New to the Armenian Church?

First things first, welcome! We are delighted to have you join us. Second, we’d like to help you before coming to your first church service at St. James Armenian Church. Please read on for some helpful hints…

Will I understand the service?

Yes and no. Today’s Liturgy is still conducted Classical Armenian (very different from the Armenian that is spoken today). Classical Armenian was the dialect of Armenian spoken in fourth century Armenia. In modern Armenian churches, the priest will read certain prayers in English, otherwise, you can follow along in the Liturgy books provided in the pews. These are the maroon books located in each pew. The English translation accompanies the Armenian (in the English alphabet.) Each page is numbered, and we provide a neon sign above the organ which indicates that page number that you may follow during that part of the service. If you don’t know where we are, please don’t hesitate to ask someone nearby. We want you to be as comfortable as possible while worshipping with us!

Can I request to sit next to someone who can help guide me during the service?

Absolutely! If you plan to come to service on a specific Sunday, please email us at info@stjamesva.org and we’ll be sure to pair you up with a member of our congregation who can assist you during service.

Ok, great! So, which parts of the service will feel familiar to me if I’ve attended a different church?

Each Sunday, we recite the Nicene Creed; the Doxology (Trisaigon in Armenian); and the General Confession. We also have Scripture readings and Father Samuel delivers his sermon. These and other various components of the liturgy are shared with other liturgical traditions and faiths.

Which parts of the service might be new or different to me?

This is a good question and a great time to share some components of the Armenian Orthodox faith and Badarak that are different from other religious services. Here are some of the things that you may notice:

• Sit, Stand, or Kneel? We stand a lot during our service, and the pew book will indicate when you should sit, stand, or kneel. Just look for an arrow pointing up (stand up!); pointing down (sit down!); or diagonally pointing down (kneel!) Historically, Armenian churches had no pews and the faithful stood during the entire service.
• The Scent of Incense: When you walk into the church, you may see a mist or fog with a specific smell. That smell is incense. There are different fragrances of incense: myrrh, rose, frankincense, lavender, etc. It does not matter which aroma is used. Some may think that there is no need for incense to be burnt, but we are reminded of its importance with the following analogy: smoke rising before the Lord reminds us of our prayers rising before the Lord (Ps. 141:2).
• Music is Everywhere: About 90% of the service is singing – with the exception of a few prayers in the beginning said by the priest and his sermon, the entire service is sung. The priest, deacons, choir, and congregation sing everything. It can be fairly said that the Liturgy is one continuous song. If you can read music and care to share your voice with us, we welcome you to sing along with us.
• The Sign of the Cross: We sign ourselves whenever the Holy Trinity is invoked, whenever Jesus’ name is mentioned, when the priest blesses the people, before kissing the cross and gospel, before receiving Holy Communion, and many other times. We cross ourselves by bringing the thumb, index finger and middle finger of our right hand, touching our forehead, then stomach, then left shoulder, then right shoulder and end with placing our open hand on our chest. The three fingers held together represent the three persons of the Holy Trinity. If you are unfamiliar to this, please don’t worry and do not feel obligated to do the same.
• Pucker Up: We kiss things. We kiss lots of things: icons, the cross, the gospel, the priest’s vestments, the priest’s right hand – even each other (on the cheek of course). You’ll even notice that the deacons and acolytes kiss the priest’s right hand when they give or take something from him.  We kiss each other (“Greet one another with a kiss of love,” 1 Peter 5:14) after the chalice is brought to the priest. When we greet one another with a kiss of peace, we should hug each other and give a peck on each cheek – this is how Armenians greet one another in and out of church. The usual greeting is “Christ is revealed amongst us” with the response, “Blessed is the revelation of Christ.” Don’t worry if you get it wrong. Practice makes perfect.

Cool. I understand all of that, but what about Communion? Can I take communion, or can I request a blessing?

Baptized members of Oriental Orthodox Churches are in full communion with the Armenian Orthodox Church and are welcome to receive communion when it is offered. Under certain circumstances, baptized Christians of other traditions may receive communion after prior consultation with the parish priest.

If you cannot take or wish not to take communion, but you would like a blessing, we invite you to approach the altar and cross your arms across your chest.

Wonderful. I’m ready to attend St. James. How should I dress?

This is a good question, and we request that you come attired in a manner that is respectful of the sanctity and solemnity of the church service. We have parishioners who attend weekly in a coat and tie and everything in between from pants or skirts to jeans and tennis shoes.

Great! I’d love to attend a service and request a guide to help me better understand the service!

This is the best news that we’ve had all day! We would be overjoyed to have you join us on an upcoming Sunday. Please send us an email (info@stjamesva.org) and we will get you paired up with someone who will happily meet you and guide you through the service.