Architecture and Furnishings

In the beginning: Theological discussions in the first centuries of the Church centered on the nature of God, the Trinity, then also repentance, holy living, and salvation. The theologians of this era are commonly called the Fathers of the Church, and so the era is called the Patristic Age. There we...
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A — B — C — D — E — F — G — H — I — J — K — L — MN — O — P — Q — R — S — T — U — V — W — X — Y — Z A Acolyte — Advent — Alb — Altar — Altar linens — Ambo — Ambry — Anglican collar — Anthem — Apocrypha — Apollinarianism — Apologetics — Apologist — Apology — Apse — Archbishop — Arianism — Arminianism ...
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In the beginning: The early Church was organized the same way as the synagogue, though many Bible translations obscure this fact. Both the Church and the synagogue were led by one or more presbyters, which means elder and became the English word priest. If there were several elders, the leader was c...
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Theme: Preparing for the Coming of the Lord Dates: Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on the day before Christmas. Thus it begins on 27 November 2011 and ends on 24 December at sundown. (Christmas Eve begins at sundown.) Colors: In most churches, the decorations are purple ...
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Theme: Celebrating Nativity of Jesus Christ, the Incarnation of God Dates: Christmas Season begins at sundown on 24 December and ends at sundown on 5 January.Colors:In most churches, the decorations are white to represent the angels who announced Jesus’ birth. You can read more about color in worshi...
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Theme: Jesus Manifests Himself as God Dates: The Epiphany is 6 January; the Season After the Epiphany lasts until the day before Lent, which is Tuesday, 21 February 2012. The lectionary includes the readings for the Epiphany in the Season after the Epiphany. Colors: The color for the Season After th...
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amelu: Highest order of class in the Sumerian caste system. Included priests, government officials, and professional soldiers.an-ki: Translates to "heaven-earth." Used to denote the universe.Annunaki:a-zu: A doctor.dikud: A professional judge.emesh: One of the two Sumerian seasons. Equates to summer...
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ChanceNatureNatural LawPersonal GodWorship ExperienceThe Church FamilyChance A lot of times people say that things were caused by chance. For example, if I flip a coin 100 times, I will find that it comes up heads more or less half the time. So these people say that the chance caused the outcome. Bu...
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In the beginning: The earliest Christians were either Jews or God-fearing gentiles who worshiped in the synagogue; therefore, early worship followed the pattern of the synagogue liturgy, which it still does in Lutheran, Orthodox, Anglican, and Roman Catholic churches today (among others). Justin Mar...
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You can’t always trust what you read in a web site, and I don’t expect you to think I have the final word on things. So I have listed some reference books that you can use to find more information or just check up on me. I’ve also given you enough information that you can find them in a library or o...
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The designations BCE and CE are simply a different way to write the traditional BC and AD. The basis of our modern calendar was developed by Christian monks in the Middle Ages who decided to begin numbering years with the birth of Christ, and designate that year "0" (most historians agree that they ...
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AnachronismThis is something that is out of place in respect to the historical setting. This happens when something is referred to in a translation that did not exist at the time of the original setting. An example is the use of the word Bible, instead of Scriptures, in the New Testament.ApocryphaTh...
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absolute -- That which is unconditioned, uncaused, not limited by anything outside itself. aesthetics -- The philosophical category concerned with values other than moral; e.g., art, beauty, creativity, etc. agnosticism -- Literally, "without knowledge." Usually used to refer to someone who does not...
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