere with the prayer of others.
	Entering the temple during the reading of the Six Psalms of the Gospel or after the Cherubic Liturgy (at this time the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts is performed), stay at the door until the end of these important parts of the service
	Approaching the temple and looking at its domes, believers make the sign of the cross and bow from the waist. Rising to the porch, they again overshadow themselves with the sign of the cross.
	Enter the templecalmly, silently, with reverence. There is no need to knock or stomp your feet.		A knock while walking around the temple disturbs the prayer of others.
	On the doorsteptemple read "Prayer going to church" or "Our Father", and if they do not know, say "God, cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me"
	When you entered the temple, make three bows to the earth (on holidays - three bows from the waist), after that you need to bow to the prayers to the right and left.		Such rules are sometimes almost impossible to observe in a church full of parishioners, therefore it is allowed to go a little to the side and sign the cross three times, while bowing three times.
	It is not necessary to move from place to place in the temple during worship.
	In some churches, the ancient rule is still observed, according to which, during worship, women stand on the left side, and men on the right, leaving a passage in front of the altar.
	When we are baptized not during prayer, we must mentally say: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen"		The word "Amen" means "True, true, so be it."
	The sign of the cross and bows must be performed simultaneously with everyone.
	During the divine service, it is customary to be baptized during wordings - to the Holy Trinity and the Savior Jesus Christ, during litanies for any exclamation of "Lord, have mercy", "Give, Lord", as well as at the beginning of prayer, during prayer, at the end of prayer, when approaching to all that is holy.
	You need to be baptized and bow your head when the clergy overshadow the cross, the Gospel, the image or the holy cup.
	During the fall with candles, the sign of the cross and the censer, you only need to bow your head.
	If there is no service, it is allowed to approach any icon, cross yourself twice, venerate the lower part of the image and cross yourself a third time.
	During worship you should not look around, consider those praying, ask them about something, chew gum, keep your hands in your pockets, shake hands with friends, talk on the phone. It is best to defend the service to the end. You also need to watch your children: they must adhere to the general rules.		It is better to turn off the phone altogether or at least put it on silent mode.
	Lay people, except for church watchmen, should not enter the holy altar, not leave the temple, especially after the Cherubic Hymn until the very end of the service.
	If it is not possible to freely approach the icons and put candles, then you can quietly ask to pass the candles through other people.
	in temples forbidden photo and video filming. They are allowed only after the blessing of the clergy in special cases related to church sacraments.
	Few words about candles. It is best to purchase them in the church before the start of the service; money should also be prepared in advance so as not to interfere with the rest of the worshipers. Lighting a candle is allowed with either hand. It is very good to put the first candle in front of the main shrine of the temple.		To church candle we must be reverent, because it is a symbol of our prayerful burning before the Lord. They light them one from the other and put them straight.
	Candles in good health put in special candlesticks, which are located under the images.
	Candles for peace are placed on a special canon, which is easy to recognize by its square shape and the presence of a small crucifix.
	It is very important to remember that you need to put a candle in front of a shrine with sincere prayer.
	If you want to light a candle to some saint or pray to him, you should cross yourself twice, make a bow, put a candle, cross yourself again and bow. If all the places are occupied, leave your candle nearby, the clergy themselves will put it in the vacant place.
	It is necessary to apply to the icons before or after the service.
	AT Orthodox church during worship it is customary to stand. You can sit only during the reading of kathismas (Psalms) and proverbs (readings from the Old and New Testaments on great vespers on great holidays and on the days of memory of especially revered saints)		In case of illness, it is allowed to sit down and rest. St. Philaret of Moscow well said about bodily weakness: “It is better to think about God while sitting than standing about your feet.”
	During the service, the saints overshadow us with the sign of the cross. This fall is called a blessing.		During the blessing, the priest folds his fingers in such a way that they depict "Is.Xs.", that is, Jesus Christ. This means that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself blesses us through the priest. Therefore, we must accept the priest's blessing with reverence.
	When in the temple we hear the words of the general blessing “Peace to all” and others, then in response we must bow without crossing ourselves.
	If we want to receive the priest's blessing for ourselves, then we need to fold our hands in a cross: right to left, palms up. Having received a blessing, we kiss the hand that blesses us - we kiss, as it were, the invisible hand of Christ the Savior Himself.

