Many of the protestant church buildings are smaller that the different parts of any medieval church are no longer recognizable. One church part is the narthex. What is this area in the church?
The narthex is a Greek word that means "scourge." The narthex is also defined as the gathering space before the nave, or the main worship space. This area is sometimes called the lobby but it is more appropriate to call it as the church narthex. According to the www.umc.org website, the narthex has been traditionally the area where the penitents and the catechumens are gathered because they cannot worship together with other Christians in the main worship space until they are able to complete their orientation or re-orientation to the Christian life. However, today we use this space as a place where we greet worshippers and exchange our pleasantries with one another. The narthex serves as a venue where we can welcome other Christian believers to come worship with us.
