The priest, holding the life-giving chalice, invites the faithful in every Divine Liturgy to come forth and receive the precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ “with the fear of God, faith and love.” And while first and foremost we are called to be mindful of approaching the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist “with the fear of God,” many of us draw near without the proper understanding of what this means.

For years I have explained to parishioners that we must approach the holy chalice with an awe-type of fear: Specifically, we must know that we are coming to receive God Himself – and the fact that He allows us to partake of Him, unworthy though we are, is proof of His unfathomable love, humility and mercy toward us. However, while this explanation is certainly valid, I have come to find that admittedly it is still a rather abstract definition of the word, “fear,” as it does not satisfactorily address the reality of the personal relationship we share with God, which was made possible by His saving acts, starting with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ – that is, God becoming Man.

From the Apostolic times, the clergy have utilized the words with reference to Holy Communion, “With the fear of God . . . draw near” – and there is a good reason for this. However, as the True Faith has become more severed, twisted and diluted over the centuries, the concept of “the fear of God” has consequently undergone a change in meaning – to the point where some non-Orthodox denominations have embraced a neurotic, guilt-ridden, manipulative definition of the word to coerce people into submitting to God. Because the “hell, fire and brimstone” approach is still prevalent, as well as its associated abuses, many of our Orthodox faithful are also not comfortable hearing the words “fear” and “God” in the same breath, and especially in the worship and sermons in our own parishes.

Elder Thaddeus, in the excellent book, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives, offers this helpful insight: “The fear of God is not like the animal-like fear of this world.  Our fear is like that, and we must strive to conquer this.  Such fear is from hades.”  As a young boy, I was terrified of large dogs and when they snarled or barked I ran off in a panic. I thought I had overcome this childhood fear, having several dogs as pets over the years, but at the age of 16 I realized it was still there:  As I was fetching a bag of lemons for my parents at a private residence in the country, I surprisingly encountered a black Labrador and, as the dog approached me, my heart raced; when I turned away, the dog, sensing and reacting to my fear, bit me behind the knee and barked as it chased me off the property. 

While your fear may not be of large dogs, perhaps you dread heights or elevators, flying or speaking in public, crowded places or you have anxiety over what the future holds. Regardless of what it is, it is important to know that these fears must be overcome, as they do not come from God – indeed, they come from the evil one – and only work to cripple or imprison us. Unfortunately, many believers incorporate this “animal-like fear” into their relationship with God and, as such, this becomes spiritually and psychologically detrimental – and results in many people being turned off to God or mistrustful of Christianity in general. As a consequence, many Orthodox clergy like me have responded to this unhealthy approach by finding a more palatable way of explaining what we mean by “the fear of God,” especially when teaching about our doctrine, worship or the Holy Scriptures.

In order to have the correct – that is, Orthodox – approach to the word “fear” we must have the mindset of the Holy Apostle Paul, who proclaimed to the Athenians that worshipped an unknown god: “(God) is not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being . . . for we are indeed His offspring.” (Acts 17:28)  By the grace we received at Holy Baptism we are members of the Body of Christ and, as such, God’s children. So how are we mere humans to relate to God as our Divine Parent?

As we glean from the teachings of Holy Scriptures, heeding God’s Commandment to honor our earthly fathers and mothers – in other words, thinking, saying and doing what is pleasing to our parents – is analogous to the Orthodox understanding of having “the fear of God” within us and, as the Lord promises, produces both earthly and spiritual rewards. (Ephesians 6:2; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16)  If we apply this Commandment to the relationship we share with our Divine Parent, the meaning of “the fear of God” can be defined, in the wise words of Elder Thaddeus, as “the fear of doing anything that might sadden or offend our Parent.”  As the children of God by grace, we should remember that in all things we are accountable to the Lord and Master of our life, and so with this love-driven fear we should draw near to Him – Who is always and everywhere present – whether in prayer, worship or in the Holy Mysteries