Orthodox Christians have and continue to worship Christ in structures that are more often than not determined by the social, political and economic climate of their land and/or the theological understandings of the era. The earliest Christians gathered together and worshipped in private homes until the persecutions began. From this point they sought refuge in the catacombs where they could worship Christ in safety. Shortly after Constantine the Great issued the edit of toleration, Christians began to build churches.

One of these magnificent structures that remains intact is the Church of Agia Sophia, "Holy Wisdom" in what was the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople. The building of this Church was commissioned by Constantine himself, however, after a fire destroyed much of the church upon the exile of Saint John Chrysostom by Empress Eudoxia, the church was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian. Upon its completion and consecration on December 27, 537 this grandest of Churches, larger in volume than the Vatican, was and remains the archetype of churches throughout the Eastern Christendom.

Today, we worship in the Church of the Holy Cross, a church built a mere 34 years ago, yet constructed in the tradition of the East. Our church is structured in the form of a cross with a prominent dome at the center. It is divided into three sections, the narthex, the naive, and the sanctuary. The interior and the exterior of the Church flow naturally from the dome to ground creating an sacred space that is aesthetically pleasing and when complimented with the iconography, affirming the unity of all things in God. And, to literally top it off, the structure boasts a gold Cross on its highest point, illumined throughout the night, shining forth, conquering the darkness of night in like manner to the Great Church of Agia Sophia.

The intent of the Orthodox house of worship is to create an awareness of God's presence. No distinction is made between spiritual and aesthetic. Instead the senses experience the splendor and beauty of God's creation. "An old Russian chronicle relates that Prince Vladimir of Kiev could not decide which faith to adopt for himself and his people until his envoys reported from Constantinople that they had witnessed services there that: 'We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth,' they declared, 'for on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a lost to describe it. We know only that God dwells there among men."

As we have previously noted, the Orthodox house of worship is divided into three sections: the narthex, the naïve, and the sanctuary. The naïve and the sanctuary are separated by the iconostasis or icon screen. Yet, the iconostasis in the Orthodox Church exists not to divide the two sections, but to show the unity that exists between the faithful and Christ, His mother, the saints, and all the angels.

Originally, the iconostasis was no more than a low rail or stand decorated with Christian symbols and/or icons. Throughout the centuries though it became more ornate. Around the 14th century, the iconostasis was raised, boasting numerous icons. This is the style of iconostasis that is most prevalent throughout the Orthodox world today.

The iconostasis may be either large or small depending on the size and design of the Church. However, even with such variations, many of the icons follow a prescribed pattern: the icon of Christ is depicted to the right of the Royal Doors; the icon of the Virgin Mother is first next to the Royal Doors on the left; the icon of Saint John the Baptist, the Forerunner is placed next to the icon of Christ; and the icon to the left of the Virgin Mother depicts the saint or event for which the Church is dedicated (in our case, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross). Traditionally, the icons of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are placed on the deacon's doors although particular deacons from the Orthodox tradition may find themselves placed in these locations. The icons that run the length of the iconostasis depict the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church with the insertion of the icon of the Mystical Supper that is placed over the Royal Doors. The remaining icons in our iconostasis are those of Saint John Chrysostom (the far left), and Saint Irene the Great Martyr (the far right), who hold a special place in the life of our church community as the founders considered dedicating this Church in either his or her honor.

The iconostasis is the ancient "divider" between the naïve and the sanctuary in the Orthodox tradition, developing from its humble starts into the beautifully constructed, often ornate screens of today. Although it divides space in the house of worship, it serves a greater purpose of uniting humanity with the Divine. For it is in this unity, that creation rejoices together with the Virgin Mother, the saints and the angels, proclaiming Christ to be the Savior of all!

There appears in the apse of the Church of the Holy Cross, as in most Orthodox Churches, the icon depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. This icon unites the roof of the Church with the floor, symbolically uniting the heavens and the earth. The Mother of God, hovering between the heavens and the earth serves as "'the heavenly ladder, whereby God has descended' and as 'the Bridge leading those on earth to heaven'" (taken from the Akathist Hymn). As such, we pray, "Through the prayers of the Theotokos, Savior save us (the Divine Liturgy).

This icon is called the "Platytera," from the Greek (Platytera ton ouranon) i.e., "she who is wider than the heavens"- so called because she gave birth to Christ who as God is the Creator of all things. Having received and conceived in herself Him who cannot be contained in the whole of creation, the Theotokos is indeed Platytera ton ouranon, wider than the heavens.

