At about 11 o'clock at night, the last few parishioners arrive in eager anticipation. Bay leaves scattered on the floor remind parishioners of Christ's victory over death, while providing a sweet scent and a muffled crunch as people walk to their places. Father Gregory stands at the Holy Altar with his usual entourage of acolytes and the Paschal Liturgy begins.

The Paschal Liturgy starts with a series of prayers and petitions that leads to a procession. Everyone is given a candle and all of the lights in the church are extinguished. In darkness, the priest produces a lit candle from which everyone else receives the light. The procession is led in song by Father Gregory holding the Gospel book and everyone else following around the church building with crosses, banners, and candles.

After the procession, the parishioners gather in front of the closed doors to hear the Gospel. The closed doors of the church represent the large stone at the tomb and by entering we proclaim with all the faithful that death has been overthrown by Christ.

Returning to the nave, the congregation finds the church brightly lit and adorned with fresh flowers and white decorations. The clergy also change their vestments to reflect the joyful nature of the Resurrection. After more prayers and songs, the Divine Liturgy leads to the communion of the faithful.

At the conclusion of the liturgy, parishioners bring baskets of food for the priest to bless. The blessed food is then shared among those present at a feast of celebration.

This year Orthodox Christians worldwide will celebrate Easter on April 27. The Feast of Feasts is celebrated after several weeks of preparation including pre-Lenten Sundays, six weeks of fasting during Great Lent, and Holy Week. Today marks the end of Lent for Orthodox Christians and the beginning of Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday.

The liturgical services this week reveal various events during Christ's time in Jerusalem and allow for personal participation. Palm Sunday calls to mind Christ's entry into Jerusalem and his reception by the people. Monday and Tuesday focus on Jesus' teaching to the disciples. On Wednesday, Orthodox Christians remember Judas' betrayal and the anointment of Christ. Thursday marks the Last Supper. Friday remembers Jesus' crucifixion and burial, while Saturday is the victory over death, just prior to the Sunday of resurrection.

Holy Week services will be held at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Hobart as well as at the other Orthodox churches in Northwest Indiana, though times will vary. Visitors are always welcome, but should be aware that the Orthodox Church begins the day at sundown, so specific services may be offered in the evening prior to the calendar day.

We are Orthodox , but not Jewish. We are catholic, but not Roman. We are evangelical, rooted in the Scriptures and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, but are not Protestant. We are not a denomination, and not a nondenominational group; we are PRE-denominational. We are the ancient Christian Church, but live God's Future Kingdom here and now.

"Orthodox" means both true faith and true worship. We don't separate them!

We are a community of Christians who want to know and share the love of God in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our vision is to proclaim and live the Holy Orthodox Christian Faith. We have discovered the living presence of God by worshiping Him—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We use the gifts of historic Christian worship to center our hearts and minds on God. We worship "in Spirit and in truth" through the structures of liturgy, just as a fire is kept bright and warm in the fireplace. In this worship we use all our senses: seeing, hearing, moving, touching, and tasting.

We want to be made new people by Jesus - a new creation - as He lives in and through us. Our life together is strongly committed to all the spiritual tools and disciplines of following Jesus, so that sin and our passions may be cast away and our minds and hearts transformed by the love of God, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Nicholas Szymanski has a bachelor of arts in religious studies and currently chairs the Committee for Missions and Evangelism at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Hobart. He can be reached at droolingox@gmail.com. For more information about church, services and times, visit www.christisrisen.org or call (219) 942-2592.