Sunday School Instructional Eucharist Submitted by Eric Hall Areas of the Nave Each area of the church has a name. As you walk through our double doors you find: Narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas or churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, usually located at the west end of the Nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building but was not considered part of the church proper. It is either an indoor area separated from the Nave by a screen or rail, or an external structure such as a porch. (Wikipedia) St. Philip has the glass wall and double doors. This is the area we gather in preparation for the procession. Sometimes the choir will sing an introit which is a hymn to prepare the congregation for the service. Youth Definition – The front yard of the church (Tealiah Hillmon) Nave The central space in a church, extending from the narthex to the chancel and often flanked by aisles ( dictionary.com) This is the section that the congregation sits in. Our Nave holds approximately 325 people with two side aisles and a center aisle. Youth Definition – Den or Living Room (the gathering place). Lectern A reading desk in a church on which the Bible rests and from which the lessons are read during the church service (dictionary.com), on the Epistle or right side of the chancel area. It is typically used by lay people to read the scripture lessons (except for the Gospel lesson), to lead the congregation in prayer, and to make announcements. Because the epistle lesson is usually read from the lectern, the lectern side of the church is called the Epistle Side. The lectern will generally be smaller than the pulpit, and both may be adorned with antipendia in the color of the liturgical season. (Wikipedia) This is the area in front of the choir pews. Youth Definition – Could be a study or Library a place where you learn or study. Pulpit In some Protestant churches, the pulpit is considered the most important piece of furniture in the sanctuary. It is where the minister stands and may be decorated with a "pulpit fall", a piece of cloth that covers the top of the pulpit and hangs down the front. Pulpits are usually located on the Gospel or the left side of the chancel area. (Wikipedia) This is on the right side of the church and is circular with one step up. St. Philip was built with the lectern and pulpit reversed. As of now no one can remember why it was done that way. Youth Definition-This could be the refrigerator (food storage), Bed (where you rest), Table (family gathering spot). Any part of the house that brings peace or comfort. Chancel The chancel is a part of the architecture of many churches. It serves as a barrier between the part of the church accessible to lay people and the choir, which was reserved to the clergy. In St. Philip, it is where the organist, acolytes, chancel choir sits. Youth Definition – Hallway (the path that leads to a personal place you must be invited to enter) Altar Rail The Altar rails are a set of railings, sometimes ornate and frequently of marble or wood, delimiting the chancel in a church,[1] the part of the sanctuary that contains the altar. A gate at the center divides the line into two parts. The sanctuary is a figure of heaven, into which entry is not guaranteed. Communicants receiving the Eucharist kneel at the railings to be given communion by a priest. (Wikipedia) In St. Philip it is the wooden rail before the steps that lead to the altar. Youth definition – breakfast bar or the front or back gate leading to the house or the doors to the house. Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar. (Wikipedia) At St. Philip the deacons and priest sit on the Gospel side and the lay ministers and acolytes sit on the Epistle Side. Youth Definition – An office, or a space you are allowed in but its not yours (ex. Parents bedroom). Tabernacle The Gospel side of the sanctuary as houses the Tabernacle. Within Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and in some congregations of Anglicanism and Lutheranism, a tabernacle is a box-like vessel for the exclusive reservation of the consecrated Eucharist. It is normally made of metal, stone or wood, is lockable and secured to its altar to prevent the consecrated elements within from being removed without authorization. The "reserved Eucharist" is secured there for distribution at services, for availability to bring Holy Communion to the sick. (Wikipedia) At St. Philip, unless given special permission from the priest, only ordained persons are allowed to remove items from the tabernacle. Altar guild workers are the only exception as they clean and refill the Eucharist items stored there. Youth Definition – This is china cabinet or butler pantry. Sanctuary Lamp Christian churches often have at least one lamp continually burning before the tabernacle, not only as an ornament of the altar, but worship purposes as well. The sanctuary lamp is placed before the tabernacle or aumbry in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglican churches as a sign that the Blessed Sacrament is reserved or stored. (Wikipedia) St. Philip’s sanctuary lamp is usually blue but will change with the Christian seasons. Youth Definition – If you have a prayer room this is where this candle will be. Or maybe like the candle in the window that is kept burning. Altar The table on which the Eucharist bread and the wine are placed upon, and prayers of consecration and/or thanksgiving are offered by a priest or minister. The sacred ministers (priest, deacon, and sub deacon) would celebrate the Mass facing east, the same direction as the congregation, since they were praying the same collective prayer. Beginning in the Early Middle Ages, altars in Western Christian churches were being permanently placed against the east wall of the chancel, and the eastward orientation came to symbolically represent the collective focus on and worship of the Blessed Sacrament. Biblically, a passage proclaims that when Jesus returns he will come from the east, thus, the reason altars faced the east. When altars are placed away from the wall of the chancel allowing a westward orientation, only two candles are placed on either end of it, since six would obscure the liturgical action, undermining the intent of a westward orientation (i.e., that it be visible to the congregation). In such an arrangement, a tabernacle may stand to one side of or behind the altar, or an aumbry may be used. At St. Philip our altar is an east facing altar and is also the highest part of the church. The three steps leading to the altar represent each of the three sacred ministers and or the Trinity, Our altar is also decorated with a frontal in the seasonal color. Youth Definition – This would be like a dining room table or kitchen table. Credence Table A credence table is a small side table in the sanctuary of a Christian church which is used in the celebration of the Eucharist. (Latin credens, -entis, believer). The credence table is usually placed near the wall on the epistle (south) side of the sanctuary and may be covered with a fine linen cloth. It is sometimes tended by an acolyte or altar server, and contains on it the implements that are used in the Eucharistic celebration, which may include the bread and wine prior to their consecration, a bowl, ewer and towel for the lavabo and the ablutions after Holy Communion, etc. The wafers for the communion of the faithful may be stored in a ciborium, or host box (sometimes erroneously referred to as a pyx). The wine and water for the chalice will be in cruets. The chalice, and paten, covered with their cloths and veil (see chalice cloths for details) may be placed on the credence from the beginning of the service until the Offertory, at which time they are moved to the altar. Sacristy A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is also where the priest and attendants vest and prepare before the service. They will return there at the end of the service to remove their vestments and put away any of the vessels used during the service. The hangings and altar linens are stored there as well. Sacristies usually contain a special wash basin, called a piscina, the drain of which is properly called a "sacrarium" in which the drain flows directly into the ground to prevent sacred items such as used baptismal water from being washed into the sewers or septic tanks. Our Sunday Service At St. Philip Episcopal Church we have two worship services on Sunday’s; one at 8:00 am and one at 10:30 am. There are some churches who have up to four or more services a day or just one service a day, which ever number is needed to appropriately serve their parishioners’. The celebration of Episcopal Liturgy can reflect various time periods of our church history. High church (Anglo-Catholic), Low Church, Evangelical, Charismatic, etc… are the descriptions we use to identify the different presentations and theologies connected with the offering of our worship services. At St. Philip’s the description given to the worship offered here is Broad Church (meaning we have elements of all the different descriptions of worship styles).