The life of
the Orthodox Church perpetuates and fulfills the ministry of
Jesus Christ. The close association between Christ and His
Church is reflected in the images from the Scriptures which
declare that Christ is the Head and the Church is His Body; and
that Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride.
These images express the reality that the Church does not exist
independently from Christ.
The
ultimate commitment of the Orthodox Christian is a commitment to Christ our
Lord, Who is known in and through the Church. This is expressed by the
litanies of the Church which call upon us to
"commit ourselves, one another, and our
whole life unto Christ our God"
And,
prior to receiving Holy Communion, we pray:
"O
Master Who loves mankind, unto you we commit our whole life and our
hope.”
Each
of us is unique and blessed by the Holy Spirit with different gifts and
vocations in life, therefore, our personal commitment to Christ will be
expressed differently.
Yet,
Orthodoxy firmly believes that this commitment will always be built upon a
worship of God and a loving concern for others. As worship is central
to the Church as a whole, worship, personal prayer, and especially
participation in the Holy Eucharist are central to the life of the
individual Orthodox Christian. Through these actions, we grow closer
to God and we are blessed with the fruits of the Spirit, which enable us to
be of loving and responsible service to others in Christ's Name.
Orthodoxy avoids any tendency which seeks to separate love of God from love
of neighbor. The two are inseparable. This conviction is,
expressed during the Divine Liturgy in the dialogue between the priest and
the people which says,
"Let us love one another that with one
mind we may confess...The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; The Trinity,
consubstantial and undivided."