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Help the Temple

How to behave at the liturgy

The liturgy is not an ordinary divine service, but a sacrament, that is, such a sacred action in which the faithful are given the grace of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies them.

At this special divine service, prayers and hymns are offered to God, and the mysterious Bloodless Sacrifice is offered for the salvation of people. Under the guise of bread and wine, the Orthodox are taught the true Body and true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the liturgy takes precedence over other services.

At the Divine Liturgy, or Eucharist, all earthly life Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conventionally, the liturgy is divided into three parts: the proskomedia, the liturgy of the catechumens and the liturgy of the faithful.

Proskomedia

Proskomidia is usually performed during or before the reading of the 3rd and 6th hours.

The living and deceased members of the Church are commemorated at the proskomedia. People who order proskomedia pass to the altar notes with names and prosphora purchased in a church shop. The priest pulls out particles from the prosphora and commemorates the health or repose of those served. Only the names of baptized people who take communion can be submitted for proskomidia.

Great joy comes to the souls of the departed from their commemoration at the proskomedia.

At the end of the proskomedia, the priest censes the entire church. At this time, the reader finishes reading the clock. The liturgy of the catechumens begins.

Liturgy of the catechumens

Catechumens are people who have not received the sacrament of baptism, that is, not baptized or who are under a priestly ban, penance.

1. The Liturgy of the catechumens begins with the words: "Blessed is the Kingdom, always, now and ever, and forever and ever." The choir sings: "Amen". We overshadow ourselves with the sign of the cross.

2. The great litany begins. Litany- these are special petitions uttered by the clergyman, to which the choir responds with singing: "Lord have mercy" . It is necessary to be baptized at each pronounced petition of the litany.

3. At the end of the litany, the choir begins to sing the so-called pictorial antiphons. There are only three of them, in honor of the Holy Trinity. They are sung in succession and are divided among themselves by small litanies.

4. After the second figurative antiphon, the choir sings a song to the Lord Jesus Christ: "Only Begotten Son..." , in which we hear about the incarnation of God into man in order to deliver people from sin.

5. Small litany - we are baptized at every petition.

6. And the third antiphon is sung, which begins with the words of the thief crucified with the Lord on the cross: “In Your Kingdom, remember us, Lord…” . You need to listen carefully to this song. It contains deep meaning. After all, we remember that Jesus Christ said to this thief: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” . The third antiphon is some commandments, obeying which a person will come to the Kingdom of Heaven.

7. During the singing of the third antiphon, a small entrance is made. The clergy leave the altar carrying a candle, a censer and the Gospel. This action symbolizes the procession of the Lord with a host of angels.

8. After entering, troparia and kontakia are sung, which reflect the sacred events of the holiday. We are baptized at every song.

At this time, the priest in secret prayer asks the Heavenly Father to accept the Trisagion and forgive our sins, voluntary and involuntary.

10. Next comes the reading of the Apostle. This is a book that contains the acts and messages of the holy apostles to various peoples. During the reading of the Apostle, the deacon censes, his censing should be answered with a bow of the head.

11. After reading the Apostle, the choir sings "Alleluia" thrice. We are baptized three times with bows.

12. The priest proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive me, let us hear the holy Gospel. Peace to all" - you need to bow your head accepting the blessing.

13. While reading the Gospel, as if listening to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, one should stand with bowed head.

