|
An Episcopal
Lexicon
compiled by
Gerald Smith, Sewanee School
of Theology, 1995
[Return to the FAQ
page]
A | B | C
| D | E | F | G | H | I | J
| L | M | N
O | P | Q | R
| S | T | V | W
815
a short reference to the main office complex of the Episcopal Church in New York: Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, (212) 867-8400.
1928 Prayer Book
a version of the Episcopal book of worship in use from 1928 to 1979; some
services from this prayerbook have been retained
in the current prayerbook as "Rite I"
services. Preference for the use of the 1928 edition is sometimes
associated with "conservative" attitudes in the Episcopal Church.
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A
Acolyte
originally a minor clerical order but now usually a lay function in the
church; the acolyte assists the priest, lights and carries candles, and
performs other ceremonial functions.
Advent Wreath
a special wreath containing five candles used in churches and homes as
reminders of the four Sundays before Christmas. Four of the candles are
arranged in a circle, the fifth--a white candle--is placed in the center.
By tradition one additional candle is lighted each Sunday until on the
fourth Sunday all four candles are lighted. On Christmas, the fifth candle
is lighted.
Advent
the season of the church year immediately prior to Christmas beginning with
the fourth Sunday before Christmas; also the entire Christmas season.
Alb
the white robe worn by the priest when celebrating communion; generally
worn over daily clothes but under other vestments, scarves, etc.
All Saints' Chapel
the main worship building of the University of the South; it is a chapel
but not a church or cathedral--not a church because it is not a parish with
a permanent congregation; not a cathedral [even though it is a very large
building] because it is not the official canonical residence of a bishop.
All Saints' Day
November 1; a feast day in the church in commemoration of all the known and
unknown saints.
Altar Guild
a special, usually lay, group in a church charged with the maintenance and
preparation of the altar and its furnishings in a church; altar guilds may
also supervise church decorations and flowers.
Altar
a table [located in the sanctuary or the crossing] on which are placed the
vessels for holding the bread, wine, and water used in the eucharist or communion.
American Episcopal
Church
a separated group of American Episcopalians who differ with the Protestant
Episcopal Church of the United States of America over matters pertaining to
liturgy, ordination, and church government; this group has often favored
the use of the "1928 Prayerbook", and
has generally opposed the ordination of women.
Anglican
simply means English; a term indicating the English origins of the
Episcopal Church. Sometimes seen in the expressions Anglican Church or
Anglican Communion--both of which terms simply indicate any national church
which derives from the Church of England
Anthem
sacred vocal music using scriptural words; now also any vocal music or hymn
sung by a choir but not by the congregation.
Archbishop of
Canterbury
the presiding bishop of the Church of England; sometimes acknowledged by
American Episcopalians as the honorary spiritual head of the entire
Anglican communion.
Archbishop
a bishop over a group of dioceses or national church; for instance, the
Archbishop of South Africa
or New Zealand.
Archdeacon
a priest who is on a bishop's staff and who exercises some administrative
supervision over parishes, missions, priests, or programs for the bishop;
archdeacons are referred to as "The Venerable" [The VenArchdeacons sometimes wear purple instead of black
cassocks.
Ash Wednesday
the day which marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a period of
spiritual discipline, fasting and moderation in preparation for Holy Week
and Easter; one of the most important days of the church year. In the Ash
Wednesday service, ashes are lightly smeared onto the forehead of a person
by the priest or bishop. On this day in Sewanee, a number of people may be
seen who appear to have a black or gray smudge on their forehead.
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B
Bishop and Council
a type of diocesan government; the council is a governing or advisory body
usually selected from several sub-divisions of a diocese.
Bishop, Assistant
a specially ordained or otherwise specially designated person who has the
spiritual and liturgical rank of a bishop and who usually assists the
Bishop of a diocese; some retired diocesan bishops become assistants to
other bishops; some assistant bishops are specially ordained for their work.
Assistant Bishops can perform most functions performed by other bishops.
Bishop, Co-adjutor
an ordained person consecrated to become the next bishop of a diocese when
the diocesan bishop retires; when the bishop retires or resigns, the Co-adjutor becomes the Diocesan and the term Co-adjutor is dropped. Suffragan
bishops do not automatically become diocesan bishops.
