5 Church Building & Orientation

ORIENTATION IN THE EARLY CHURCH

No doubt, communicating with God is distinguished by its intimate nature. It takes place right within the hearts, where we meet our closest and hidden Friend who dwells in our innermost s. It is, by nature, a ceaseless contact that is not bound with time nor a place; at home, on the road, at work, al church... etc. However, this reality must also be coupled with the fact that our God likes discipline and hates disorder. Thus, during our worship whether at His church or at home, we are expected to observe order and discipline.

This explains the reason for orienting the worship towards a certain direction, both in the Old and New Testaments. Before Christianity. Prayers were offered towards the Temple of Jerusalem as the place of "Presence of God". On the other hand, the church of the New Testament oriented its liturgical as well as the private devotions towards the East.

According to the Apostolic Constitutions[1], "the church must be ablong in form and pointing to the East".

Such a tradition was mentioned in the writings of many early Fathers such as ST. Clement of Alexandria,[2] Origen',[3] Tertullian[4]... etc. , and was almost invariably observed in early churches.

Churches of the second century in Syria for example used to point out the direction of East to their worshippers by hanging or inscribing a cross on the wall facing them.... [5].

The apocryphal documents also refer indirectly to this early tradition. We read in the apocryphal 'Acts of Apostles’[6] that ST. John of Zebede "took a cross of wood and placed it up towards the East and kneeled and was praying..." The same document continues to relate a story that the conversion of a multitude of people by the same Apostle was followed by a prayer towards the East. "The people turned their backs to the west and fell down on their faces before the cross to the East. They were weeping and saying: We worship You, Son of God, who was suspended on the Tree.".

Furthermore, the Liturgy of Baptism also observed such a tradition in the Early Church. First the candidate renounced the Devil and all his works, then would be asked to face the East to profess his belief in the Holy Trinity[7].

The orientation, or praying towards the East was very common, and apparently confused the pagans, who misunderstood it. To that effect Tertullian says: [8] "Some assumed that the sun is the God of Christians, because it is a well - known fact that we pray towards the East, or perhaps we make Sunday a day of festivity".

Orientation was not only observed in liturgical services but also in private prayers. We read about ST. Arsanius that he was accustomed to commence his prayer at sunset of Saturday and finish it when the sunshine's opposite to him, on the following morning. [9].

The Acts of Martyrs and Saints recorded that whenever possible martyrs and saints oriented themselves towards the East on their departure from this world.

Now it is probably the time to query the significance of orientation in our worship and in constructing our churches.

THE THEOLOGY OF "ORIENTATION"

1. CHRIST IS OUR 'EAST':

It is not unreasonable for us to pray towards the East, for our Christ is called ’the East' Zak 6. ’IS, and the 'Sun of Righteousness and Justice' who shines continuously upon us to destroy darkness (Mat 4: 2).

In addition, the Early Fathers had some interesting thoughts on this same point. For example, Origen says[10] that we ought to pray Eastward in order to indicate that the soul is oriented towards the dawn of the Light, the Sun of Justice and salvation, the Sun who shines upon the New World, i. e. the Church.

ST. Ambrose also says that during 'Baptism' candidates should look towards the East to see Christ face to face...

In brief, we can say that our persistence to orientation during our worship is a sign to indicate our eagerness to face the Lord, giving our back to the darkness of sin and earthly pleasures. Thus, whenever we celebrate the liturgy, we hear the deacon exhorting us to look towards the East to see Emmanuel, our God, present upon the Altar.

1. REMINDS US OF LOST PARADISE:

ST. Basil the Great says: "It is the cause of an unwritten tradition that we turn to east to pray. But little do we know that we are thus seeking the ancient homeland, the Paradise that God planted in Eden, towards the East".

To the same effect, ST. Ephram the Syrian says[11] , "The Jews looked to Jerusalem in their prayers, for it was their holy country. As for us, the Paradise is our old country which was in the East. Therefore we are ordered to look towards the East during our prayers".