14. After reading the Gospel, the litany follows: “Pray for the catechumens of the Lord… Vernia, for the catechumens let us pray, that the Lord have mercy on them… He will pronounce them with the word of truth… He will reveal the Gospel of truth to them…” - as we see, petitions are connected with catechumens, people who are not yet in the bosom of the church, that is, not baptized, or who are under a ban, penance.

15. At the second litany, the priest proclaims: “Elitsy, Announcements, come out, Announcements come out, but no one from the catechumens of the figurines, packs and packs, let us pray to the Lord in peace” . From these words it is clear that the catechumens must leave the church before the end of the liturgy. This is explained by the fact that a person who is unrepentant of sins or who does not belong to the faithful of the church (baptized) cannot be present at the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the greatest sacrament of the Church, when wine and bread are transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Sacrament of Communion, all faithful children are united with Christ.

Liturgy of the Faithful

Let us examine how to behave at the liturgy of the faithful.

Faithful Christians constitute the Church of Christ and only they can serve the priest in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

1. At the end of the litanies, the Cherubic Hymn is sung.

If you translate it from Church Slavonic into Russian, it means the following: “We, mysteriously depicting the cherubim and singing the thrice-holy song to the Trinity, which gives life, will now leave the care of everything worldly, so that we can glorify the King of all, Whom they invisibly wear and glorify angelic forces» .

This prayer reminds us how the angelic forces in heaven serve at the throne of God and is based on the visions of the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel.

Drawing a conclusion on the above, how to behave on the Cherubic Hymn? The answer is simple! The way they would behave if they were before the Throne of God.

2. The Great Entrance is when the clergy leave the altar carrying the Chalice of wine and paten (special liturgical utensils) with the Lamb. They stand on the pulpit and commemorate the Patriarch, the diocesan bishop, all the benefactors who come to the church and pray, all Orthodox Christians. This is done in order to show that the Holy Gifts will be offered as a Sacrifice to God for the salvation of all those who are commemorated.

The Great Entrance symbolizes the procession of the Lord Jesus Christ to free suffering for the salvation of the world.

4. The deacon proclaims: “Doors, doors, let us pay attention to wisdom” . The words “Doors, doors” in ancient times referred to gatekeepers, so that they would not let catechumens or pagans into the temple during the celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Words: With wisdom, let us listen (we will listen) call the attention of believers to the saving teaching of the Orthodox Church, set forth in the Creed.

5. The choir sings the Creed. At the beginning of the Creed, the sign of the cross should be made.

The Creed was compiled by the will of the Holy Spirit by the Holy Fathers 1 and 2 Ecumenical Councils. It is an invariable guide for all Orthodox Christians in their spiritual life.

Symbol of faith- this is summary our faith.

"I believe" is allowed to sing along with the choir.

6. The deacon or priest proclaims: "Let's become good, let's stand with fear, let's pay attention, bring holy exaltation in the world" . With these words, believers are called to gather their spirit and mind before the upcoming sacred service.

The Eucharistic Canon begins. The choir sings a song "The Grace of the World..." .

3. Why is it necessary to behave in this chant? 'Cause when you sing the words “We sing to you, we bless you, we thank you…” the greatest mystery is being performed - the priest asks God to send the Holy Spirit on those who pray and on the Gifts. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gifts transforms Them into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the Holy Eucharist, one should pray with special attention. The importance of this moment is so great that not a single minute of our life can compare with it. This sacred moment contains all our salvation and God's love for the human race, for God has appeared in the flesh.

4. While singing Worthy to Eat (or another sacred song in honor of the Theotokos - worthy), the priest prays for the living and the dead, commemorating them by name, especially those for whom the Divine Liturgy is performed. And those present in the temple should at this time remember by name their loved ones, the living and the dead.

5. After it is worthy to eat or a worthy person replacing it - bow to the ground. At the words: And everyone, and everything - a bow is made from the waist.

6. At the beginning of the public singing of the Lord's Prayer - Our Father - you should depict the sign of the cross on yourself and bow to the ground.

