Orthodox mission church established in Odessa

Search Google Maps for Baptist churches in Odessa and 348 locations pop up from all around the Odessa-Midland region.
Methodist: 119.
However, Google only shows one result for an Eastern Orthodox Church: a new group meeting at Westminster Presbyterian Church. It’s a mission of the Antiochian Orthodox Church jurisdiction — and composed of a more American culture than the Greek Orthodox family portrayed in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”
The new church gives Odessa a taste of the Middle East.
Since October 2008, the group of church members has met for a full communion service once or twice a month with traveling priest the Very Rev. Michael Keiser, who lives in Florida. The other weeks, a Bible study and smaller prayer and singing services are scheduled, including the practice of traditional Byzantine chants, a concept foreign to many in the United States but still the common mode of worship in the Middle East.
The service largely is composed of prayers and hymns sung or chanted a cappella, even the priest chants prayers with musical responses by the congregation. For most of the service standing is the norm, aside from the sermon. In addition, much of the music and words stay the same from week to week.
Keiser said tradition and form are a big part of the service.
“You can’t grow spiritually in chaos. If everything’s changing, you can’t focus,” Keiser said.
He said change occurs slowly in the Orthodox Church so people are accustomed to a traditional liturgy or pattern to services, which are all geared toward creating a picture of heaven, even includ-ing the smell of incense.
He said the church service looks more familiar to Catholics, but differences exist. The Roman Catholic Church split from the Orthodox faith in 1054 over the idea of a Pope. The Orthodox Church believes that though church authorities have different ranks, they are still equal. In fact, all must agree to make any changes at church councils.
Also, the Orthodox Church has always celebrated church services in the native tongue of a coun-try like English, while the Western Catholic Church used Latin up until the 20th century. The Or-thodox Church uses icon paintings but not statues. Though both churches make the sign of the cross, the order is reversed in the Orthodox faith.
Until the mission’s establishment, those in the Orthodox faith had to travel to other cities like San Angelo or Abilene to attend church.
“We traveled to San Angelo every so often when we moved here,” John Perkins said.
He said he had been Orthodox for about 15 years, his wife Kayla six years. He said he learned about the Orthodox faith growing up from his mother.
“She took us to a lot of different churches, and nothing really ever seemed satisfying. This was the only one really edifying to me,” Perkins said.
Kayla said she converted when dating John and found she loved the tradition, but also that every-thing done seems to have a clear purpose symbolizing something in the faith.
Abe Langston also converted to the Orthodox faith. He served as a Protestant minister in the Church of Christ denomination and just fully joined the Orthodox Church in April. He met people involved in the church while in language school and gradually came to desire something he thought approached more closely the early church.
“It really opened my eyes how different the early church was. I had to struggle, but the more we checked, the more I was convinced it was right,” he said.
He said the biggest difference between the Orthodox and Western view of church has to do with the personal relationship with God. Langston said the Orthodox have a greater focus on relation-ships and less of a focus on legal terms to describe faith.
Keiser said it’s important for the community to have a local Orthodox church.
“These people needed a congregation. Receiving communion is the pivotal part of our relation-ship with God,” he said.
The priest said worshipping in another church presents a difficulty since the layout is different from a typical Orthodox cathedral, with more space for standing. In addition, the icons are less elaborate — displayed on piano stands. One picture portrays Jesus Christ, while another shows a fairly famous portrayal of Mary holding Jesus as a young infant. Keiser said he has gotten used to serving in churches that aren’t as elaborate as a traditional cathedral.
“I got over worrying about that years ago. The next step is to find our own place, even if a store front,” he said.
For now, the fledging congregation has to meet in another building. But, Subdeacon Mark Tel-schow said the church still has a kind of beautiful mystery about it.
“People should feel transported through the language of prayer that’s been preserved through the centuries,” he said.
The fasting and prayer still observed by the church highlight the commitment of members to do more than show up on Sunday afternoons.
“It’s work, a real serious commitment,” Telschow said.
Reader Mark Trainer said he isn’t concerned about whether the tradition seems too stuffy for modern Christians.
“It’s like you are back in the (Bible’s) tabernacle worshipping. I don’t feel the need to push the faith. The Holy Spirit will lead them,” he said.

MEETINGS
>> The Antiochian Orthodox Church mission meets Sunday evenings at various times at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4901 Maple Ave. The next full communion (Divine Liturgy) service is planned for Sept. 20 at 5 p.m., with a prayer service at 4 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.
>> During other weeks, a prayer service is scheduled at 5 p.m., with Bible study following at 6 p.m.