Sunday was City Project Site Visit Day (I know, what a long title!) This meant my Structure and Growth of Cities class group went into Philadelphia to explore the site we’ve been given. It is called the Russian Orthodox Church of Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow. As a requirement of entrance, we had to don head scarves and skirts (provided by the church).
Russian Orthodox Church of Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow
I felt the fear of lice but, needing to enter, I did as I was bid.
It was all very strange for me. I’m a Baptist/Pentacostal and Russian Orthodoxy is about as far from Pentacostalism as you can get. Where Pentacostals are all about singing and dancing and interaction and kinda being crazy, the Orthodox church is all about ritual and physical signs. There were photos of large-eyed saints on every wall, halos surrounding their heads. The incense burned thickly enough to shroud the room in smoke. Almost the entire service was standing and the chief liturgist mainly stood upon the pedestal or behind the elaborate facade erected in the front of the church.
I was highly estranged from the whole thing, unable to relate much of myself and my beliefs to their method of relating to God.
My Sunday Funday Photo Boxes
On my return to campus, I participated in Student Activities’ “Sunday Funday.” This week was making photo boxes. I decided to go as I rather need some additional nicknacks to decorate my room. There I took the free candy and plastered as much printed paper and tape as suited me. I think my boxes turned out fairly nicely. I really do love taking advantage of the many campus activities. There are just so many free things waiting to be gotten…for example, the other day, I and a couple friends burst into an AMO (Alliance of Multicultural Organizations, I think) meeting and stole their cookies and pizza.
Sighs. C’est la vie que j’aime.
