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Worship in the Orthodox Church is understood to be the highest calling of mankind, to fall down at the feet of the Almighty God, the Holy Trinity, and to be given over entirely to Him, becoming united mystically with Him in the [[holy mysteries]]. To worship God is to fulfil the purpose for which we were created.
Orthodox worship is liturgical, that is, following specific ritual patterns and [[Daily Cycle|cycles]] in reverent dignity and embracing the whole of the human person. Its reverence and awe are due to its being understood as entering into the very throne room of the Creator. The center of Orthodox Christian liturgical life is the [[Divine Liturgy]]. Orthodox worship is transformative in its nature, bringing the Christian more deeply into communion with God and with his cooperation changing him into a holy person, a [[saint]].
Worship is distinct from [[veneration]] in that the latter is simply the genuine respect that Orthodox Christians show for holy people and things, while worship itself is a total giving over of the self to be united with God.
A secondary but essential component of worship in Orthodoxy is to teach the [[dogma]]s of the faith, forming the Christian in the doctrines of the Church.
The center of Orthodox Christian liturgical life is the [[Divine Liturgy]]. Other major services include [[Vespers]] and [[Orthros]] (Matins).
==Sacraments==