7. At the exclamation of the priest: "Holy - holy" the earthly bow is due for the sake of the offering of the Holy Lamb before His fragmentation. At this time, one should remember the Last Supper and the last conversation of the Lord Jesus Christ with the disciples, His suffering on the Cross, death and burial.

8. After the opening of the royal doors and the bringing out of the Holy Gifts, which means the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Resurrection, at the exclamation: "Come with the fear of God and faith!" - bow to the ground.

9. When starting to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, after the priest reads the prayers before communion, one should bow to the ground, fold his arms crosswise on his chest (in no case should you be baptized, so as not to accidentally push and spill the Holy Chalice, - cross-folded hands replace the sign of the cross at this time) and slowly, reverently, with the fear of God, approach the Holy Chalice, naming your name, and after receiving the Holy Mysteries, kiss the lower part of the Chalice, like the most pure rib of Christ itself, and then step aside calmly , without making the sign of the cross and bows until the acceptance of warmth. We should especially thank the Lord for His great mercy, for the grace-filled gift of Holy Communion: Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Earthly prostrations on this day are not performed by communicants until the evening. Those who do not partake of the Divine Liturgy, during the holy moments of communion, should stand in the church with reverent prayer, not thinking about earthly things, not leaving the church at that time, so as not to offend the Holy Things of the Lord and not violate the deanery of the church.

10. At the words of the priest: "Always, now and ever and forever and ever" , at the last appearance of the Holy Gifts, depicting the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ to Heaven, an earthly bow with the sign of the cross is required for those who have not been honored with the Holy Mysteries, and for those who are communicants - a bow with the sign of the cross. Whoever has not yet had time to receive warmth by this time should turn his face to the Holy Chalice, thereby expressing reverence for the great Shrine.

11. The holy antidoron (from Greek - instead of a gift) is distributed to those present after the Divine Liturgy for the blessing and sanctification of the soul and body, so that those who did not partake of the Holy Mysteries would taste the consecrated bread. The Church Charter indicates that antidoron can only be taken on an empty stomach - nothing to eat or drink.

Antidor should receive it reverently, folding his palms crosswise, right to left, and kissing the priest's hand that gives this gift.

12. At the end of the liturgy, the priest commemorates the names of the saints whose memory is celebrated on that day and the creator of the liturgy (for example, John Chrysostom, who wrote the liturgy called the liturgy of John Chrysostom).

The choir sings for many years, where the patriarch, the diocesan bishop, parishioners of the temple and all Orthodox Christians are commemorated.

13. All those praying approach the Cross, which the priest gives to kiss.

Russia is an Orthodox country, and the people in it are mostly the same. Nominally. Many were once baptized, many believe in God, but ... unfortunately, not all reach the church. Someone is hindered by a lack of faith, someone is a completely natural fear of doing something wrong in the temple and being condemned by all-seeing and all-knowing grandmothers. Meanwhile, it is in the church that a person can get in touch with the true understanding of the heavenly and earthly world order, communicate with God, cleanse his soul of sins, get help for himself and his loved ones, try to get at least one step closer to Paradise.

How to dress for church?
The doors of Orthodox churches are open to everyone. Any person can come to them, including those who do not know how to behave properly in church. The main thing is just to come. Everything else can be learned along the way. Unless you have to dress properly in advance. Men must be in the temple in trousers and without headgear, women - in dresses or skirts and headscarves.

The basic principle of choosing clothes for visiting the temple is to look unprovocative. Women should prefer loose clothing that covers their legs and arms. As a headdress, it is advisable to use scarves (light - on holidays, dark - on fasting days) and only as a last resort - hats. Men should pay attention to the fact that their trousers and shirts are not too tight and revealing. Shorts, even in the summer heat, are not welcome in the temple. In winter, women can afford to come to the temple in trousers, provided that their outer clothing reaches at least knee level. The latter is an exception and is not allowed in all temples.

