guide , the historical reasons for the design are quite interesting .
My childhood church design ( rectangle with a main ‘ stage ’ area one end ) is more like the style of Roman basilica that was popular when early Christianity really started to take off . In the Roman basilicas , the judge ( or Emperor ) would be seated at the head of the space . Early Christian church architects clearly saw Christ as their judge and ruler , so they turned this theological concept into an actual architectural element by adding the two sides of the cross ( the left and right arms of Jesus ) to the rectangular shape . Those two additional areas created by the horizontal crossing of the central rectangular space are known as transepts . Not only did they offer more space for worship , but they served as a constant reminder of just why they were there gathered together in the first place .
THE BODY OF CHRIST :
can get a bit deep when we really dig into the various elements placed within the apse , but one key item for sound engineers to know would be the ambo , a special reading stand used for select parts of the worship service . Just as Jesus “ went up on the mountain , and … opened his mouth and taught them ” ( Matthew 5:1,2 ), the raised platform and reading stand symbolized a sort of mountain and derived from the Greek word for ‘ elevation ’.
Importantly , the ambo is generally distinct from the pulpit which came along later and tied to preaching vs . direct reading from scripture . In historical Catholic churches ( and in cases where parishioners may be overly pedantic about these sorts of things ), neither the ambo or the pulpit would be referred to as a lectern . A rough rule of thumb is that a lectern can be moved about as needed . An ambo and a pulpit generally could not be moved . While we would of course be respectful of any church that we happen to be working within , the ambo and pulpit often require additional care and consideration . As the General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes , “ The dignity of the ambo requires that only a minister of the word should stand at it .” I am not sure how mic checks apply to this rule , but I generally try to play it safe as to not offend anyone and ask for permission if I am working in this area tech-wise .
GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS :
At the opposite ( west ) side of the church layout , we have the narthex . As noted , this space may be more commonly referred to as the foyer or entryway in less formal church settings . It is where worshippers first enter the church in most cases . In the early church , the narthex was an area where those who were being taught the principles of the church ( but not yet baptized ) could gather and observe and worship . While opinions vary a bit on this point , the narthex
If we continue the theme of thinking of the church layout as the cross , it follows that the body of Christ would be in the central area just below the ‘ arms ’ of the transepts . This area is where most worshippers are seated and is called the nave . Interestingly , the word ‘ nave ’ comes from Latin ( navis ) and means ‘ ship ’. It is likely this area of a church came to be called the nave since it also resembled the hull of a ship , related to the story of the ark of salvation , and possibly connected up with Peter the fisherman and his symbolic role in church history . A bit of a mixed metaphor with ships and crosses , but it makes sense to me ! The symbolism is rich and once again ties back to the overall desire to strengthen and support the overall impact of the worship experience .
THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH :
On the other side of the transepts we have the apse . Many early churches aligned to the East with the apse at the ‘ top ’ of the structure , connecting to the idea of the rising sun ( Son ) and Christ — the light of the world . The terminology
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