We used this Akathist in praise of God's creation for our morning worship on Friday. It was written in 1935 and demonstrates the long tradition in orthodox worship of reverencing God in the material world he creates. But the experience of orthodox worship is not just about understanding the meaning of the beautiful words: it involves all the senses. The candles which shed light, the icon which focuses our attention, the smell of incense, the act of making the sign of the cross, and the sound of the chanting, all draw the worshipper closer to God.