[Kolokotronis]

Well this is wonderful and I am very happy you had such a good experience. You say the Liturgy seemed of one piece and indeed it is exactly that. And yes, we do the same thing every Sunday.

One thing which people seem to seem to comment on after having been to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy is the sense of "divine space". The icons contribute to this sense because they are the cloud of heavenly witnesses we join with, in a very real sense, when we pray the Liturgy. In the 900s, Prince Vladimir of Kiev sent envoys out to Constantinople. When they returned, they told the Prince that they had been at a Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church of St Sophia, and that they had been 'out of ourselves, not knowing if we were on earth or in heaven'.

This weekly experience of being "out of ourselves" is what transforms our lives as Orthodox people so that soon enough we can approach living in the world but not being of the world.

[pharmamom]

I know what you mean about divine space. When I was in high school, I spent a summer in France. We went to Chartres cathedral, and when I walked in, I shuddered all over and thought, "This is where God lives."

I think Max was responding to the feeling of being in a divine space when he began crying.

[AlbionGirl]

Thanks to both of you for the uplifting posts.