Welcome to Christian Orthodox Church Of America

Opening Greeting

Our worship service begins at 10:05 a.m. MST with a greeting and welcoming of everyone who is gathered.

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Exchange of Peace

One of our three priests then leads the congregation in a short prayer, before sharing peace from the altar. Members of the congregation are then invited to turn to one another to share a sign of peace.

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Worship in Song

The COCOA is blessed with incredibly talented musicians/singers, etc. The team leads those gathered in a worship song. Feel free to move around, raise your hands, or sit-down.

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Sermon

Our preacher, ++Archbishop P. Gregory Schell, is world renowned for his profound speaking ability. His engaging style, coupled with revelatory expansion of the text, makes listening a sweet delight! Sermons at The COCOA are usually around 20 minutes.

Immediately following the sermon is our statement of faith (the Nicene Creed) which is prayed collectively. During this time, the focus shifts onto the altar as we prepare to receive Eucharist together.

​Holy Trisagion (may be sung or chanted)

We move from a contemporary setting into a very ancient one. Known as one of the oldest hymns in the Christian church, we declare together the Holy Trisagion “or the thrice holy hymn” every Sunday.

Note:​ Incense is applied during this portion of our service. Our worship is sensory meaning you will use all five of your senses during the worship experience. The incense is only utilized on the platform and if you are sensitive to this, you may want to sit closer to the rear of the sanctuary.

Priest or ++Archbishop sings first: Holy Art Thou, O God Response by the whole congregation:

Holy Art Thou, Almighty

Holy Art Thou, Immortal One

Crucified for us, have mercy upon us

​(The entire Trisagion is repeated three times)

The Trisagion is concluded with the congregation singing the refrain: Lord Have Mercy! Christ Have Mercy! Lord Have Mercy!

The Reading of the Holy Scriptures (Note: Our Scriptures each week are derived from The ​Lectionary Page​)

A selection from the New Testament is read.
A selection from one of the four Holy Gospels is read.

Altar Prayers

The priest will lead the congregation in several prayers including the words of institution which is when we believe the mystical presence of Christ fills the bread and the wine. At the conclusion of these prayers, the priest will turn and face the people and present what we believe to be the Body and Blood of Jesus to those gathered.

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Communion

All are welcome to receive Holy Communion at The COCOA! There are two serving stations and as you approach, you have two options to receive. You can extend your hands and the priest will place the communion in your hand (which will allow you to serve yourself) or you can open your mouth and allow the priest to place it directly into your mouth. This is a sign of humility and trust on the person receiving communion.

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Final Blessing

The service will conclude with the ++Archbishop or priest giving a final blessing and dismissing all that are gathered.

The entire worship experience usually lasts about 90 minutes.