[InChristAlone]

Originally Posted by OBW

While you do continue on to discuss the church as the mystical, spiritual thing that it truly is, these two sentences stand out as a misunderstanding of the importance and/or place of any building. It could be strictly your own slip in terminology. I would hope that it is not some kind of official position of the EO.

The building is nothing in itself. Unlike the Temple in the OT, or the tabernacle that came before it, God's presence on earth has not been bound to physical places in that kind way for the Christian era. Church, as spoken of in the NT, is never a place. It is not a building. Yes, we all make reference to the building down on such and such a corner as a church, yet that is not a church as mentioned in the Bible. There is nothing telling us that the Spirit dwells in such a building. Or that the building is defined as a continual place of communion with God.

If it is true, then the earliest churches had no such place as they too often has no fixed place of meeting outside of someone's house, which means that the place mostly stood as a residence with periodic use as a place to meet. It is even quite possible that those who lived in the particular house were nothing more than participants/members, and would not even have stood as the elders or deacons of the group. In any case, it is likely that it was not available for other members to simply walk into at will for the purpose of finding the presence of the Spirit or having some special communion with
God.

Maybe it was my misunderstanding, or maybe Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians see their churches in different ways. The EO view is ancient, mystical, and sacral. The Protestant view is modern, pragmatic, and utilitarian. I believe it doesn't matter whose position is right or wrong. Besides, we are talking about different churches, cultures, outlooks, understandings, and experiences. Personally, I prefer the EO viewpoint. It's closer to my world outlook and is based on my experience which is always subjective, of course. Anyway, you are right. Church buildings are nothing much without believers, since "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them". (Matthew 18:20)

An Eastern Orthodox Church building is neither a theater hall, nor a stadium, nor an office, nor an apartment. It is a sacred place, “house of God” or “temple of God”, related to the Old Testament meaning of the word. In the New Testament meaning, "We are the temple of the living God..." (II Cor. 6:16) It is exactly this conviction and experience that Orthodox Church architecture wishes to convey. And from my personal experience, I do feel some invisible presence if I pray, with tears of repentance in my eyes, during the Divine Liturgy. This doesn't happen all the time but it does. And I have never experienced this feeling at any hall of the LRC. They are not sacred places but buildings with doors and windows. So I agree with you: "There is nothing telling us that the Spirit dwells in such a building. Or that the building is defined as a continual place of communion with God." That's what I feel about the LRC halls when I am there during the Lord's Table.

It might surprise you to learn that the proper word for an Orthodox Church building is called a "temple." This is partly because the Eucharistic worship of the Orthodox Church is modeled after the Temple in Jerusalem but with Christ crucified and risen, of course, replacing the animal sacrifices that were offered there. By temple we also mean Christ's Body in which the fullness of the Godhead dwelled in the visibility of the temple.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH-TEMPLE?

When you walk into an Orthodox church, or ‘temple’ as it frequently is called, it is very obvious that you are not in an auditorium or meeting hall. You are in the Temple of God on earth—His House— where you have a foretaste of being in God’s Presence in His Kingdom. Everything that surrounds you is supposed to evoke the Presence of God, and make the invisible — visible, the non-tangible — tangible. In the temple or church building design and in every aspect of its decoration, everything should be as beautiful as possible. Why? Because Beauty is a characteristic of God’s Nature — we worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness—and God is the Creator and Source of all Beauty. God is beautiful! Heaven is beautiful! Being in God’s Presence is beautiful! The Orthodox church building—the temple— makes the invisible divine realm and its beauty— visible. Also, to create Beauty is in itself a holy act, because it is a way of imitating and participating in God’s activity. In a prayer at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the priest says, “Sanctify those who love the beauty of Thy House.” This is why Orthodox churches are rather ornate and highly decorated, in order to be as beautiful as possible.

WHAT OTHER CONCEPTS INFLUENCE ORTHODOX CHURCH DESIGN?

