The Sitka Icon comes to our church on September 28, and I was interested to read what happened at your church. As another convert, I don't know what to expect from seeing this famous icon.

Your comments remind me of a story that I'll have to paraphrase. (If you know it better, please feel free to correct any errors):
A priest who had just completed his years of seminary was in church, and looking at an icon, he thought about everything he knew about its message, its history and its significance. As a lay-woman drew near, he wondered how in the world to convey all that to her so that she wouldn't be in ignorance of the richness of Orthodoxy.

As she venerated the icon with deepest emotion, he happened to see the look on her face, and he felt ashamed.

"She knows," he said.
Grace | Homepage | 09.20.05 - 12:56 am | #

Grace,
When you go to see the Sitka Icon, be sure to look into Her eyes.
And if you are blessed to have an evening service by candle light, you may notice that the icon gets brighter as the evening gets darker.

Joseph
who was blessed to serve at the Akathist on 9/14 in Santa Rosa.
Anonymous | 09.22.05 - 9:28 pm | #

Lucky Joe...
Erica | Homepage | 09.22.05 - 11:38 pm | #

October 29th-30th, I WILL be at St. Seraphim's, Lord willing!
Bryan Peter | Homepage | 09.23.05 - 8:19 pm | #

Bryan,
I'm looking forward to meeting you. May I ask why you will be in the area?
Joe Lovell | Homepage | 09.23.05 - 9:57 pm | #

lovely post lifting up the passion and spontaneous praxis of the people. thank you for this.
chris duckworth | Homepage | 09.25.05 - 4:31 pm | #

I just reread your post. You wrote: "At one point in the middle of the Vigil, some people started to come forward to venerate the ikon, which was prominently placed in the middle of the church. I am not sure when, I am certainly not sure why, and I am not even sure to what end. It ended up, however, that most of the people lined up to venerate the ikon…right in the middle of the service."

Let me guess, this was right around the reading of Psalm 50, right? The priests etc. had just venerated the icon and it was time for the people to venerate it and be annointed. A standard part of Vigil.
So this too was part of "the carefully choreographed services."
Don't know why I didn't catch it earlier.
But even so, we had about 250 people lined up to venerate the icon before the service. Had to wave off about half of them so we could start the service. Then everyone venerated during Matins and again after Vigil. So you observation is still valid.
Joe Lovell | Homepage | 10.06.05 - 10:54 pm | #