Self-Guided Tour: 5 The Narthex
Okay! You may think you’re standing in the “lobby” or the “vestibule” or just the “front entry” of the sanctuary, but church architects insist that this is the narthex n-a-r-t-h-e-x. (It’s totally inaccurate, but go ahead and think “north exit” if that helps.)
At any rate, this is a transitional area for folks stepping out of one world and into another. Glancing upward at the barrel-shaped ceiling, you’ll notice several north-south bands of stone or stucco. These introduce the primary theme you’ll notice in the sanctuary’s décor: the Biblical life-symbol of grapevines–or vines and branches–which is carried forward into carvings on the pulpit, lectern and baptismal font manifesting Christ’s promise of fruitful life.
And inevitably, ones gaze is drawn inward, through the clear glass windows, toward the sanctuary’s sacred space.
But first, there’s mundane “busyness” to take care of: coats to be hung, coffee to be poured, our attendance to record, worship bulletins to share, children’s materials to be collected, hands and hugs to be offered and pleasantries exchanged with our fellow worshipers.
Tune out all that busy-ness for now! Please take a quiet moment to step to the west (right) wall of the narthex and carefully study the explanation of our church’s most remarkable artistic feature—the very unconventional three-panel stained glass window at the front of the chancel.
