For a person who has just come to faith and has begun to attend services, the question always arises: is he doing the right thing, is he correctly perceiving what is happening around him.
A person who has begun to go to church should realize for himself that when he is going to the temple, he goes to meet God himself. This is the first and most important condition. Joint church prayer does not allow thoughts to disperse, and church chants tune the soul in an appropriate way.
Before the service, it is advisable to spend some time in silence and prayer. The temple is the house of God. Based on this, church attendance should be reverent.
Every Orthodox Christian is required to attend Sunday and holiday services. One should strive for an understanding of worship. All arising questions and doubts should be resolved with the priest.
Dressing when visiting the temple should be clean and tidy. Women are appropriate for clothing that matches their gender, that is, dresses and skirts that are not too open or tight. It is advisable to do without cosmetics. The woman in the temple should be with her head covered (1 Cor. 11, 13). A man should be in a church without a headdress (1 Cor. 11, 4). A woman during the period of purification cannot attend the temple.
Entering the temple, it is worth leaving all everyday cares. In the service you don’t have to turn around, make noise, talk, distracting people from prayer. Men, according to the ancient tradition of the Church, stand on the right side of the temple, women on the left.
In the service you need to delve into prayers, singing and reading. If the thread of service is lost, then the priests recommend praying to oneself: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." You must not leave the temple until the end of the service.
And do not think that the candle is a bribe to God. “A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit” (Psalm 50, 19). By laying a candle, a man likens himself to a soft wax, wanting to become as compliant with the will of Christ, and calls on God to kindle the light of faith in the heart.
The more a person continues to go to church, the fewer questions remain, everything falls into place. It is always worth remembering the words of sv. King David: “I will enter your house according to the multitude of Thy mercy” (Psalm 5, 8), that is, a person enters the temple by the grace of God, and not by his will. And svt. John Chrysostom invites, having received mercy from God, to offer such a sacrifice: “I will worship your holy temple in thy fear” (Psalm 5, 8) - not like many of the worshipers who scratch, yawn, doze, but with fear and trepidation. He who prays in this way lays all evil, settles in all virtue, gains the favor of God.
