In the Orthodox Faith, singing is meant to be an icon of worship. You will notice that our prayers are typically sung or chanted. Rarely are the prayers simply spoken without inflection. The Orthodox Church's tradition to offer up prayers to God is uttered in heightened speech called sacred singing or chant.
The tradition of sung worship is fundamentally Biblical. For both the people of the Old and New Testament, worship meant to gather as a group, and then sing praise with "one mouth and one heart." More than two-thirds of the Bible is written in a way that is meant to be sung. We see this especially in the Book of Psalms--the essential prayer-book of the Church.
The Divine Services are meant to mystically lift us from Earth up to the Kingdom of Heaven. With this image in mind, the choir represents the angels who offer praise unto our Lord. Our choir is not made up of professional/paid singers, but rather a simple and dedicated group of Christians who want to take part in one of the most sacred ministries of the Church.
If you are interested in joining this ministry, please do not hesitate to reach out to our choir director, Mr. Josh Hortman.
We hope you enjoy the following sample the St. Cyril of Jerusalem Orthodox Church Choir singing the Cherubic Hymn by A. Kastorsky at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Humble Texas.
Father Benedict offers Introduction to Orthodoxy classes for inquirers generally lasting from 10 to 12 weeks depending on the pace of the discussion. These are usually held two or three times a year based on the need. Father Benedict also conducts Bible study classes that cover a particular book or section of the Bible. These are usually held one or two times a year. Please check the Parish Life section for calandar announcements for upcoming classes.
We also offer Church school for our youngest members during coffee hour. Please contact Father Benedict for more details.
