In a special service Sunday afternoon, local orthodox churches will bless Charleston's water supply and invite God's presence into the area. St. John Greek Orthodox Church in Kanawha City is having a Theophany service to bless the Kanawha River.
Theophany, which is 12 days after Christmas on the orthodox calendar, is an orthodox celebration of Christ's baptism.
"He sanctified the Jordan River by being baptized [in it]," said Father Matthew Moore, presiding priest of St. John. "That was when God was revealed. We're asking that God would bring his blessing to the Kanawha River and bless the river, and sanctify and all the rivers surrounding it - the Elk and the intakes and he would be with us in the city."
Representatives from St. George Orthodox in downtown Charleston and Holy Spirit Orthodox Church in Huntington will also be at the service.
In keeping with orthodox tradition, St. John held an inside service on Wednesday, the actual day of Theophany, during which they blessed water.
"Basically we make a bunch of holy water," Father Matthew Moore of the church, said. That water will be used Sunday in the upcoming service, traditionally held on the Sunday following Theophany.
"Churches will go to a large body of water and they bless the large body of water," Moore said. "[For instance] the priest in Louisiana will bless the mouth of the Mississippi or the ocean. We've never done it here in Charleston, so we are now."
The service will be short - probably not longer than 15 minutes - and will include singing hymns and throwing a cross into the water. If it were being held at a still body of a water, the service would include boys swimming after the cross and retrieving it, Moore said.
"But I'd never send people into the Kanawha," Moore said.
Moore said he will probably use a small wooden cross with a fishing line attached to pull it back out of the water or cut off the line if it gets snagged on something. Or, they'll use an ice cross made in a cross-shaped cake pan.
The public is invited to take part in the service, which Moore described as very simple.
"We'll sing some hymns and praise God and ask that he bless the city and that's it," Moore said.
He hopes to make the service an annual event. John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus, is the church's patron saint, Moore pointed out.
"I didn't have a chance to do it last year," Moore said. "I really hope that this will continue - I know it will continue, we'll do it every year. I hope everyone will join us."
The service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on the riverside lawn at the University of Charleston.
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.