The Orthodox Church is the direct descendent of the early churches founded by the original apostles of Christ in places like Jerusalem, Antioch and Greece. The Orthodox Church has had a continuous, unbroken existence in these places since the First Century A.D. Thus, for example, today’s Greek Orthodox Church can trace its history back to the early Christian Churches founded by St. Paul in such cities as Thessalonica, Philippi, and Corinth.
            Operating under councils of bishops organized along national or ethnic lines, Orthodox churches are often identified by their national origins, such as Greek, Russian, or Antiochian (Syrian-Lebanese). All such churches are in communion with one another, and consider themselves to be part of the one true Church.
            For the first thousand years of Christianity, Eastern and Western Christians were united in one Church that believed in Holy Scripture, the Nicene Creed and the teachings of the first seven Ecumenical Councils. These teachings include:

• Belief in the Holy Trinity
• The divine and human natures of Christ
• His virgin birth
• His Resurrection
• His Ascension
• The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
• The future Second Coming of Christ
• The final judgment and life in the world to come.

           
Orthodox worship is highly liturgical, and involves many different kinds of prayer services, the most important of which is the Divine Liturgy. At the Liturgy, the sacrament of Communion is celebrated, in which the Body and Blood of Christ are believed to be truly present. Orthodox worship places great emphasis upon all of the senses. It involves

• Sight, with the visual beauty of icons and vestments
• Smell, by the use of incense
• Sound, through the use of elaborate forms of chanted hymns and choral music
• Taste, in the sacrament of Holy Communion
• Touch, by the sign of the cross, lighting candles, and reverencing icons.

It should be stressed that we do not worship the Virgin Mary, the saints, or the icons that depict them. We do, however, greatly venerate these people because they are models of the Christ-like, Christ-filled life. When we pray to them, it is only to ask them to pray to God for us, just as one might ask a friend – for we believe the saints are alive today in the presence of the Lord and are eager to serve us in this way.
The clergy of the Orthodox Church is divided into three ranks: deacons, priests, and bishops. Our priests and deacons may be married, if the marriage occurs before ordination. While they may be widowed, bishops are always celibate.
Orthodoxy has endeavored to maintain the worship, faith and practices of the Church as they were received and taught by the original Apostles of Christ. This is called Holy Tradition, which is contained and communicated through:

• The Holy Bible
• The Divine Liturgy
• Icons
• The writings of early Church theologians
• The statements of faith from the first seven Ecumenical Councils, the last of which occurred in 787 A.D.
• Text containing codes of conduct, process and procedure found in the early canons of the Church.

All Orthodox Christians are called to engage in weekly corporate worship, daily prayer, frequent fasts, and good works. The quiet contemplation of the healing presence of Christ, using the Jesus Prayer and such aids to prayer as prayer ropes, breathing techniques and sitting postures – known as hesychasm – is a distinctively Orthodox approach to spiritual growth.