When a bride or groom is left at the altar it is generally called 'left at the altar,' but, the other word would be 'jilted.'
Saint John Berchmans is considered the patron saint of altar servers. He was a Jesuit seminarian known for his devout service as an altar server before his death at a young age.
The same as the use of a Catholic altar.. it is the most important furniture peice in the church. It represents God's prescence with a cross or crucifix. Holy Communion is performed by the altar, as well as other religious ceremonies.
The offering is pomegranates, from the tree above the creature in the Garden of the Sphinx.
An altar is actually called "the altar", although if there are many altars in a Church, they may be called by a specific name, like the main altar, the high altar, the side altar, the Blessed Virgin Mary altar, the altar of repose, the Blessed Sacrament altar, the St. Joseph altar, etc.
An apse is the altar-end of a chapel or sanctuary. It's opposite is generally the entrance to the sanctuary. This is called the narthex.
Speaking only for myself the altar in a church represents a holy place of prayer where one can kneel in the presence of God and pray. This makes it a very important place to me. Unfortunately I have found that the altar these days is not used as frequently as it should be by Christians. This is probably due to the fear of embarassment and what others may think if they see you praying at the altar. I believe that on any given Sunday at any Christian church every member should be on their knees at the altar. If for no other reason than to thank God for his loving mercy on the sinful lot of us. Every Christian should find time for the altar and place great importance in it. Hope this helps and hope to see you at the altar one day!
The sanctuary is the area in a Christian church that typically houses the altar. It is considered a sacred space where religious ceremonies and rituals are conducted, particularly those involving the Eucharist or Communion.
Western churches generally do not have an alter by definition. However, the pulpit area in front of the sactuary is often refered to as an "alter."
Altar.
It is a cloth placed on an altar.
The hanging cloth on an altar is called an altar cloth or an altar frontal. It is used to decorate the altar and often changes according to the liturgical season or special occasions in the church.