J.Healer
The Music of J & K
Nave
The Churches Album
The Churches Album
Reflections on Sacred Spaces
Nave
The Origin
Nave (Latin: Navis; meaning Ship) The part of the Church where the congregation sit, stretching from the Narthex to the transepts.
The Emotion
I once composed a piece of music in memory of the RMS Lancastria. As the nave carries the positive connotations of a ship I decided that this present composition carried the same feeling, but in a more subtle and bright tone. Waves at sea can be felt throughout, but you are comforted with the knowledge and confidence of safe passage and tranquility on board the ship.
The Connection
I recall being instructed by a pilgrim guide upon entering a beautiful Church in Rome to look up. He said that we can miss the whole picture of what an architect is trying to say by just looking straight ahead. I glanced heavenwards and noticed that the structure looked like the inside of a huge ship (upside down). My breath was taken away by the sheer immensity of it, like a strong unexpected wave at sea.
The word Nave (Navis in Latin) means Ship. The Bible includes narratives involving ships and boats. We have Noah’s Ark in the Old Testament through to the fishing boats present in the Sea of Galilee in the New Testament.
I can only imagine that in the midst of a great storm at sea, the only things you can trust are the strength and structure of the ship, and more importantly, the strength, courage, conviction and the skill of the Captain.
Pray for the gift of trust, especially if you find yourself unable to release control to God, who is the Captain and can navigate all things.