How to behave during worship?
Learn to behave properly Orthodox Church it is possible for the parishioners around you. Usually, each church has its own permanent flock, which comes there regularly and knows all the nuances of ongoing services. The schedule of services, as a rule, is posted in the porch - a place located between the street and internal doors of the temple. In large churches, services are held every day in the morning and in the evening. On public holidays there are two morning services- one early, one regular. There may also be early morning services during the week. Any Sunday service, including the days of fasting, is considered festive and is held especially solemnly. During worship, you can not talk to each other, use a mobile phone and do any loud and distracting other people from prayer actions. Remember: during the church service, not only the priest communicates with God, but also every parishioner, one of whom is you. It is also necessary to observe silence in the temple during the hours when services are not held, since people come to communicate with God at any time.

How and when to be baptized and bow?
In order to overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross, you need to put together a large, index and middle finger right hand so that they are in contact with each other with pads. Three fingers are a symbol of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. The remaining two fingers are pressed against the palm. They symbolize the dual nature of Jesus Christ - Divine and Human. right hand with folded fingers, at the beginning you need to bring it to the forehead, then to the stomach, then to the right and finally to the left shoulder.

After the fall, a bow is made with the sign of the cross. Its depth largely depends on the physical capabilities of a person, but it is assumed that the bow should be waist. The bow to the ground differs from the waist bow in that it is performed while kneeling with the obligatory touch of the forehead on the floor. Earthly prostrations are made on especially important occasions. You can find out when they need to be done by looking around. If the main part of the parishioners prostrates themselves during the service, then you better do the same. Old and sick people are allowed not to bow to the ground.

The sign of the cross is performed once before entering the temple, three times at the entrance, once when approaching any icon, three times when leaving the temple, and once on the street in front of the temple. During the service, you can be baptized after the priest and the rest of the parishioners. If for some reason you feel awkward, you can’t follow what is happening, or you are deeply immersed in prayer, then you don’t need to worry about the fact that everyone has made the sign of the cross, but you haven’t. Many people in the temple are baptized purely intuitively, feeling that right now they need the help of the Lord.

What can you do in a temple?
Learning how to behave in the church on the outside is not difficult, but it is much more important to master the inner background of a spiritual matter. The first thing to do when entering the temple is to approach and bow to the central icon. Approaching the icon, first you need to cross yourself, then bow, then kiss it with your lips and forehead. Through a kiss, the Orthodox express their love and reverence for the one depicted on the icon; forehead touch is done in the hope of gaining higher wisdom and grace. Thus, you can apply to all the icons in the temple.

Candles that are placed in front of the icons are best bought in a candle box. Everything that is sold inside the temple is consecrated and pleasing to God. Candles bought from the hands on the street are not welcome in Orthodox churches. In order for the candle to stand evenly, you must first light it from another candle, then melt the lower tip and quickly put the candle in the chosen place. It is possible to touch other people's candles, correct them if they are bent under the influence of the flame, or light them if they have gone out. It is impossible to extinguish other people's candles and throw them into a special dish. There are special people in the temple for this. You can do anything with your candle - even put it out in the middle of a prayer and take it home. Candles burning during worship have the most effective power.

It is possible to submit notes “on health” and “on repose” for reading by a priest only in relation to baptized people. Usually a note is written personally, sometimes it can be written for you in a candle box. When compiling a note, it is imperative to write its purpose and put an image of an Orthodox cross.

During the service, it is advisable not to wander around the temple back and forth. Leaving the temple outside to “breathe fresh air” is also not advisable. You can only do this if you feel bad. When crossing the center line of the temple, you need to cross yourself once. Walking behind the central icons (the main and central icons of the limits) is not allowed. They need to be bypassed in front. Turning your back to the altar is only a last resort. When censing (when the priest walks around the temple with a smoking censer), you must stand in the inner circle - otherwise you will find yourself outside the most effective prayers for each Orthodox.

