Time after time...

In my just over half decade as an Orthodox Christian I have had many opportunities to observe "Syrian Time" in its operation.

For those who aren't Orthodox "Syrian Time" is the rather casual relationship of the faithful to the starting times of services and sometimes attendance in general. Depending on where the immigrants in a parish may come from it can also be called "Greek Time" or "Slavic Time" or, you get the drift. But its not unusual for people to trickle in and out of liturgies at will and if you're twenty minutes late or so, well that's just the way it is.

Now anyone who has been Orthodox for more than a day or two knows the services of the Orthodox Church, even thought they are often the condensed versions, are still long and especially so by our everything has to be done in microwave time culture. If you think for a moment you're going to get out in an hour think again, we're just warming up, and if you visit an Orthodox church in tight clothes and bad shoes you won't do it twice. Depending on the ebb and flow of things and what time of year it is the services, which on Sunday morning basically flow into each other, may not start right on the dot either.

But there are starting times and if morning prayer runs a little long it doesn't hurt to catch that service as well. I believe there are many Orthodox who've never attended a complete Matins (Orthros) Service. Its sad that this great service, rich with prayer and scripture and time to let the world out there slip away, is often about a Priest and a chanter or two or the odd visitor who is under the impression that since the liturgy is scheduled it would be good to be there. And as to the starting times...

Apparently that's another story. Somehow the normal rules of life seem not to apply and what would be considered rude if done in the business world or even a casual affair is apparently appropriate for our dealings with God. There are a lot of reasons, of course, but about 99 percent of them are pretty much just air. Occasionally the weather is bad, sometimes there are emergencies, a few parishoners may be on call or medical personnel but mostly its just about the will. If a person wants to be on time they will make the adjustments.

Now beyond the normal inconveniences to others that comes with being late there is something more important. In coming to Orthodoxy you cannot imagine how relieved I was to know that all I needed to do was be at the Liturgy. The success of the services had nothing to do with whether I "felt like it" or not or my emotional state. I need not generate any false enthusiasm. I could be tired or less than happy to be there. And if all I could do was just stand there on any particular Sunday morning at least I was there in the presence of holy things and even if I didn't leave emotionally "charged" or changed in some life shattering manner I was still blessed just for being there in ways that I could not always understand. If only one short phrase or word mattered that day it was still time well spent. What a joy it was not to have to pretend or feel bad about not being able to conjure up the appropriate feeling for the day. What freedom to come, even if I was a mess, to worship. No matter how I was at the moment, even if my worship was through clenched teeth, just being in the presence of God in some small way was all that mattered.

And you miss the fullness of that if you come late or wander in or out. What hymn, what prayer, what word did you miss when you decided to hit the snooze button on Sunday morning? When you left to have a cigarette what part of the feast that God provides for even the least grateful of us passed you by? In the casualness of your attendance what benefit from just taking an hour or so out of your day to acknowledge God was lost forever? That's the real reason a person should come to every Liturgy they can at the right time. Anything less means fragments, scraps, or sometimes an opportunity to bless or be blessed that may never come again.

And, oh by the way, don't forget to set your clock one hour ahead (in the United States) this coming Saturday or you may be later then is usual even for you. : )