The Theotokos (the Mother of God) with the Christ Child teaches us a fundamental truth of Orthodoxy- that is, that Christ is to dwell in each of us. Saint Ambrose expressed it well: "Every believing soul conceives and gives birth to the Word of God; Christ, by means of our faith, is the fruit of us all, thus we are all mothers of Christ." Thus, the same Christ that condescended to dwell in the Virgin Mary comes to be born in us, that we too may say, as did Saint Paul, "it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20).

The icon placed in the highest point of the Church depicts the Lord Almighty, the Pantocrator. It is the iconographic image of Revelation 1:18: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Pantocrator" (Rev. 1:18). And, as such, He reigns over all the universe; His eyes though, fixed upon children as we worship Him in faith.

It is interesting to note that if He sees those who pray in His house of worship, He also sees those who come late to worship and those who are absent. Fr. Coniaris writes, "One of the greatest heartaches must be to see how many of His children do not come to be with Him on His day, Kyriaki, the Day of the Lord." This is written, not to instill guilt, but to teach as does the icon that regardless of how "good" an excuse may be for family, friends, and/or even ourselves, we remain ultimately accountable to God.

It is no wonder that the icon depicts the Gospel book closed. He and we both know what is inside: the good news of God's love, the destruction of sin and death, and of life everlasting. Yet, there will come a time in each of our lives when the book will be closed and we will be put to the test as to whether we have read and understood His message and lived our lives accordingly.

So, why a face with such a profound expression? Because as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, the face of our Lord suggests the spectrum of emotions; from love and compassion to judgment and condemnation.

Each Sunday, let us prayerfully "lift up our hearts" to the Lord Almighty, the Pantocrator. It can be a very sobering experience; an experience that can help us remember the presence of God throughout the week. For if we fail to lift our eyes to the heavens, we may fail to realize that we belong to the Lord Almighty!

The Orthodox House of Worship is divided into three distinct and separate areas, one of which is the narthex. The narthex is considered a vestibule (entry) in the Church today. In other words, it is the foyer that we enter before entering into the church proper; a place where the faithful offer material gifts for the work of the church, and offer prayers for both the living and the dead as they light candles and reverence icons.

In ancient times, the narthex provided the Church many a service. On Sundays, it was filled with individuals: catechumens (candidates for baptism) and penitents would follow the Liturgy, the poor and the lame would also be present asking for alms. Church history also recounts many a priest and hierarch who would stand in the narthex and block the entrance of impious who had strayed from the Orthodox way.

During the years of Turkish occupation in Greece and the years of Communist rule throughout Eastern Europe, the narthex was used for another purpose. Christian children would gather at nightfall to learn of the faith from the priest and, in some case, to even read and write. These secret schools, for years, took place in the sanctity of the narthex.

Today, as we offer material gifts for the work of the Church, light candles, and reverence icons, catechumens are no longer found in their traditional place. We do, however, find catechetical resources for those wish to learn more about their faith (i.e., books, tapes, icons, prayer ropes, prosforo seals, all in the kiosk). The poor and the lame who following services would, with out-stretched hand, ask for alms no longer are present. Instead, a tray collects donations that are then offered to an outreach ministry. And, no longer would a cleric dare to greet the faithful and prohibit the impious and unbelieving from entering the church proper.

In light of the aforementioned, we would say that the narthex lives within the spirit of the ancient Church, yet at this point I am unsure as to whether living in the spirit is enough? The life that existed in the narthex throughout the centuries is nonexistent. The humanity has been replaced with books and with trays. And, the impious and unbelieving enter the house of God without a second thought as to their relationship with God. As such, let us pray that we live in the spirit of our predecessors, realizing full well our place in the Church and the significance of our church's foyer, the narthex.

The nave is the largest section of the house of worship. It is filled with pews where the laity gather for Divine services, as it is their place. It is here that the faithful will meet God most dramatically, in the reading of His Word (the Gospel), and in the offering of His precious body and life giving blood (the Eucharist).

The term nave is believed to have derived from the Latin word 'navis', ship. At one point in our history, the bishop's throne was set in the center of the church, amidst the people, as he was considered to be the 'captain' of the ship. And, it was from here that the bishop would instruct the faithful and guide them towards their eternal port, the Kingdom of heaven.

It is not uncommon to find icons depicted on the ceiling or on the walls in this section of the church building. The life of our Lord is sometimes found on the ceiling or arches while the six winged, many eyed cherubim surround the Pantocrator singing, "holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:3). The walls of the structure may also be ornamented with saints of the Orthodox Church as many of these faithful men and women of God came forth from the midst of the laity.