Bishop, Diocesan
the primary bishop of a diocese; sometimes referred to as "The
Diocesan": the Diocesan of Mississippi is The Rt. Reverend Duncan M.
Gray, Jr, Bishop of Mississippi, but The Rt.
Reverend. Alfred C. Marble is the Bishop Co-adjutor
of Mississippi.
When Bishop Gray retires, Bishop Marble will become the Diocesan.
Bishop, Suffragan
a working co-bishop in a diocese but without inherent right of succession
when the diocesan bishop retires or resigns. Suffragan
bishops are sometimes called by another diocese to become their Diocesan
bishop.
Bishops, Letters
to
envelope and inside address; salutation: The Rt. Rev. John F. Marks, D.D., Bishop of Kansas, 413 Purchase Street, Kansas
City, KA 12123; Dear Bishop Marks: Or, The Rt. Rev. Joseph H. Curtis, Suffragan Bishop of Maine, ...; Dear Bishop Curtis: Or,
The Rt. Rev. William E. Devon, D.D., Bishop Co-adjutor of Kansas...; Dear Bishop Devon:
Book Of Common
Prayer
a collection of prayers, readings, Psalms, devotions, and services used by
the Episcopal Church; the worship book used by Episcopalians. Nearly all
services in any Episcopal Church will be printed in this book.
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C
Canon
the title of a priest who serves on the staff cathedral, except that the
head staff priest of the cathedral is the dean; the canon is addressed as
"The Rev. Canon Jane H. Wilson" Salutation in letter: "Dear
Canon Wilson" or "Dear Ms. Wilson".
Cantor
a person who chants or sings; often a solo voice that begins the service.
The Festival of Lessons and Carols begins with the solo of the cantor.
Cassock
the black robe worn by priests; bishops' cassocks are usually purple.
Cathedra
the special chair that a bishop sits in during a church service: The
Bishop's Cathedra. The cathedra is sometimes moved to a prominent place for
special occasions--as for the conferring of honorary degrees.
Cathedral
an Episcopal Church which is the official church of a bishop of a diocese;
sometimes such churches are indicated by the word Cathedral in their name,
but not always. Cathedrals are usually in the charge of a priest who is
referred to as the Dean of the Cathedral; such Deans are referred to as
"The Very Reverend...". Not all large
churches are cathedrals; not all cathedrals are large.
Catholic
literally, "universal" or "found everywhere"; usually,
however, a reference to the Roman Catholic Church although the term also includes
Anglican, Syrian, Greek, Coptic, Russian and other churches. The Episcopal
Church is a catholic church. Catholic churches generally accept the
teachings of tradition as well as scripture and usually accept the validity
of one or more ancient creeds as the summary of the Christian faith.
Celebrant
the main priest in a eucharist, mass, or
communion; the priest who performs the consecration of the bread and wine;
the celebrant may be assisted by other priests, deacons, chalice bearers,
acolytes, etc.
Chancel
the portion of a church between the front row of pews and the altar;
usually the place the choir sits; sometimes also called the
"choir".
Chancellor
the spiritual head of a clerical house, order, college, or university; in
some dioceses the chancellor is the chief administrative assistant to the
bishop; at Sewanee the Chancellor is the bishop of one of the owning
dioceses who has special religious oversight of the University and who is
the president of the Board of Trustees.
Chant
a musical recitation of words midway between reading and singing; in All
Saints' the Psalm in the worship service is often chanted.
Chapel
a place of worship lacking a parish congregation [although chapels may have
a permanent clergyman]; chapels may be large or small, private or
institutional. A term for a place of Episcopal worship associated with a
college, university, or seminary. A small place of worship attached to a
larger structure. All Saints' is a chapel; Otey
and St. James are churches--because they have parish congregations.
Chaplain
the minister in charge of a chapel or a minister to a group of people who
are not organized as a mission or church; the minister of All Saint's is a
chaplain. The minister at St. Andrew's-Sewanee School is a chaplain. A
minister who holds a service at Emerald
Hodgson Hospital
would be referred to as a chaplain.
Choir
a special group of singers who chant or sing during a worship service; also,
the part of the church where the choir sits: the chancel of All Saints' is
sometimes called the choir.
