Thursday, April 7, 2016

For Knowledge On Churches Westfield NJ Should Be Visited

By James Peterson


Depending on context, the word church has more than one meaning. The meaning used in this article is that of a building used by believers for religious activities. Even though it is often associated with Christians, church buildings can also be used by other religions for religious activities. When one is in need of getting a greater understanding about most churches Westfield NJ is the right location to check out. There are several different religious buildings in that area from which one can learn a couple of things.

The earliest church that can be identified was a house church that was founded somewhere between 233 and 256. Today, the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites is one of the oldest churches in the world that has survived to this day. The church is located in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Most of the buildings that were initially meant for worship have now been converted to other uses. The reverse has happen to some buildings that were initially meant for other activities.

The term church originated from the language of Greek. Its refers to anything related to Jesus. The word ecclesia was being used more in the English language before it was dropped for church. However, the word remained in use in Latin, Greek and other languages. That is why languages such as Italia, Portuguese, French, and Spanish, which are derived from the Latin language still use words derived from ecclesia.

Breton, Irish, Welsh among other Celtic languages as well as Turkish also started using the term ecclesia and they still do to this moment. Conversely, church was adopted in English instead of ecclesia. Churche was the initial spelling prior to its change to church. Derivatives of the word church are also in use in other languages like Scottish, Russian, and German.

The earliest Christians as expressed in the Bible did not construct churches. Instead, the books of Corinthians and Acts indicate that believers gathered in homes, synagogues, and temples. The construction of the modern churches as they are known today began in Western Europe. Believers started building cathedrals and parishes around the 11th and 14th centuries.

Medieval churches were used for other activities too besides worshiping. The community could use them for other activities they had. For example, they served as halls for banquets and meeting places. Cathedrals were at times used to hold fairs and mystery plays. In addition, during the time for harvesting, the church could be used to store and thresh grains. In Europe, construction of churches began during Renaissance before moving to the Americas.

The shape of a cross is the main architecture followed in building churches. The shape comprises of a two medium-sized rectangles joining a longer rectangle three quarters of its length. This organization forms a smaller rectangular at the front and a relatively longer one at the bottom. The bottom rectangle is the audience area while the smaller one forms the sanctuary.

Church buildings are of many different types. Some of them include basilicas and cathedrals. Cathedrals are church buildings in which the seat of the bishop is housed. They are normally Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, or Catholic.




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