In the life of every person there are such moments when he needs to get into the church. There may be various reasons for this: you can go to a large, well-known church for the sake of curiosity, or you visit church only on big holidays (Easter, Christmas), or maybe you sincerely wanted to be churched, that is, to become a full and equal member of the church. There can be many options, but in any case, certain rules must be observed in the church so as not to offend other worshipers with their behavior. I often see such people in the temple: from their confused look, you can immediately understand that they are here for the first time, they will put a candle at the wrong time, they will forget about the handkerchief - and omniscient grandmothers (undoubtedly, they are in any temple) with condemnation. You watch how they, the poor, embarrassed, leave the temple, and sadly you understand that they will not return here anymore. The impulse of the soul or even the need to communicate with God is severely interrupted due to some trousers instead of a skirt or lack of it. Therefore, before visiting an Orthodox church, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules of conduct in it.

How is the Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church, any, even in a small village, always amazes with its beauty and grandeur. bell ringing, domes, golden robes of clergy - all this already inspires awe in front of the place where we are going to enter.
The temple, as a rule, is divided into 3 main parts: the altar, the vestibule and the temple itself. In the porch there can be shelving with church literature, candles, icons and other church utensils for sale. There may also be hangers for parishioners' clothes. Passing the porch, we find ourselves in the temple itself, where the worshipers stand during the service. The altar is the most sacred place in the temple, it is fenced off by an iconostasis, which often reaches the ceiling. Women are not allowed to enter there, and male parishioners can go there only on special occasions and with the permission of the priest (for example, during baptism). Three doors emerge from the altar: the Royal Doors (the most important), as well as the northern and southern doors. No one is allowed to walk through the Royal Doors, except for the priest. Adjacent to the iconostasis is an elevated platform, salt, it is also impossible to step on it except for special occasions (for example, Communion).
Thus, we can sum up that we, ordinary parishioners, can only be in the vestibule and the church itself, and as soon as the elevated platform (soleia) begins, we cannot go any further.