Church Annual
The Episcopal Church Annual: the yearbook of the Episcopal Church
containing names and addresses of all Episcopal organizations, dioceses,
churches, a list of all clergy, etc. Sometimes also called the "Red
Book".
Church of England
the name of the Episcopal Church in England.
Church, local
the smallest social division of the Episcopal Church; above the church is
the diocese; above the diocese is the province; above the province is the
national church. Sometimes church refers to the local building; sometimes
to the local congregation. See also parish, congregation, communicants.
Clergy
the group of ordained ministers of a church or denomination; all ministers
together as distinguished from lay persons. When used in distinction from
laity, the term includes both bishops and priests; sometimes the term
refers to all priests except the bishops: as in the expression, "All
bishops and other clergy..."
Clerical Directory
The Episcopal Clerical Directory: a biennial listing of all Episcopal
clergy with short biographical paragraphs about each person including
schooling, ordination, churches served, family
information, address, service to the Episcopal Church.
Clerical
an adjective referring to ordained persons and their work.
Co-adjutor Bishop
see Bishop Co-adjutor.
Collar, clerical
a stiff round shirt collar worn by Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, and
some Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and other clergy; widely regared as a sign or identifying mark of clerical
status.
Communicants
the members of a local church; those who do or who are eligible to receive
communion; loosely identified with the roll of the local church: "St.
Mark's has 300 communicants [=official members]." But, "There
were 37 communicants at the Eucharist at the early service [=37 people
received the Lord's Supper]."
Communion
the Christian sacramental meal, equivalent to the Lord's Supper; now more
commonly called 'eucharist' in Episcopal
churches; also called Mass in Roman Catholic churches.
Compline
an evening service to end the day; although the service is an old Christian
usage, it has only recently been added to the Prayerbook
of the Episcopal Church.
Congregation
the group of people who attend church; the members present for the worship
service.
Consecration
a special service of dedication or ordination; a church [without debt] may
be consecrated--made holy to God's purposes; a service by which an ordained
person becomes a bishop.
Convent
a disciplined spiritual residential community for women; similar to a
monastery. Near Sewanee, St. Mary's is a convent for the Sisters of the
Community of St. Mary.
Convention,
General
a gathering every three years of the national Episcopal Church; at General
Convention each diocese is represented by appointed or elected deputies. At
General Convention the basic regulations and decisions that govern the
church are made. For voting, the General Convention consists of the House
of Bishops and the House of Deputies.
Convention
a meeting of a church body, as in a diocesan convention: "Tennessee is having
its convention this weekend at St. Marks." =The Diocese of Tennessee is
gathering as a dicocese at St. Marks
church.
Convocation
a special gathering of a religious or academic group, usually marked by use
of special vestments, ceremony, procession, etc. Also the name of a special
group of ordained persons. Sewanee holds a convocation
at the beginning of each semester, on Founders's
Day, and for Baccalaureate and Commencement. Some dioceses meet as a
convocation. Sometimes the meeting of all the clergy of a diocese is called
a convocation.
Cotta
a short robe often worn by choir members.
Council/Diocesan
Council
a group for diocesan government; and appointed or elective group that
advises the bishop; at the diocesan level similar to the vestry at the
parish level; sometimes referred to as "Bishop-and-Council".
Crossing
in church architecture, the main intersection of aisles at the front of the
church; if viewed from above, these aisles form a large cross. Sometimes
the altar is located at the crossing. In a service, crossing refers to a
hand gesture of making a cross pattern on one's body; also a gesture made by
a priest or bishop over a congregation or upon a person at death or
baptism. At Sewanee the term Crossing also refers to the presentation of
St. Luke's Crosses to the School
of Theology seniors: "The School of Theology Crossing is Friday
afternoon."
Crucifer
a person in a religious procession who bears the cross and who leads the
procession into the church.
Crucifix
a kind of Christian symbol which is a cross with a likeness of the body of
Christ on it; usually thought of as a "very Catholic symbol" by
some protestants. Otey Church
has a crucifix in it.
Curate
a deacon or other person not fully ordained who receives a fee for working
in a small parish; the parish a curate works with is his 'cure'; sometimes
a curate is the newest assistant to a senior minister at a large parish.
Curates generally work under the supervision of a senior minister and do
not have full responsibility for their parish. Equivalent to a vicar.
