Eastern Orthodox Churches

Worship in the Eastern Orthodox tradition has always been visibly sacramental. In this ancient tradition, the sacrament is the means by which God, through physical means, comes to his church. Baptism, chrismation, Eucharist, Holy Orders, anointing (unction), and marriage are among the sacraments celebrated by the church. In its experience of worship, the central conviction of the Orthodox church is that God is present among us through physical means. A mystery or sacrament in Orthodox tradition is a material means by which God comes to us. God created the universe and pronounced it good. After our fall into sin, God became one with humanity in Jesus Christ, so uniting all of Creation, including materiality, to himself. Thus, one could summarize the Orthodox approach to the mystery as "incarnational. " Since God himself has created and inhabited matter, he continues to meet us through material means. When one participates in Orthodox worship, one is inundated with sensory perception…