The St. Francis Chapel is open to anyone for prayer and meditation. The Chapel follows the traditional style of an Eastern Orthodox Church but with a few modifications to show the open and inclusive nature of St. Francis of the Woods. The United Methodist cross above the Orthodox altar is a sign of our ecumenical spirit. The iconostasis (icon screen) represents the meeting place between God and humanity. Unlike most Orthodox churches, our iconostasis is transparent, without doors, a symbol that Divine Grace is available to all who.  Icons have been used in Christian worship since the time of the Apostles. They remind us that the unseen Creator of the Universe became incarnate, and therefore imageable, and in so doing united spirit and matter, human and Divine in one eternal flow of love. 

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On the first Sunday of each month we offer the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chyrsostom in the St. Francis Chapel. The Divine Liturgy is an ancient eucharistic service compiled by the Archbishop of Constantinople around 400 CE from even earlier sources dating to the Apostles. In Orthodox Theology prayer and worship are psychosomatic, involving both the mind and the body. Therefore, the Divine Liturgy invokes all the senses. The bright colors of the icons, the smell of incense, the sound of music, the taste of bread and wine are all designed to remind the worshiper that our whole self: body, mind, and spirit, are mystically participating in the eternal reconciling of God and Creation. In Eucharist we break bread and share wine, as the early Church did, to participate in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The Eucharist reminds us that we are all united as one human family, one people, the Body of Christ. 

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Most Sundays we offer a Meditation and Eucharist in the St. Francis Chapel. This service follows an ancient liturgical pattern. The first half of there service is a combination of hymns, prayers, readings, and contemplation. We follow the Orthodox liturgical lectionary calendar but add readings from saints and sages from several ancient wisdom traditions. Rather than a sermon, we share in the ancient monastic meditation of lectio divina After the meditation we follow the Anaphora (eucharistic prayer) of St. John Chrysostom. 

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“The heart of the experience of the lectio divina is the participatory sharing in the deep meaning of scripture that is only made possible by understanding the resonances to allegorical meanings beyond the letter of the text.”
~ E. Ann Matter

All are welcome here, no matter your beliefs. We believe the experiential truth and ancient wisdom of this spiritual path should be available for everyone. We believe that Divine Grace, the energies of God, are available to everyone and the image and spirit of God is present in everyone. Therefore our Eucharist and the other Holy Mysteries of the Church are open to all who seek communion with their Creator. No matter who you are or where you come from you are welcome in this sacred place.