Cursillo
a contemporary, popular movement of Christian renewal in the Episcopal Church;
usually involves a very close=knit group of people in an intense retreat
for a weekend, followed by spiritual disciplines and gatherings.
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D
De-consecration
a ritual or service for returning a former sacred building or site to a
non-sacred status; church buildings no longer in use as churches are
de-consecrated before being sold or destroyed.
Deacon
the initial level of ordination in the Episcopal Church. Unlike protestant
churches where Deacon is a lay order, in the Episcopal Church Deacon is a
clerical order. Deacons often have special clerical duties; by tradition
the Gospel is read by the deacon if a deacon is on the staff of a church or
chapel.
Dean
title used for the resident clergyman of a cathedral; also used for the
chief academic officer of a college or seminary. If the dean is ordained,
the title "The Very Reverend" is appropriate; if the dean is a
lay person, this title is not used: the Dean of the School of Theology
is the Very Reverend Guy Lytle; the Dean of the College is Prof. Robert Keele.
Deputy
an official church or diocesan delegate to a meeting; a deputy may be
clerical or lay.
Diaconate
the state of being a deacon; also, the life of deacon-like service in the
church.
Diocesan Seals
heraldic insignia of a diocese; the painted plaques above the bishop's
chairs in the sanctuary of All Saints' chapel. Diocesan Seals are sometimes
cut into rings or dies for impressing wax on official diocesan documents.
Diocese
a unit of church organization; the spiritual domain under a bishop. A
diocese may contain many parishes and churches.
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E
Epiphany
January 6; a feast celebrating the visit of the Wisemen
to the infant Jesus; the end of the Christmas season.
Episcopal
the name of a form of church organization which means government by an
overseer
episcopos
Episcopos is the Greek word from which we derive
the English word 'bishop'.
Episcopalian, The
the general newspaper of the Episcopal Church; usually sent to each
communicant or family of a church; news of the moves of clergy from one
church to another is often published in this paper.
Epistle, The
a
reading from the New Testament other than from the Gospels; also any
reading from the Bible other than the Gospels or Psalms.
Epistle Side
the right side of a church when facing the altar; this older usage is now
no longer accurate in churches reading the gospel from the right side
pulpit. See Gospel Side.
Eucharist
a "good gift" or thanksgiving; the current usage in the Episcopal
Church to refer to communion or the Lord's Supper.
Eulogy
a speech or homily in praise of a deceased person; brief remarks about the
deceased at a funeral.
Evensong
an evening worship service; evening prayer; and evening prayer service
featuring a choir.
Executive
Committee
a type of diocesan government in which a committee advises the bishop; the
executive committee is smaller and usually less representative than the
Bishop-and-Council type of government.
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F
Font
a basin of water used in baptism. The Episcopal Church practices baptism by
"sprinkling" rather than by "full imersion".
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G
General Convention
the national triennial meeting of the Episcopal Church; parishes send
"deputies" or official representatives to General Convention.
Gospel, The
any reading from Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John in the New Testament; also a
general reference to the essential message of the Christian faith.
Gospel Side
an older usage for designating the interior of a church; originally, the
Gospel Side was the north side [the left side facing the altar]. See
Epistle Side.
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H
High Church
a designation of a church emphasizing theological or liturgical formality;
a church with several vested assistants and many fine utensils used in the
service; a church that sings or chants its service rather than reading or
speaking it; a church that celebrates the Eucharist every Sunday [though
most Episcopal Churches do this now]. Such churches sometimes appear to be
more "catholic".
Holy Orders
a way of referring to ordination among Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and
others: an ordained person is spoken of as "being in holy
orders"--meaning that the person has made priestly vows and has been
admitted by a bishop into one of the several levels of ordination.
Holy Week
the period from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday; most important period of the
church year with many special services.
Homily
a short sermon often on a single topic of devotion or morality.
House of Bishops
all the bishops of the Episcopal church sitting as a legislative and judiciary
body of the church.
House of Deputies
as the lay and presbyter delegates to a general convention sitting as a
legislative body.
Hymn
sacred words set to music; church vocal music involving the congregation
and distinguished from the Psalm or anthem.
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I
Incense
the "smell" element in Smells & Bells; a fragrant [and now
usually hpyo-allergenic] powder burned in a small
dish or pot; used during the service or in the processions in recollection
of one of the three gifts of the Wisemen to the
Christ Child.