Although we find ourselves physically in different places in the Church structure, it is together, with one voice, and in one spirit that the clergy, the laity, the saints, and the hosts of angels worship the Lord in His Holy House. These places are not meant to divide, but to distinguish each of us for our unique ministry to our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us therefore pray and work diligently to realize this spiritual ideal in not only this holy house, but in His Creation. God Bless!

The Sanctuary is a third section in the Orthodox house of worship. As the narthex was historically the place of the penitent and the catechumens and the nave was the place of the faithful, the sanctuary was the place of the clergy. Although the penitent and the catechumens now find themselves integrated with the faithful in the nave, the sanctuary remains the 'presbytery' of the Church, that is, the place of the presbyters.

The sanctuary is united with the nave by the icon screen. Up until the 14th century a simple, waist-high railing separated these places. Although it divides space in the house of worship, it serves a greater purpose of uniting humanity with the Divine. The people of God are united with the saints, the Theotokos, and the angels to offer up all glory to Christ.

Traditionally, the sanctuary is built in the eastern side of the church structure facing towards the East. The church is designed in this manner as we have been taught to pray facing towards the rising sun which is the most beautiful icon of the spiritual son of God, Who will likewise rise from the East and illuminate the world. Due to practicalities though, some churches are not structured in this manner.

Regardless of the direction the local church faces, the sacred space remains an awesome place. No one should enter the sanctuary unworthily or without the blessing of the priest for a specific task. Clergy alone are meant to enter into the altar, and this is only after they have spiritually prepared to serve amongst and glorify God with the angels who are ever present in the Holy of Holies.

As clergy, as laity, as catechumens, and as the penitent, we find our respective places within the structure Church. As we celebrate the Divine Liturgy from our place we are distinguished according to our roles within the priesthood of all believers. And, it is in these places that we both realize our stewardship to Christ, and "glorify God in every place of His dominion."

The Orthodox house of worship has always had seats to accommodate the faithful who gather to worship Christ, hear His Word, and partake of His Sacred Body and Precious Blood. In ancient times the seats resembled crutches that the faithful would lean on when they were tired (many monastic communities throughout the Orthodox world still utilize such supports). Today though, the crutches have been replaced with simple pews for the sick, the fatigued, the young and the old, to rest their weary bodies; allowing them to pray in comfort during the appropriate times of worship.

Amidst these simple seats for the faithful is placed a larger, more elaborate throne that is set aside for the bishop (Often times, the icon of Christ the High Priest is positioned on the back of the throne as the bishop is understood as our symbolic image of Christ the High Priest in the Church). It is his place during divine services: a place to sit and a place from which to teach. It is not meant to be ostentatious. It is meant, however, to have a place of prominence in the Church symbolically representing the grand responsibility of the bishop within the life of the Church.

Early on in our history, the bishop's throne was located in the center of the church, elevated a bit amidst the faithful. "The bishop, as an ancient book of the Church says, is like the captain of a ship. And just as the captain of a ship stands at a higher place than others on the bridge and from there perceives from afar the seas and the oceans and directs the way of the ship, in the same way the bishop has to stand on high and from his seat, as from the bride of a ship, look upon all those Christians who are on board this spiritual ship which is called the Orthodox Church" (Bishop Kantiotes, The Orthodox House of Worship).

As the liturgical tradition of the Church developed, the bishop's throne was moved to its present location. Its integrity has not been compromised in its move though. It remains the bishop's place in divine services offering him a place to rest, and a place from which to both instruct and guide his faithful flock as they proceed toward the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ gave His Apostles the command to go forth and preach to all nations. With vigor His Apostles went out into the world to share the Good News. They preached in homes, in caves, in catacombs, in public squares, and there was not a single agape meal (later developing into the Divine Liturgy) that was celebrated without time set-aside for educating the faithful.

As Christians began to build churches, a special place was designated from which the homily could be preached and the Gospel could be read. This place was called the ambon, or pulpit. It was a place erected in the middle of the church to which the deacon or priest would ascend via a stairway. Later on in the church's development the pulpit was attached to a column on the north side of the church. Then, as we see today, the pulpit is constructed on the solea, to the side of the Beautiful Gate of the Holy Altar (the opening in the icon screen).

But why an elevated place from which to preach and educate the faithful? Practically, it insured that the preacher could be seen and heard throughout the church. Symbolically, the preacher would stand upon the stone rolled away from the tomb (the Sanctuary being the tomb) as did the angel of the Lord, who preached the Good News to the women, "do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, he has risen, as he said" (Matthew 28:6).

