Sweet-Smelling Sanctuary

It may not look like much from the outside, but the interior of the church displays an unrivaled, splendid brilliance that truly acts as God's sanctuary. St. Timothy Eastern Orthodox Church in Fairfield displays a simple and plain exterior - a tan colored, square building with a dark wooden cross on the side - but while the exterior does not aesthetically please artistic critiques, the members of the church experience a universal peace while they attend various church services. The church is located on a street corner, with quaint houses hugging the horizon in the distance, a Napa Loft Motel to its right, and various fast food restaurants and gas stations situated in the distance. Undeveloped lots surround the church, some just containing lush, green, overgrown grass and others containing old cars, overturned trucks, and an abundance of mucky mud and drying puddles. Although this church is lacking the size, grandeur, and large central dome that the typical Orthodox Church contains, its purpose is the same that any Orthodox church was built for since the times of the apostles: it is a place for worship; it is a place for prayer; it is a spiritual hospital.

Previously, the building had been an old warehouse, but with some thrifty renovations, it transformed into a place of worship. Merely a glance at the church suggests that an aura of peace is emanating from the very insides of the building; the pleasant breeze that constantly brushes across the parking lot brings about a tender, comfortable, and spiritual setting. A single oak tree stands next to the church, swaying in the wind, and the vacant lot across the street is filled with soft, rustling grass of a light green hue, tinted slightly yellow. Dark green bushes nestle against the front of the church, and a white sign displays the start time of the Sunday services, as well as information on Sunday School for younger kids. A dark brown canvas tent stands near the side of the church; inside the tent are twelve bells, large and small, which one can hear resounding through the church on a typical Sunday morning.

Upon entry, one is greeted with the sweet-smelling scents of incense; last Sunday, the pleasing aroma of frankincense smoke pervaded through the air. A myriad of icons adorn the walls, ranging from saints of the church to holy feasts of the church, such as the Nativity of Christ, the Resurrection, and Epiphany, the birth of Christ. The colors of the coverings and cloth around the church change with the corresponding church season; they had just been changed to purple for Great Lent. Around Pascha, or Easter, as most people call it, the coverings are changed to white to symbolize the freshness and radiance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ; around the Nativity of Christ, the coverings are changed to green. Golden candle stands with sand in the top of them hold fragrant beeswax candles, each containing a bead of light that shines like a small sun. Unlike many churches, the people usually stand, and simple chairs are lined up against the walls, but no pews exist. A wooden chanter's stand lies on one side of the church; near it, wooden candle boxes stand, with yet more beeswax candles placed in them; on the other side of the church is the choir, who use numerous black music stands with small lamps attached to them to hold their music. Small golden lamps are situated along the walls of the church, each with a little candle inside of it; some of these lamps contain and are fueled by olive oil, while most others are the traditional wax-burning candles.

The holiest place in the church is the sanctuary itself, which is separated from the rest of the church by a large iconostasis, on which beautiful icons of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, and the saint or feast of the church are depicted. The two side doors to the altar are covered with the two Archangels, Michael and Gabriel, both adorned in robes of gold, red, blue, black, and silver. The holy doors, the central entrance to the sanctuary, portray the holy Annunciation, in which Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. Inside the sanctuary is where the clergymen stand and participate in the service; this includes the priest, deacon, occasional sub-deacon, and acolytes, the altar boys. Each member of the clergy wears a vestment, and the priest, just like the cloths throughout the church, has vestments that correspond to the church season. A huge shining lamp hangs at the top of the holy doors, attached to an unseen string that an acolyte lowers at the end of each service so that the priest can blow out the candle. The "ching, ching" of the bells on the censer ring through the church, and the incense drifts out from the lighted charcoal.

This experience of Divine Liturgy every Sunday morning leaves the people lively, re-energized, and exuberant. This experience leaves everybody justified, content, and peaceful. This experience brings the parish community together to celebrate a wonderful, weekly festival. The church is a safe haven, contrasting to the bland and bleak outside world. Even if the church is still not a grand, top quality cathedral, even if the exterior of the church lacks visual appeal, even if the outside world frowns upon and mocks organized religion, the Orthodox Church - and nearly any church - will always be a place where people of any social class and background can come together in universal, intertwined worship.

-Greg