Another important concept behind Orthodox church architectural design and decoration, its icons and its whole liturgical life of Divine Services—most especially the Divine Liturgy—is the basic principle of “correspondence.” What this means is that the patterns of the things on earth correspond to the patterns or prototypes in God’s Kingdom in heaven. Naturally, of course, God is invisible and so is the heavenly realm. However, since the physical world reflects and corresponds to the divine world—because God the Holy Trinity created the world and all its creatures—the divine love and goodness expresses and manifests itself in the physical world. Therefore, we humans, who are created in the Divine Image and Likeness, but who are creatures of flesh as well as of spirit, can encounter the Divine in both physical and spiritual ways.

The single most important concept behind Divine Worship is that what we do in God’s Temple on earth reflects — or corresponds to — divine worship before God’s heavenly throne. This is really obvious in various descriptions of heavenly worship in the Bible, especially in the Apocalypse (or Revelation) and in Hebrews. (This will be explained in greater detail in other volumes in this series, when the Divine Services will be explained.) This concept of correspondence in the Christian Church is directly inherited from the Old Testament and the Jewish Temple and its predecessor, the Tabernacle of Moses. When Moses encountered the Lord God on Mt. Sinai, the Lord told Moses how to construct the Tabernacle so that it would correspond to the pattern of the heavenly Tabernacle. Another way of expressing this idea is that the heavenly, divine Tabernacle and worship provide the prototypes of the visible temple and worship on earth. The Christian church inherits many of these Old Testament patterns, including the three-fold division of the temple, and the ancient precept that a temple is a place of sacrifice to God.

WHAT ARE THE THREE PARTS OF AN ORTHODOX CHURCH?

Following the pattern of the ancient Jewish Temple and Tabernacle of Moses, the Orthodox church building is divided into three parts, customarily called in English the “sanctuary,” “nave” and “narthex” (using the terminology of Western church architecture).

In conclusion, we have sought to briefly describe in this program why the Orthodox church temple looks the way it does, and to explain how the church building is in essence the Temple of God on earth—His House—where He reveals Himself to us, unites us with Himself, and where people have a foretaste of being in God’s Presence in His Kingdom. The Orthodox church temple is a holy place where God makes His Presence known on earth, and where His people offer Divine worship, joining with the angels and saints who continually worship around God’s heavenly throne.

http://www.stinnocentchurch.com/Arti...eriesVol2.html

Orthodox Christians understand their churches to be portals or sacred pathways to the Kingdom of God. Every Orthodox church is designed to symbolize the human journey to union with God. To carry this message, Orthodox churches are divided into three parts: the narthex, where the faithful enter the church and cross into the heavenly kingdom; the nave, where the faithful gather for worship; and the sanctuary, or the altar area, which, like the Holy of Holies in King Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, is divided by a wall from the main area of worship and restricted to the clergy and the altar servers.

Orthodox liturgical symbolism can seem very complex to outsiders, but Orthodox churches convey the human journey toward redemption in two ways. The first is horizontal -- believers enter the church and move toward the Kingdom of God -- as they approach the altar, where the body and blood of Christ are consecrated and where God resides as in the Temple in Jerusalem. The second is vertical -- from the dome of the church downward symbolizing God's desire to act unilaterally to redeem fallen humanity and his overwhelming love for the world. Many of the most important events in an Orthodox Christian's life - baptism, the reception of the Eucharist, marriage, and the funeral take place at the intersection of these two planes - under the dome and just in front of the Royal Doors of the altar. Dominating the dome is the icon of Christ the Pantocrator - the Ruler of the Universe.

Thus, it can be seen that the Orthodox Church there is an elaborate system of symbols involving every part of the church building and its decorations. Icons, frescoes, and mosaics are not mere ornaments designed to make the church look nice, but have a theological and liturgical function to fulfill. The icons throughout the church serve as the point where heaven and earth meet; and as the congregation, surrounded by the figures of Christ, the angels, and the saints, prays these visible images remind the faithful of the invisible presence of the whole company of heaven at the Liturgy. The faithful can feel that the walls of the church open out upon eternity, and in this way, they realize that their Liturgy on earth is one and the same with the great Liturgy of heaven. The beauty and splendor visible within the
church, together with the rich ceremonial drama that unfolds during Orthodox worship, attempt to convey to the believer not only a sense of being in God's House, but also of symbolically experiencing "Heaven on Earth".