Thus in orienting our churches towards the geographical east and not towards Jerusalem, we have definitely substituted earthly Jerusalem by the Heavenly One[12]. The words of Fr. John Damascus carry the same meaning that orientation refers to looking forward towards our eternal country.

Lastly, ST. Gregory of Nyssa assures that such notion of orientation helps the soul to repent and seek the kingdom of God in her worship[13].

1. WAITING FOR THE PAROUS IA (Advent) OF CHRIST:

Orientation is distinctly correlated with the Parousia of the Lord, or His Last Advent, in which He will escort us to His heavenly kingdom. The Lord declared that His advent looks like the lightning, appears from the East and shines upon the west Mat 24: 27. Also on the Lord's Ascension, the angel informed the disciples that the Son of Man will come again from the East the same as in His ascension Acts 1: 11.

It should not be surprising then that the Didiscalia Apostolorum states: "For it is required that you pray towards the East, as you know that it is written: Give praise to God, who rides upon the heavens of heavens towards the East Pg. 68[14]".

Fr. Methodius of Olympia describes the state of the church, oriented towards the East and waiting joyfully for the coming of her Bridegroom by saying:

From the Bright of heaven, O virgins the Sound of a voice makes itself heard, awaking the dead.

Towards the Bridegroom it says, Let us all go in hast clad in our white garments our lamps in our hands, to the EAST.

A similar hymn was also written by ST. Ephram the Syrian, he says[15]:

When Christ appears from the East His Cross will appear before Him like a standard before the King!

1. SYMBOL OF REBIRTH,HOPE AND LIGHT:

ST. Clement of Alexandria also links between the East and our spiritual day of rebirth. He comments that every time we stand up for prayer towards the East, we remember the beginning of our new life that we had obtained in baptism.

As a result, by every sunrise believers hopes are renewed, that they pray to their God the following words:

Let us enjoy a fresh start May the light of your face shine upon us and enlighten UB with light of your divine knowledge Make us children of Lights children of daytime……Enlighten our minds, hearts and our Blanding, O Lord, of all ".

MORNING PRAYER[16].

1. LOOKING TOWARDS THE CROSS:

Another point of interest that, has been raised by ST. Athanasius is that Christ was facing the west while hanging on the Cross. Thus upon looking towards the East in our prayers, we meet the Crucified Lord face to face.

Perhaps this reasoning is behind the tradition of fitting Icons of Christ on the eastern wall of our churches.

+ + + + +.

ORIENTATION OF GRAVES:

It is rather interesting to note that orientation was not only observed in worship and church buildings, but was also introduced in the old Christian graves. On this phenomenon Jtongmann [17]remarks that the majority of the old cemeteries in the villages of his country, i. e. in Tyrol and Austria, graves were built in such a way as to orient the dead bodies to face the East. He comments: "The dead therefore are like a large army looking out for Him, who was risen, and waiting His call when He will summon them also to the resurrection. It is certainly a meaningful symbolism. The symbolism which was expressed over the entrance of one of the larger cemeteries in Tyrol, by one single word" RESURRECTURIS[18] ".

It may well be that orientation of the dead was copied from the preceding martyrs and saints, upon departing from the world.

It was said that ST. Mary on her departure[19], ’’turned to the East and prayed in a heavenly language and then lay down,. still facing Eastwards. ".

Once again, the apocryphal 'Act of ST. Paul[20]’ records, "Then Paul stood with his face to the East and lifted up his hands unto heaven , and prayed for a long time... and then stretched forth his neck without speaking.".

+ + + + + + +.

Now we can acquaint the factors that biased the orientation of early church buildings particularly in Egypt. Evidence is readily accessible at the ancient churches of Egypt, upon which Butler remarks that there in every case, the orientation of the altar towards the East is evident beyond any shadow of doubt. However, the geometry of the site could deviate the building slightly from the true East[21].