The Architecture of Faith

 

Christos Anesti! Welcome to the first post Pascha article, and welcome to a new Bright Week. As we begin our 40-day celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, here on the Tsar’s Corner, we will be looking at the distinct parts of the Orthodox Church and its architecture as we grow deeper in our faith. I am still currently going through the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem so that will take some time before I begin to start that series. While that series will be posted soon, Lord willing, I will be looking at various aspects of the Church. Starting with the architecture of the Orthodox Church in general this article will clarify the traditions and the reasons behind why the Church is built the way it is and why the Orthodox place so much emphasis on certain items within the church. So today we will just dive right in and explain the architecture.

            Most Orthodox Churches come in the form of a cross, while they can be round, star shaped or elongated. Of course, the Cross form of the church is easy enough to explain, with it being the symbol of the Cross of Jesus Christ. The elongated form of the church is also amazingly easy to explain as the church in its elongated form represents the ark of Noah and the Church as the ship that guides the faithful into the harbour of salvation. The star shape is one I was unable to find any information on, but I can speculate that I has something to do with the Star of Bethlehem and the light of the world. The church proper is divided into three main parts, all with its own unique features. The first part is the entrance to the church, called the Narthex. The Narthex separates the temple from the rest of the church and is where those who are not baptized into the Orthodox Church traditionally would stand. Since there are no pews in a traditional Orthodox Church, the faithful would be allowed to stand in the Nave (Temple) and the non-Orthodox in the Narthex. It also reminds us that we are leaving the outside world and entering into the spiritual world of which we are all called. This is where the candles are lit by the faithful and prayers are said before entering the Temple. The second part, which I shall refer to as the Temple, is the main body of the Church. The faithful in most Orthodox countries will stand and say their prayers in this portion of the church, while in America pews have been added due to cultural differences. During the services, the people will stand before the altar and unite with the Priest and the others celebrating the services here and there are icons and candelabras for the faithful as well. The chandeliers within the Temple are covered in icons, as are the walls and ceilings. In traditional churches a dome with an icon of the Pantokrator will be at the top of the church. The chandeliers in Greek tradition are designed to swing during important services of the Church to symbolize the angels flying in Heaven and that the bodiless powers are worshipping with us during all the services.  Finally, the third portion of the church is that of the Iconostasis/Altar area. The Altar is the most important piece of the church where the divine services are celebrated, and the Eucharist is performed. As I stated it is separated from the rest of the Temple proper by the Iconostasis which is a series of Icons which shield the Altar from view. The Royal Doors in the middle of the Iconostasis are left open for most services as it is a reminder that Jesus Christ himself enters through these doors during them. If one looks on the right of the church as viewed from the Temple, there will be an Icon of the Lord Jesus Christ, an icon of the Forerunner and Prophet, John the Baptist, and of course at least in my church, an Icon of St. Gabriel. To the left of the Royal Doors, is the Theotokos, and the Icon of the saint/patron of the Church. On our Iconostasis there is another angel, I believe again to be St. Gabriel next to the Annunciation Icon. Inside the Altar is the High Table, another area dedicated to keeping the vestments that are worn during the services, and traditionally a place for the Bishop, although ours is located outside the Iconostasis near the Temple, and is elevated so that everyone can see the Bishop when he is visiting the church. In our particular church there is also a place outside the iconostasis for the Chanters. Within the Altar there is placed relics of the saints as we as Orthodox are reminded that all those who have reposed in the Lord still celebrate with us, whether they are physically present on Earth or celebrating the Heavenly Divine Liturgy. In the back of the Altar is a tabernacle where the Eucharist is stored for the sick and the Gospel is placed directly in front of it. There are two cloths the eiliton and the antimension of which both are unfolded before the gifts are celebrated. The antimension has relics sown into it and there are also fans, representing the Seraphim and a golden processional cross within the Altar. Traditionally no animal products are allowed into the Altar and no one without the blessing of the priest may serve within the altar. Personal jewelry is not allowed as well. Seven stick candelabras are also within the Altar to recall the Temple in Jerusalem and the scriptures as well.

            The church is still ornately decorated within the Altar with many icons of the hierarchs and teachers of the church covering the walls behind the Altar. The Icon of Christ is also there traditionally only being hung on the wooden cross outside of the 50 days following Pascha. There also may be a furnace to burn holy things within the Altar as well, and a place to receive holy water which will be added to the Blood of Christ during the Divine Liturgy. The Altar is covered with a linen sheet, just like Christ was covered in linen at his burial and is considered the Baptismal Garment of the Altar. Altar cloths will change during the year as the various liturgical colors of the celebrations of Orthodoxy will change, but the linen altar cloth is never removed. Also the Table of Oblation where the gifts are prepared is inside the Altar. This prothesis represents the cave of Bethlehem and the anointing stone that the body of Christ was laid upon to prepare for his burial.

            Now, while I do have much more to say, I wanted to give a quick overview of what is within the Orthodox Church. There are many other aspects I wish to cover in future articles, so please keep that in mind. The antimension for example warrants its own special article because of how important it is to the service, regardless of whether the altar table has been consecrated for service. The icons, though I spoke on them previously also need to be revisited as the meaning behind why the icons in the nave are chosen is important. Overall the beauty of the Church cannot be accurately described in just a few words, rather it is impossible to describe the beauty. Experiencing an Orthodox Church, especially for the first time, is an experience in which many people become overwhelmed. For our protestant brothers and sisters, they are missing out on the remembrance of all those who have came before us, without the use of icons. We are also spoiled today, especially in western countries where the bible is readily available. For those who are illiterate or those who do not have access to the scriptures except through the readings done by the priest, these icons can help us tell the story of salvation through the images we see. May we always remember that God gives to us that which will help us towards salvation and the Church is the icon by which we can remember all the wonder and splendor of heaven before we reach the harbour safely.

 

            Amen.