http://www.stgeorgecathedral.org/exp...ns/church.html

The interior of the Orthodox Church building is particularly styled to give the experience of the unity of all things in God. It is not constructed to reproduce the upper room of the Last Supper, nor to be simply a meeting hall for men whose life exists solely within the bounds of this earth. The church building is patterned after the image of God’s Kingdom in the Book of Revelation. Before us is the altar table on which Christ is enthroned, both as the Word of God in the Gospels and as the Lamb of God in the eucharistic sacrifice. Around the table are the angels and saints, the servants of the Word and the Lamb who glorify him - and through him, God the Father - in the perpetual adoration inspired by the Holy Spirit. The faithful Christians on earth who already belong to that holy assembly ”...fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…” (Ephesians 2:19) enter into the eternal worship of God’s Kingdom in the Church. Thus, in Orthodox practice the vestibule symbolizes this world. The nave is the place of the Church understood as the assembly and people of God. The altar area, called the sanctuary or the holy place, stands for the Kingdom of God.

http://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodo...hurch-building

The house of God is a holy place, the place of the special dwelling of the Almighty, the place upon which God’s eyes are fixed continually and His ears are open constantly to the prayers and humble supplications of His faithful people. Each consecrated church temple is a literal beacon and beachhead of the Kingdom of God in this fallen world. The people of God are His temple and dwelling place, as is the church temple itself. Hence the church temple is the true atmosphere and milieu for the gathering of God’s people, our true home while on earth, and the place par excellence for the administration of the holy mysteries.

http://www.saintandrew.net/ourchurchtemple.html

Orthodox Christians consider the Liturgy to be 'Heaven on Earth' and try to experience this reality in many ways. Bright and colorful vestments are worn by the Clergy, in order to symbolize and make real the beauty of Heaven. Clouds of incense fill the Sanctuary and spread throughout the church as the deacons cense the icons and the congregation, signifying the elevation of their prayers to God's throne (Revelation 8: 3-5). Hundreds of candles are lit by worshippers in front of the icons, to remind themselves of Christ's light and of the warmth of God's love. The faithful move freely in the church, feeling at home in God's House. They frequently make the sign of the cross when they pray, to remind themselves both of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross and of their own cross in life. They usually stand or kneel rather than sit in prayer. They frequently make prostration before the icons and their neighbors, to express their deep sense of respect for God and people, seeking forgiveness for their sins. They try to attain perfect reconciliation with God their Father and pray for the salvation of the world around them. And they seek to discover the presence of God everywhere.

http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/liturgy.htm

IN THE LITERAL meaning of the word, the Church is the "assembly," in Greek, ekklesia, fromekkaleo, meaning "to gather." In this meaning it was used in the Old Testament also the Hebrew (kahal).

In the New Testament, this name has an incomparably deeper and more mystical meaning which is difficult to embrace in a short verbal formula. The character of the Church of Christ is best explained by the Biblical images to which the Church is likened.

The New Testament Church is the new planting of God, the garden of God, the vineyard of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, by His earthly life, His death on the Cross and His Resurrection, introduced into humanity new grace-giving powers, a new life which is capable of great fruitfulness. These powers we have in the Holy Church which is His Body.

http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/pomaz_church.aspx

"We are the temple of the living God...." (II Corinthians 6:16). This is what the construction of an Orthodox Church tries to communicate. Every part of what we see, what we do and what happens during church services (called, the Liturgy) is part of the "temple of the living God".

As you approach an Orthodox Church, you will notice that it is quite different from Western church buildings. The exterior of an Orthodox Church building will usually have one or more domes, often topped by a cupola. Unlike the pointed steeples of Western churches, which point to God far away in the Heavens, the dome is an all-embracing ceiling, revealing that in the Kingdom of God and in the Church, "Christ unites all things in himself, things in Heaven and things on earth" (Ephesians 1:10), and that in Him we are all "filled with all the fullness of God". (Ephesians 3:19). This symbolizes that the physical Church and the heavenly Church are visibly and invisibly unified. There is no distinction between the two, not even death.

