CHAPTER 1

Where and When

Outside the Building

Let's begin our study of worship on the sidewalk outside the church. Stay inyour comfortable chair if you like and just picture in your mind the nearestEpiscopal church. It may be a gothic building like a small English cathedral, asimple New England meeting house of white-painted wood, or something verymodern. Despite all the architectural possibilities, you will almost certainlyknow an Episcopal church to be a church by one unmistakable sign: a Christiancross on the steeple, wall, or signboard. Of course, many other churches use thecross as well. Is there anything that distinguishes an Episcopal church from anyother kind of Christian church? Not necessarily. New England Episcopal churchesare more often built of stone, while the buildings of the United Churches ofChrist are more often made of white-painted wood, but some Episcopal churches inNew England are also wooden and painted white. Nationwide, an Episcopal churchis more likely than others to be of stone and use pointed gothic arches, butthere are far too many exceptions to make any guidelines possible. Christians,after all, have much in common and increasingly tend to express their faith insimilar ways.

Does the church have a tower or spire? Some churches have both, and they make astatement. The white spires of New England churches stand out above the trees asa focal point in the landscape. Whole towns have been built around theselandmarks, making them not only the spiritual centers, but also the geographiccenters of their communities. The spires point upward, drawing our eyes up andreminding us to look beyond the material concerns of daily life. Churches arehere to help us do that. Often the spire is eight-sided: seven sides signifythat God made the world in seven days, as recorded in Genesis; the eighth sidesymbolizes Jesus' resurrection. Traditionally, Christians have viewed theresurrection as the beginning of a new world, an eighth day, an opening to aneternal day. An eight-sided spire points the way to that eternity. Sometimes aneight-sided spire rises from a four-sided tower, symbolizing the "four cornersof the earth" that the church draws us from, toward the everlasting day ofheaven. There are sermons to be heard from a church without our even goinginside!

Still outside, think about the direction in which the church faces. Churchbuilders in America often have little choice about how to site a church: thereis a plot of land available and a street on one side. The door must be on thestreet side and the altar at the other end. But where there is a choice,Episcopal churches normally are built to face east with an entrance at the westend. Why? Because the sun rises in the east, and the first Christians expectedJesus to come again in glory with the rising of the sun. Therefore they builttheir churches with the altar at the east end so the congregation would befacing east to see Jesus' coming. Whatever way the church actually faces, thealtar end of the church is, as a result, called the "east end," and the entranceis usually located in what is called the "west end." If a church has been builtthe other way around, this can be very confusing! But knowing the buildingtraditions within the Episcopal Church helps us to understand this terminology,and again, it preaches a sermon without words.

Now, let's look at the door. Church doors are usually bigger than the doors ofhouses or even stores. Sometimes several doors all lead into the same entrancearea. Churches are usually designed with access in mind. They are built to beentered; their ample doors open wide to be welcoming. Often, too, church doorsare painted red. Some say church doors have traditionally been painted red forthe same reason that barns are: red paint was cheap and durable. Maybe so, but ared door also makes a statement: it draws attention to the entrance. No oneshould have difficulty finding a church door.

Inside The Building

Now, step inside (you may have to leave your chair!) and you will usually findyourself in a sort of vestibule (or narthex), a place to makethe transition from the world outside to the worship space further in. Hereleaflets with information about the church may be displayed on tables or racks.Perhaps there's a bulletin board with notices of church events. On Sundaysushers or greeters are almost always on hand to welcome you and give you abulletin with details of upcoming services as well as church activities. Boththe literature and the people are there to provide a welcome and to answerquestions.

Beyond the vestibule is the space used for worship. What, after all, is a churchbuilding for? But worship can take various forms, and the arrangements insidereflect different priorities. One definition of a church building often used inthe Episcopal Church is "an altar with a roof over it." Some churches areexactly that. In tropical areas, sometimes churches consist simply of an altar,a roof, and seating, with only the most minimal walls to reduce outside noise.In most Episcopal churches, the altar is clearly the focal point, whether it isagainst a wall at one end or at the head of the central aisle. It can also be inthe center of the worship space with seating on all sides. But not all Christianchurches are altar-centered. Some churches think of preaching as primary, andthe altar, if there is one, may be a small, seldom-used table.

The location of the altar reflects changing viewpoints on worship. A generationago, almost all altars were against the far wall, and somewhat distant fromworshipers; today they are often much closer to where people sit. The olderpattern reflects an understanding of God as a Creator beyond humancomprehension; the newer pattern reflects an understanding of God as one whodraws near to us in love. Both understandings are true, but there is no way toexpress both in the same building. In a world where we often feel dominated bydistant and hostile forces, the knowledge that God comes near to us in loveseems more important.

Even church windows make a statement and contribute to our worship. Some arefilled with stained glass reflecting the glory of God and the lives of God'ssaints, while others, especially in rural areas, are made of clear glass to letus see the beauty of God's world around us. The building and furnishings of achurch are intended to speak to us. Episcopal churches especially use color andsymbolism to facilitate worship. God is the Creator of all things, and allthings can speak to us of God's majesty and God's love.

The Altar

The altar, or Lord's table, is the focal point in most Episcopalchurches. Those two terms—altar and table—are bothcommonly used, and each word indicates a different way of looking at whathappens there. Here again, both viewpoints are valid. Those who use the termaltar are those who stress the sacrificial death of Christ for us. He is"the Lamb of God who takes away the sins...