A few messages seen on church marquees: "Make your reservations now; smoking or non?" "Faith is a journey, not a guilt trip." "Don't give up! Even Moses was a basket case." "Time for a faith lift." "Let's meet at my house this Sunday - God." "You're never too bad to come in, or too good to stay out." "If God has a wallet, your picture's in it." "The best vitamin for a Christian is B1." "It's smart to pick your friends, but not to pieces." "Spiritual fruits, not religious nuts." "Make others happy wherever you go, not whenever you go." "If you let the Devil ride with you, he'll want to drive." "Tact is the unsaid part of what you think." "Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives." "Too much complaining leaves little time for doing." "Let the Son shine in." "Christ forgives you; even for that." "If Theresa Alvarez attends, shouldn't you?" "A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing." "Write your plans in pencil and give God the eraser." "Life is short. Pray hard."

One in a series. The Church building and its parts, or, how to confound your friends and fellow parishioners...

The word church comes from Greek word kurios, simply meaning "lord." Though kind'a '60s Jetsons looking, the church building at St. Martha's is a Gothic cruciform (cross) architectural layout divided into three main parts; the Narthex, Nave and Sanctuary.

As you enter the church building, you'll find yourself in the Narthex; the open area behind the pews. Narthex is Greek for "large fennel" (don't ask). A Narthex was added to churches to be a gathering place protected from the weather.

Beyond the Narthex, where the pews are, is the Nave, from the Latin navis, meaning "ship," directly referring to Noah's ark. In medieval England, that wonderfully derogatory term for commoners, "knaves," developed from where those "common" folk sat in church. Running down either side of the Nave is an aisle called the Ambulatory.

Beyond the Nave, where the Altar is, is the Sanctuary, from the Latin sanctus, meaning "holy."

The rows of pews just beyond the Sanctuary, is the Chancel; from the Latin cancelli, meaning "grating or lattice." Traditionally, the Chancel, with its heavy lattice work or screen to divide and conceal it from the Nave, was a private area for the Lords and Ladies separating them from the need to interact with the knaves. At St. Martha's, it's where the choir sits.

The arms of the wide perpendicular aisle between the Nave and Sanctuary are the Transepts. At the center of the Transepts is the Crossing. You'll notice that the main aisle, Altar and Transepts form a cross; that's important. The layout of the cross is the very basis of the church's design.

Where do you sit? You'll notice that the Nave is bisected by the main aisle. The left side (when facing the Altar) is the Gospel side as determined by the right hand of the priest as she delivers the Gospel. The right side when facing the Altar is the Epistle side, for that's the side that the Epistle (Lesson) is read from.

Aren't you glad that you can finally say "You can reach the Narthex from the Crossing by the Transept and the Ambulatory on the Epistle side of the Nave"?

While looking to hire a gardener, Robert Raikes found himself in St. Catherine's Street, just opposite England's Gloucester city prison. He noticed a group of ragged children playing in that "Sooty Alley." The gardener's wife told him that it was even worse on Sunday when the street was full of children cursing and swearing and spending their time in noise and riot. Robert Raikes then realized that prison must be full of people whose lives had been shaped by their deprived childhood. An idea took root. Raikes, a good Anglican, used his position as editor and proprietor of the Gloucester Journal to publicize his cause. It began in St. Aldate's Parish with simple lessons in reading and spelling in preparation for reading the Bible and memorizing Scripture passages and hymns; sometimes Saturday instruction in writing and arithmetic was added. "Public" education was born; for "factory children in Gloucester," Robert Raikes and The Reverend Thomas Stock had opened, in 1780, the world's first formal "Sunday School."

The season after Pentecost, the longest season in the Church Calendar, is what we call "Ordinary Time." During ordinary time our worship tends to focus less on theology and more on our day-to-day lives; how God loves and blesses us and how we can love and bless one another. Let's take a quick look at how we mark "The Calendar of the Church Year..."

As do the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and fellow high-Protestant churches, Anglican Churches mark the church year by seasons that reenact the story of salvation. The Church year is a drama beginning at Advent, the season in which we prepare for the coming of the infant Christ. Next comes Christmas, which lasts for 12 days to the feast of Epiphany (often called Twelfth Night). Epiphany celebrates the "manifestation of Christ to the gentiles," symbolized by the coming of the wise men; it's also the season in which we mark Christ's baptism by John the Baptist.

Epiphany is followed by a short stretch of ordinary time that lasts 'til Ash Wednesday; that day that marks the beginning of Lent. Lent's the season of prayer and penitence that culminates at Holy Week and that greatest of all festivals, the Feast of the Resurrection or Easter. Then follows the great fifty days of Eastertide, that culminate at Whitsunday, or Pentecost, celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. (Despite the dictates of popular culture, both Pentecost and Easter are regarded as more important feasts than Christmas.) This is followed by Trinity Sunday and then the long stretch of ordinary time (some twenty-eight Sundays) leading again to Advent.

For many, the rhythm of the Church year becomes a part of life, informing and refreshing one's spirit at every step.