The Orthodox Beliefs
Our Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And the third day He arose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets.
In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Our Purpose
"For He was made man that we might be made [like] God." - St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation
What is the purpose of man? This is a question that has permeated every single society in human history as the heart seeks the answer to this universal question.
The answer lies in the Book of Genesis in the Bible: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion'...So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." According to Archimandrite George of the St. Gregarious Monastery, " Having been endowed 'in His image,' man is called upon to be completed 'in His likeness.' This is Theosis. The Creator, God by nature, calls man to become a god by Grace. The charismata [grace] that form us 'in His image' were given to man by God in order that he may reach very high; so that through them he may attain a likeness to his God and Creator; so that he may have not only an external, moral relationship, but a personal union with his Creator."
Our Saviour
Because mankind failed in the purpose, " sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). But the Good News is that Jesus took on our human nature and through the Cross, His death, burial, and Resurrection, we have been freed from this bondage to Death and Sin. As St. Paul writes in Romans 6, "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
For the Orthodox Christian, the Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are the focal points of our daily life because it is through these life-creating events, our human nature is healed and we can fulfill our God-given purpose of becoming like Him. Each Sunday becomes a celebration of the Resurrection and at Pascha (Easter) we joyfully proclaim: "Christ is Risen from the Dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the Tombs bestowing Life!"
Our Worship
Our entire lives as Orthodox Christians orient around the Eucharist (Communion). In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus proclaims, "I am the Bread of Life... I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world...whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
The entirety of Orthodox worship is giving thanks to God for all the great things He has done for us, repenting when we have fallen, living a life of humility, and allowing God to heal us through His Grace. The sacraments of the Church are these gifts by which we receive this Grace. It can be summed up in Christ's proclamation: "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15)
Our Family
As Orthodox Christians, we understand that there is one life and one Church. Because of Christ's Resurrection, Death has no dominion and no longer separates us. Through the participation of the sacraments of the Church, we are being healed as "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:18). Thus we join the family of Saints (Holy Ones) who co-labor beside us here and in eternity - being surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses" as it says in Hebrews 12. The Orthodox Christian calls upon the aid of the saints throughout the day, in our life of prayer, and in our worship services.
Our Charge
The Orthodox Christian sings "we have received the True Light, we have received the Heavenly Spirit" at each Divine Liturgy. Christ commands us not to " sets it [our light] on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light..." (Luke 8:16) and to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mat. 22:39). St. Paul reminds us that if we have not love, we are nothing (1 Cor. 13:2). Therefore, as Orthodox Christians, service to others is a cornerstone of our faith.
Learn More
If you'd like to learn more about our essential beliefs, you can read this document: Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs. Of course, the best way to learn is to simply "come and see" at one of our services or events.