Inclusive Language
the attempt to find forms of religious expression which are not biased in
favor of a particualr gender group. Some churches
favor an Inclusive Lectionary, and some have altered prayers and hymns so
that gender-restrictive images and pronouns are removed: "Our God who
art in heaven..."
Installation
a service in which a person is made the official bearer of a clerical or
academic office: the Installation of the Dean or Vice-Chancellor; a service
at which an already consecrated bishop is installed as bishop of a diocese.
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J
Junior Warden
the assistant to the Senior Warden; usually becomes Senior Warden after the
Senior Warden's term is up.
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L
Laity
the non-ordained members of a church; all lay persons together; "the
people" as distinguished from "the clergy".
Lay minister
a person who is not ordained, but who works closely with a church or
religious program. Some lay ministers are un-paid volunteers; some are paid
staff members of a church.
Lay person
any non-ordained person; in the Episcopal church today, lay person is often
used instead of the older protestant usage "layman".
Lay Reader
any non-ordained person who participates in reading part of a church
service. In some churches Lay Readers are officially recognized as a
special group assisting in church services.
Lay
from laios, a Greek word meaning the people.
Lectern
a raised platform with railing used for reading prayers or scripture;
usually located at the front of the nave opposite the pulpit.
Lectionary,
Inclusive
the use of Biblical texts which are not biased in favor or male or female
images and which avoid male or female pronouns such as Him or Her. Texts
which avoid the use of images of God as Father. See Inclusive Language.
Lectionary
the complex series of Biblical readings used in the Episcopal Church
throughout the year.
Lent
the period of fasting, sobriety and meditation following Ash Wednesday; in
the past Lent was widely associated with denial or "giving something
up for Lent.": "I gave up smoking for Lent." Or, "I
gave up desserts for Lent." The season recalls the period of Christ's
fasting and meditation in the wilderness, so traditionally is for a period
of forty days--from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday. The term is derived from
an old word for 'lengthen' which referred to the lengthening days of early sping.
Lesson and Carols
popular name of the Festival of Lessons and Carols held in All Saints'
Chapel the first Saturday and Sunday of December; now in its fourth decade,
the Festival has been featured on television and in magazines and is widely
popular across the South; the three services each more than 1200 people.
Lesson
also the Epistle; any reading from the Bible except the Gospels or Psalms;
usually read on the opposite side of the church from where the Gospel is
read; in older practice the Lesson was read from the "Epistle
Side"--the right side facing the altar, while the Gospel was read from
the "Gospel Side"--the left side facing the altar. Current
practice in many Episcopal churches does not conform to this older pattern.
Liturgy
literally the word means the work of the people; generally used to refer to
the full text of the words of a worship service; any ritual order for
holding a church service.
Living Church, The
a
monthly magazine of the Episcopal Church often discussing current issues in
the life of the Church.
Low Church
a church that is less formal; a church that does not chant or sing its
service; a church that alternates Morning Prayer with Eucharist; such
churches sometimes appear to be more "protestant".
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M
M . Div.
Master of Divinity; the basic American theological degree; in earlier
years, the first theological degree was the B.D.
[Bachelor of Divinity], but in the late 1960's many American divinity
schools began to allow their earlier graduates to exchange their B.D. degrees for the newer M.Div.
degree. Graduates of the School
of Theology receive
the M.Div. degree at Commencement.
Mass
the Roman Catholic name for the Christian sacramental meal but sometimes
used by conservative Episcopalians to refer to communion or eucharist.
Maundy Thursday
the Thursday of Holy Week; the name is from Latin `mandatum'
referring to Christ's commandment concerning foot-washing; also the day on
which the first Lord's Supper was celebrated.
Mission
a local Episcopal congregation that has not yet attained the status of a
church with a full-time priest; also a church that has lost its church
status and reverted to mission status. St. James' in Midway was a mission;
when it became able to support a full-time priest, it became a church: St.
James' Episcopal Church. Usually a mission does not have a full-time
minister and does not have the full complement of daily or weekly services:
Epiphany Mission in Sherwood.
Miter/mitre
the liturgical hat or head dress of a bishop; not often used in Episcopal
churches.