Unfortunately, the balance between the Liturgy of the Word, the reading from the Gospel and the sermon, and the Liturgy of the Faithful, the celebration of the Eucharist, has been compromised. In some Christian traditions, the Word is the focus, while in others it is simply the celebration of the Eucharist. It is only in the balance and synthesis of these two works of the people, however, that we experience the fullness of the faith and the practice of the ancient Church.

Therefore, let us pray as we proceed towards the Eucharist that we not only hear the Word of God and the teachings of the Church from the pulpit but also live His Word and His faith in our lives. Where the word is heard in a lively way, there the devil cannot hold is own. And, where the devil cannot tread, the Kingdom of God exists in purity for the Christian to glorify God.

In each Orthodox house of worship the faithful will always find, at the center of the Sanctuary, the holy altar table. It is upon this table that the Word of God rests in the text of the Holy Gospels and it is upon this table that our Lord is sacrificed offering His gifts on behalf of all and for all. It is no wonder that some Orthodox theologians would consider the Holy Altar Table to be the seat or place of Christ in the Church.

The practice of the ancient church was simply to celebrate the "breaking of bread" on a simple wooden table not unlike that used in the Last Super. In time though, the place on which the bread was broken changed from common wooden tables to the righteous tombs of those men and women of the faith who were persecuted and martyred in the name of our Lord. This practice evolved into the use of marble altar tables (reminiscent of tombs) in which the precious relics of the martyrs of the Church are housed (the altar table in the Church of the Holy Cross contains the relics of Sts. Cosmas and Damion, Saint Panteleimon, and Saint Nicholas of Myrrh)

Although the altar table has developed over time, the Church has remained steadfast to the practice of a priest only celebrating one Eucharistic celebration, the Divine Liturgy, from one altar table on a particular day. An early Father of the Church, Saint Ignatios (about 37-105) instructs the Christians to "hold one Eucharist; for one is the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ; one is the cup of union with His Blood; then there should be one altar as there should be one bishop." A large community with a number of priests may in fact celebrate two liturgies, however, in the spirit of this tradition each liturgy would have a different chief celebrant who would serve at different altar tables.

Today, the Altar Table is covered with two cloths. The first cover next to the flesh of the table, the katasarkion, is reminiscent of the shroud placed on our Lord in the tomb upon His burial. It is placed on the table upon its consecration by the bishop and remains there permanently as the very Body of our Lord has sanctified it. The second and often richly ornate cloth placed on the table stems from a gesture of the Emperor Constantine in the Church of the Holy Wisdom in Constantinople. As an offering of respect and love Constantine brought forth a beautiful cloth "gold threaded and adorned with precious stones" to cover the table which houses the relics of the martyrs and upon which is placed the precious gifts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, members of the body of Christ offer beautiful altar covers in like manner.

The Sanctuary of the Orthodox Church is a holy place, a place where man, by the Grace of God, joins the angels in offering thanksgiving and all glory to our Heavenly Father. Even with its divine character, it remains a very functional place in the church. In other words, the Sanctuary like the Narthex and the Nave is structured in such a manner to best facilitate the needs of those who utilize this sacred space, in this case, the clergy who officiate at Divine Services.

If one were to peer through the Royal Doors of our Church, one would find a small marble shelf on either side of the back wall. The shelf on the left is known as the Prothesis while the shelf on the right is known as the Diakonikon. The unique purpose of each in the Sanctuary is plainly realized by the differing items that rest upon them and the differing icons that are found immediately behind them on the back wall.

The Prothesis is the place where the Eucharistic Gifts are prepared during the Morning Matins Service (Orthros), prior to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Additionally it is the place where the Eucharistic items i.e., the Holy Chalice, the Holy Paten, the communion cloths, the spoon that dispenses the gifts etc., are stored. On the back wall of the prothesis is traditionally found the icon of the Nativity, reminding us that Christ is the sacrificial lamb that is offered "in behalf of all and for all."

The Diakonikon is the place where other liturgical items are stored by the priest; specifically he keeps the book of the Gospels and liturgical texts on this shelf (relics of the saints would be kept on this shelf as well). It is here that the icons, which are brought by the faithful to be blessed, are placed for 40 days. The icon traditionally placed here is either that of the Resurrection (which is found in our altar) or that of the extreme humility of Christ.

Early on in our Church's history, these shelves were not found in the altar. Instead the Holy Gifts were prepared and the liturgical items of the Church were kept in a separate building, the skevophylakion. And it was from this place that the Gospel and the Offerings were brought into the Church at the appropriate time in the service by the clergy (our processions today with the Gospel during the Small Entrance and the Offering during the Great Entrance are reminiscent of this practice). The skevolphylakion, "the place for guarding the vessels", however, fell into disuse being replaced by the Prothesis and the Diakonikon.