Rules of conduct in the Orthodox Church

If you are going to visit the temple, then prepare for this in advance. First of all, it concerns clothes. It is customary for women to be in the temple with a ready-made cover (this can be a scarf, a scarf or just an upper headdress), in a skirt below the knees and in a long-sleeved sweater. Do not use cosmetics. At the entrance to the temple, men must remove their headgear, shorts, T-shirts are also unacceptable - only clothing that hides the body as much as possible.
Approaching the temple, cross yourself three times and bow; upon entering the temple, stop near the door and cross yourself 3 times and bow. I want to draw the attention of MirSovetov readers to the fact that it is necessary to be baptized with three fingers gathered in a handful, the ring and little fingers must be pressed to the palm of your hand. Touch your forehead first, then your belly, your right shoulder, then your left, and bow.
It is customary to perform worship in the temple 3 times. If you got to the church at a time when there is no worship, then you can stand quietly and pray, put candles (they will be discussed below). If you decide to go to the liturgy (daytime worship), then remember that you need to come in advance, about 10-15 minutes before the start. AT different temples Divine services begin at different times, so ask in advance. During the service, there are many worshipers in the church, and they do not need to be disturbed. Try to find a comfortable place for you where you can see and hear everything clearly. As a child, I always stood in the very front rows so that I could see well what was happening. And it's not without common sense: a simple person will not immediately understand what is happening at all, he will not even understand what they say and sing (because the service takes place in Old Church Slavonic), so it makes sense to at least see what is happening.
During the service, you can not talk, look at others, shift from foot to foot. The cell phone must be turned off. After all, we come to the temple to pray, it is better to leave worldly affairs at home. On average, the service lasts 2-3 hours, out of habit it is difficult to spend so much time on your feet, so if you are tired, you can sit on a bench that stands in the porch or in the temple itself. You can’t sit with the Royal Doors open, even if the infirm, sick old women get up, then what can we say about the young and strong people like us. You also can’t turn your back to the altar, of course, this does not oblige you to back away like a cancer when you exit, but you should not defiantly turn your back to the altar during worship. If for some reason you cannot be in the temple until the end of the service, then you need to quietly exit, crossing yourself at the exit and in front of the temple itself.
Arriving in advance before the service, believers also perform several actions: they light candles, submit notes, and venerate icons. All this must be done in advance so as not to interfere with the prayers during the service.
Arriving at the temple, you need to venerate the main icon, which is located opposite the Royal Doors in front of the salt. To do this, you need to cross yourself three times, and then kiss the corner of the icon or the edge of the clothes depicted, cross yourself again and quietly move away without disturbing the others. It is unacceptable for women to kiss icons with painted lips. Personally, I even wash hygienic lipstick before this. During the service, many people will kiss the icon, so what will it look like at the end of the service if women smack it with painted lips? It should also be remembered that when kissing an icon, we do not kiss a board with paint on it, but through a kiss we address our love and respect to the one who is depicted on it.
Before the start of the service, you can also put a few candles for health or for peace. Candles for the dead are placed on a certain candlestick, which is easily recognizable by its square shape and a small crucifix. Candles for health can be placed on other candlesticks. It doesn't matter which hand you do it with, you just need to do it with sincere prayer for the one for whom you put this candle. A candle is a sacrifice to God, and it burns without a trace only for Him.
If you come to the temple with children, then carefully watch them so that they do not make noise and do not run around the temple. If the child bursts into tears, then you need to quickly take him out and calm him down so that he does not interfere with the others.
And finally, probably the most important advice: during the service, do what others do. If believers are baptized - baptize with them, bow - bow too. Each bow or sign of the cross is made in response to some words or actions of the clergy. And believe me, most of those present in the temple do not know why they are baptized and bow at this very moment, and not at another. But behind every action there is a deep tradition that has evolved over the centuries. And you should not break them, trying to show your liberality or independence from the rules. After all, we enter the church for prayer, but this will not bring us truth and benefit if we enter the temple without humility.

They come to the temple with gratitude to higher powers or with repentance for committed sinful deeds. The clergy do not condemn those who do not know the rules of conduct in the temple. To behave appropriately, it is enough to ask the church workers or get acquainted with the rules in church literature.

For believers, there are no questions about how to behave correctly in church. Basically, tourists or people of other faiths who are in church for the first time are interested in such issues.

Preparing for your visit

Church Attendance Should Start with Preparing at Home. In addition to spiritual purity, one should take care of the cleanliness of the body and clothes.

1. If you have a morning visit to the temple, after washing, you need to say words of gratitude in prayer for the fact that the night passed peacefully and calmly. It is necessary to read a chapter from the Gospel or an abbreviated prayer book.
2. Prepare clothes. To visit the temple, women should give up trousers, short skirts and necklines. Clothing should not be bright or too revealing. Either a complete absence of makeup is welcome, or it should be discreet and not defiant.
3. It is worth abstaining from the morning meal, with the exception of the sick, children and pregnant women.

The interior of the temple

The area of ​​the church is divided into the altar, temple and vestibule. The altar and temple are separated by an iconostasis. The royal gates lead to the altar, as well as the northern and southern ones. Women are not allowed to be on the altar. The priest can allow men to enter the altar, for this they use the northern and southern gates, and the clergy can enter through the Royal Doors.

The platform located on a hill, in close proximity to the altar, is called the salt. Only a clergyman can give permission to climb the solea or pulpit (the central part of the salt).

How to enter the church

Before joining the service, you need to know when it starts. You can usually see the schedule on the church door or in the church shop.

When entering a church, men must remove their hats, while women, on the contrary, cannot enter an Orthodox church without covering their heads with a headscarf or scarf. Moreover, the head should be covered for both married and unmarried women, little girls are also recommended to follow the example of mothers and grandmothers.

