Welcome to St. Ignatius Orthodox Church
3535 Saint Ignatius Lane Franklin, TN 37064 Tel: (615) 791-8134 Email: st.ignatiusaoc@gmail.com Rev. Fr. Philip Begley, Senior Pastor
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Schedule at St. Ignatius
We're an active Orthodox Christian parish with many services and activities. Listed below are services that occur weekly. Also listed are a few non-liturgical activities to give you an idea of the life of our parish. See the church bulletin for upcoming events. For current events, please visit https://stignatiusfranklin.org/calendar/
Sunday K-12 Church School, 8:45 a.m.
Adult Sunday School
Orthros, 9:00 a.m.
Nursery (Ages 6 weeks- under 3 yrs. old), 8:45 a.m.
Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.
Teen SOYO, (Wednesday after Daily Vespers)
Wednesday Daily Vespers, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday Great Vespers, 5 p.m.
First Tuesday of the Month - St. Sophia: Akathist of the Theotokos, 10:00 a.m.
Third Thursday of the Month - Akathist of the Inexhaustible Cup, 6:30 p.m.
Recommended Books About Orthodoxy
The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity by Timothy Ware
The Orthodox Way by Timothy Ware
The Orthodox Faith by Thomas Hopko
Becoming Orthodox: A Journey to the Ancient Christian Faith by Peter E. Gillquist
Come, Let Us Worship: A Practical Guide to the Divine Liturgy for Orthodox Laity by Patrick B. O'Grady
The Orthodox Study Bible
Orthodox Christianity by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev , 5 volumes
Ask for the Ancient Paths: Discovering What Church Is Meant to Be by Fr. James Guirguis
Introduction to the Orthodox Church: Its Faith and Life by Anthony M. Coniaris
For the Life of the World by Fr. Alexander Schmemann
Visit our Bookstore, St. Anthony's, near the Fellowship Hall to find one of these books. If we don't have the book, we can order it for you!
What Is Going on during an Orthodox Service
We'd like to offer explanations of a few things that may seem new to you if this is the first time you've attended an Orthodox service.
What's all the activity?
During the early part of the service the church may seem to be in a hubbub, with people praying in front of icons, kissing icons, and lighting candles, even though the service is about to begin or is already in progress. Many Orthodox Christians go through private prayers and devotional practices upon entering a church. This is often distracting to newcomers- or may even seem disrespectful- but if you attend several services, you will begin to recognize it as an expression of a faith that is not merely formal, but very personal.
We stand up
In the Orthodox tradition, the faithful stand for nearly the entire service. If you find this amount of standing physically challenging, then you're welcome to take a seat. Long-term standing gets easier with practice.
A physical expression of our love
People naturally express affection, as in kissing a loved one. We, too, express our devotion, love, and respect in various activities that we call "veneration." For example, when we first enter the Church, we may kiss and make deep bows before, icons that represent Saints whom we love and respect
Our Champion Leader
A constant feature of Orthodox worship is our veneration of the Virgin Mary, the "Champion Leader" of all Christians. We often address her as "Theotokos," which means, "God-bearer." In providing the physical means for God to become man, she made possible our salvation. We honor her, as the Bible foretells: "All generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). We venerate her and ask her to protect us and help us by her prayers, just as we might ask of our friends or family members to pray for us. We do not worship her; we offer that to God alone.
Blessed bread and consecrated bread
Only Orthodox Christians may take communion. but anyone may have some of the blessed bread. Here's how it works: the round communion loaf baked by a parishioner is imprinted with a seal. In the preparation service before Liturgy, the priest cuts out a section of the seal and sets it aside; it's called the "Lamb". The rest of the bread is cut up and placed in a large basket and blessed by the priest. As we file past the priest, we come to an altar boy holding the basket with the blessed bread. People will take portions for themselves and for visitors and non-Orthodox friends around them. It is a sign of fellowship. Visitors are sometimes offended that they are not allowed to receive communion. Orthodox believe that receiving communion is broader than me-and-Jesus; it acknowledges faith in historic Orthodox doctrine, obedience to a particular Orthodox bishop, and commitment to a particular Orthodox worshipping community.
Adapted from "12 Things I Wish I'd Known" by Frederica Mathewes-Green.