10 Things You Should Never Do In Church

A church is a holy temple, a place where we go to worship God. Far too often, we forget this, and engage in impertinent behaviors that can disrupt worship for others and show disregard for the sacredness of the holiest of places. As such, we must make sure we conduct ourselves properly and use proper etiquette whenever we are in an Orthodox church. Here are ten things we should never do when we are in church.

1. Never talk during services

Perhaps one of the most discourteous things far too many people do in church is chat with someone inside the temple. Talking during Liturgy distracts others from their worship; it serves as a stumbling block to our brothers and sisters, which St. Paul tells us we should never do (Romans 14:13).

Don’t worry about offending someone by “ignoring” them. No one will find your focus on God to be rude. A simple smile is enough to let them know you are happy to see them and will gladly catch up with them later.

2. Never text or take phone calls

In the Divine Liturgy, we are called to “lay aside all earthly cares.” We come to the church to worship God; our conversations from the outside world can wait. God deserves our full, undivided attention, especially when this is probably the only time most of us dedicate solely to him out of the business of our lives.

While it may seem like common sense, you’d be surprised how many times a phone will go off in the middle of a service. Please remember to silence your phone or turn it off completely. If you have an emergency, you can step out of the temple to make/take a call.

3. Never save seats

The Divine services are not a concert, show, or sports game. Savings seats may be common at secular affairs, but doing so in a church is inconsiderate to others. It can also intimidate visitors, especially when they see the seats at the back of the church are filled or reserved for people who have yet to arrive.

In most churches there is plenty of space. If you want to sit with your family or friends, simply wait at the back of the church near the narthex until everyone arrives, and then find seats that are close.

Regardless, worship is not about who is sitting or standing beside us. It is about God and praising Him for all that He has done for us.

4. Never wear lipstick or gloss

This one is mainly for the ladies. We have many holy objects within the church that the faithful venerate, like the Gospel, the Cross, and the holy icons and relics. Lipstick can ruin these sacred objects. Thus, we recommend not wearing anything on your lips when attending church, whether it’s lipstick, gloss, or even chapstick. After all, you come to worship God, not to show off your makeup. God loves you the way He made you – au naturale.

If you absolutely insist on wearing lipstick, please blot your lips well before venerating anything, and do not approach the chalice to receive Holy Communion. The chemicals in many lipsticks can damage the chalice and the spoon used to offer the Eucharist to the people.

5. Never chew gum

Gum chewing during worship distracts those standing near us. And quite frankly, is incredibly rude in most social contexts, but particularly so in God’s house. A general rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t do it in the presence of a king or queen, why would you do it in the house of God?

6. Never take pictures

Our worship is holy and should not be photographed or recorded without the express consent of the priest. Depending on the intended use of the images and/or footage, permission from the bishop may also be required.

If you do have permission to photograph or record, we ask that you do not do so from behind the priest. Additionally, we ask that you do not stand in or in front of the altar, because that is where the Lord is present. It is a holy place that only the clergy can access.

7. Never let your children get too rowdy

You can (and should) bring your children to church to worship with you! JA bit of babble and whining does not bother most people, but when a child begins to throw a tantrum, they can distract other worshippers.

Simply excuse yourself if your child ever gets rowdy or begins to cry loudly. Some parishes (like ours) have sound proof cry rooms where you can continue to participate in the service. If the parish doesn’t have one, simply excuse yourself to the narthex or to the parish social hall until your child has calmed down.

8. Never wear revealing clothes

Since we are in the presence of God Himself during our worship, we should take care not to wear immodest, revealing clothes. We should always dress modestly (this applies to both men and women). Check out our post on dressing for an Orthodox church service for helpful tips and guidelines.

9. Never partake of the Eucharist if you show up late

The primary purpose of our coming together to worship is to partake of the Eucharist together. The Eucharist is the culmination of the service, where we eat and drink the body and blood of Christ. When we arrive late, this shows a lack of consideration for the gravity of what it is we are doing. Moreover, it shows poor management of the gift of time that God has given us.

As a general rule, if an Orthodox Christian arrives after the reading of the Gospel, he or she should refrain from receiving the Eucharist. When we plan to partake of the Eucharist, we fast from food and drink from midnight onward and prepare spiritually through prayer. Part of that preparation lies in ensuring we participate in the entire worship service, from beginning to end. We are already unworthy of the Holy Gifts; therefore, it would be unwise to further compound that unworthiness by partaking of them after showing up late.

Yes, there will always be extenuating circumstances, like accidents or poor weather, that are out of our control. In situations like these, we should seek the priest’s guidance and do what he believes best.

10. Never walk in front of the priest

During the Liturgy, the priest comes out of the altar on several occasions. Whenever he comes out of the altar, take special care not to walk in front of him, especially when he is walking up and down the center aisle to bless the people.

Additionally, if the priest is passing by, please do not grab onto his vestments. You can touch the hems, as did the woman with an issue of blood (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41-56). But please refrain from grabbing on; this can cause him to stumble or trip!

Conclusion

Remember: the Church is a sacred place, one that must be treated with the utmost respect. We should not talk, chew gum, take phone calls, or wear inappropriate clothing or makeup. Nor should we save seats, walk in front of the priest when he is trying to lead our worship, photograph or record the service, or let our children out of control. Lastly, we should strive to be on time as often as possible.

Are there any “Don’ts” that we missed here? Let us know in the comments!

Read More: Church Etiquette: The Ultimate Guide