For those who forgot about it a handkerchief will be offered in a church shop. It is important not to forget to return it after the visit. If a woman came in trousers, of course, they would not kick her out, but they would offer a special skirt.

It is necessary to turn off the mobile phone, or turn off the sound on it so that it does not interfere with other parishioners.

At entrance doors you need to make three bows and cross yourself three times, while saying the words of the prayer: "God, cleanse me a sinner and have mercy."

After entering, the parishioners find themselves in the porch. This is the space leading from the entrance to the temple itself, a kind of corridor. The vestibule is the place where the earthly and the divine meet. The vestibule also has a practical function. If the church does not have a separate shop, then it is here that they sell candles, accept notes for health and repose, orders for prayers and memorial services.

Unbaptized and women during critical days it is forbidden to pass beyond the porch.

Behavior while on duty

In Orthodox churches and temples, believers stand during services. Only elderly or sick people can sit. To do this, special benches and chairs are installed along the walls. However, it is also recommended that sick and infirm people, if possible, stand up during the reading of the Gospel.

The ringing of bells heralds the imminent start of the service. By church custom, men are prescribed to take right side and women on the left. Note, What rules should be followed:

During the service, there are several moments, when believers must bow their heads. Please note that this must be done in the following cases:

• the priest passes with a censer;
• at the opening and closing of the Royal Gates;
• during the pronouncement of the proclamation "peace to all";
• during the blessing of the gospel;
• after saying "Bow your heads to the Lord."

How to put candles

There are no strict instructions on how to put candles. Candles can be purchased at the church shop, and the money for the sale of candles is considered voluntary donations.

As a rule, first of all, they put a candle in front of the icon located on the lectern. This means that on this day her holiday is celebrated.

Candles can be placed on different sides of the candlestick, with both hands. A candle is not lit from a lamp, it is more correct to light it from a nearby candle. The bottom of the candle should be melted a little, then set it in the cell. If the candle does not light, put it in the candlestick unlit. Church ministers will light it themselves.

Please note that candles for health, with a prayer for help in business, you can put it at any icon. You can check in the shop which saint should be contacted with this or that request.

For the repose of the candles are placed separately. There is a special table for this, called the eve. There is a crucifix on it and there are cells for candles. Sometimes instead of cells there is a large box of sand, where candles are placed. In modern churches, next to the eve, for example, on the wall, the text of a prayer for the departed is attached.

If suddenly you put a candle on the health of a person, and then it turned out that he had already died, do not worry. For God we are all alive.

How to apply to the icon

Before the icon you need to bow twice, at the same time to be baptized. Then kiss the icon and again cross yourself with a bow.

It is forbidden to touch the face of the saints with lips, but you can kiss the image of hands, or it can be the edge of the clothes of the Savior or the saints. When applied to the cross, the kiss should be at the feet of the Savior. Girls should take into account that they need to wipe lipstick off their lips.

You can hear the opinion that applying to the icon is unhygienic. But the ministers of the church claim that scientists have proven the absence of microbes on the icons in the church.

Attached to the icons or not- This is a personal matter for everyone. Kissing the icon, the believer expresses tremulous love, no one forces him to do this.

Communication with a priest

The greeting of the clergyman should begin with the words "Bless." The use of the usual "Hello" in the temple is inappropriate. The priest will answer "God bless" and baptize, after which he puts his hand in his palms, she needs to be kissed. It is believed that during the kiss of the blessing hand, the person comes into contact with Christ.

They say goodbye to the clergyman with the same "Bless".

Before leaving the church, it is necessary to cross yourself three times, saying a prayer and bowing.

The Orthodox faith is being strengthened and more and more people are coming to church. But when attending church, many do not know how to behave properly in church. Certain requirements must be observed in the church world. Although the rules of conduct in an Orthodox church, at first glance, will seem difficult to remember, with repeated visits to the church and when paying attention to the behavior of other parishioners, their implementation will not require effort.