The general interior of the Orthodox Church building is designed to convey the unity of the universe in God. It is not simply a meeting hall for people whose lives exist solely within the bounds of this earth. The church building is patterned after the image of God's Kingdom and it is meant only for prayer and union with the Divine. This concept of sacred geographical space was accepted by the apostles and practiced by them. Their reverence and prayers in the Temple of Jerusalem, as well as holy activities within synagogues have been recorded in the Bible. They understood the holy significance of sacred rituals and holy places. And this concept has continued ever since their times. As the Orthodox church teaches, one main goal of the Christian is to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Since the Orthodox Church has always lived this mystical link between Heaven and earth, everything experienced in the Church is in response to this reality, pointing us to this reality. The Church building, the ordering of the Divine services, their actions, movements, images, smells, prayers and readings, they all act to lead us into God's throne room, granting access to the inaccessible.

http://www.onearthasinheaven.com/Introduction2.html

A church, or temple, is a building consecrated to God and intended for divine worship. The Lord is invisibly present in the church and receives our prayers there; as He said: "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). Since "the powers of heaven invisibly serve with us" in the church, it may be considered a bit of heaven on earth or an island of the kingdom of heaven.

Drawn by the grace of God, believers have always striven to frequent the church. As the righteous psalmist said of old, "O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. ... I was glad because of them that said unto me: Let us go into the house of the Lord" (Psalms 26:8 [LXX 25:7]; 122:1 [LXX 121:1]).

The arrangement of an Orthodox church is based on centuries-old tradition, going back to the first tent-temple, the tabernacle, which was erected by the Prophet Moses some 1500 years before Christ.

The Old Testament Temple and its various liturgical items — the altar, the seven-branched candelabrum, the censer, the priestly vestments and other objects — were all made in accordance with divine revelation. As the Lord said to Moses, "According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it¼ And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount" (referring to Mount Sinai; Exodus 25:9; 26:30).

Approximately 500 years later, King Solomon replaced the movable Tabernacle (the tent-temple) with a magnificent stone temple in the city of Jerusalem. During its consecration, a mystical cloud descended from the sky and filled the temple, and the Lord said to Solomon: "I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually" (see 1 [3] Kings 8-9 and 2 Chronicles [2 Paralipomenon] 6-7).

Over the course of centuries, from the reign of King Solomon till the time of Jesus Christ, the Temple of Jerusalem was the center of religious life for the entire Jewish people.

Our Lord Jesus Christ visited and prayed in this temple, which had been destroyed and then rebuilt. He demanded that the Jews respect the Temple, citing the words of the Prophet Isaiah, "Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people," and He drove from the temple those that conducted themselves in an unworthy manner (Isaiah 56:7; Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:16-17; John 2:13-20).

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles continued to frequent the Old Testament Temple and pray in it, following Christ’s example (Acts 2:46). At the same time they began augmenting the Temple services with special Christian prayers and sacraments. Specifically, on Sunday ("the Lord’s Day") the Apostles and the first Christians would gather in the homes of the faithful, or sometimes in buildings designated as houses of prayer (oikoi). Here they would pray, read the Holy Scriptures, "break bread" (celebrate the Liturgy) and partake of Holy Communion. This is how the first house-churches developed (cf. Acts 5:42; 12:12; 20:8; Col. 4:15). Later, during the persecutions carried out by the pagan rulers, Christians used to gather in the catacombs (underground rooms), where they would celebrate the Liturgy at the graves of the martyrs.

During the first three centuries of Christianity, because of the relentless persecutions, Christian church buildings were rare. Only after the proclamation of religious freedom by Emperor Constantine the Great in 313 did Christian churches begin to appear everywhere.

The Liturgy is the most important Divine service in our Orthodox Church, because during it is accomplished the great Mystery of the Eucharist or Holy Communion, which was established by our Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Supper; its essence being that through the action of the Grace of the Holy Spirit our offerings of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus.

http://www.fatheralexander.org/bookl...temple.htm#n21