Morning Prayer
a morning worship service without communion; now this service has generally
been replaced by a eucharistic or communion
service.
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N
Narthex
an enclosed space at the entry end of the nave of a church; the entry porch
or vestibule of All Saints' Chapel: "The ushers will line up in the
Narthex."
Nave
the main part of a church; the place where the congregation sits. Derived
from an old word for ship; in older churches the beams of the roof
resembled the beams and timbers in the sides of a ship.
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O
Ordination
a speical service for inducting a person into
holy orders; the ritual that makes a person a priest or minister.
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Palm
Sunday
the Sunday before Easter. In an Episcopal Church, members of the
congregation carry real palms during the service; in some churches, the
tradition is that palms from one year are saved, dried and later burned to
make the ashes used at the next year's Ash Wednesday service.
Parish hall/house
a gathering place for a local congregation separate from the church
building.
Parish
the group of people of a certain area who are organized into a local church;
sometimes the word also refers to the geographic region around a church. In
the South many of the present-day counties were once referred to as
parishes [as is still the case in Louisiana];
mostly a reference to the local congregation.
Parson
now rare in Episcopal usage. Any priest or minister; often a reference to
low-church or non-Episcopal clergy. Sometimes a term of affection for an
older clergyman especially of rural background.
PB
Presiding Bishop, as in "the PB is coming to
Sewanee"=the Presiding Bishop [of the Episcopal Church] will be on
campus for a visit
Peace, The
also known as Passing the Peace; a ritual in the Episcopal Church in which
members of the congregation, including the clergy, greet one another. The
priest says, "The Peace of the Lord be always
with you." The congregation responds, "And also with you."
Immediately after these words people shake hands or speak or sometimes
embrace in the church.
PECUSA
initials of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America
Pension Fund
the Church Pension Fund; the retirement program for clergy and other church
workers of the Episcopal Church
Prayer Book
a short way of referring to the Book of Common Prayer, the worship book of
the Episcopal Church containing services, psalms, prayers, etc.
Presiding Bishop
the elected episcopal head of the Episcopal
Church in America
[PECUSA]; the chief administrator and spiritual
head of the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church does not refer to its
head bishop as an archbishop.
Priest
a special term for the minister of a Roman Catholic or Episcopal or
Orthodox church; originally the term mean someone who performed a
sacrifice; later the term referred to those who said Mass; now often
synonymous with minister although the older terminology is still familiar
in some churches.
Procession
the line of choir, clergy, acolytes, crucifer, torchbearers and others
walking into a church to begin a service.
Province
one of the major organizational divisions of the Episcopal Church; a group
of dioceses usually under the parliamentary direction of a diocesan bishop
who serves as president of the province. Tennesee
is in Province IV of the Episcopal Church; the owning dioceses of the
University are in Provinces IV, V, and VII.
Pulpit
a raised platform with railing used for the sermon or homily; generally
located to one side [usually the right side facing the altar] of the front
of the nave, not in the center as in most protestant churches.
Purple
this color [or some shade of violet] in vestments usually indicates that
the wearer is a bishop.
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Quiet
Day
usually Ash Wednesday; a day of prayer and meditation often in conjunction
with a retreat: The School of Theology is on Quiet Day at St. Mary's.
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R
Reader
anyone who reads a lesson, psalm or prayer in a service. Lay persons may
read any lesson but the Gospel reading is usually done by an ordained
person.
Recession
a procession out of a church.
Rector
the priest or minister of a local church or parish; the head priest of a
parish.
Rectory
the residence of a rector; the place where an Episcopal minister lives.
Red Book
see Church Annual.
Requiem
a funeral service or memorial service. Sometimes the word is preceded by
the word 'solemn': Solemn Requiem. Sometimes the word is preceded by
'high': High Requiem--which only indicates that portions of the service
will be sung or chanted. A High Requiem Mass is a funeral service with
communion and singing of parts of the service.
Reredos
[rear-re-doss] any decoration behind or above an altar; may be in the form
of statues, screens, or tapestries.
Rite One
a portion of the Book of Common Prayer which contains worship services
using the older language of the 1928 edition of the prayerbook;
sometimes the phrase "Rite One" is used as a derogatory reference
to older or more "conservative" Episcopalians: "He is a Rite
One type."
Rite Two
a portion of the Book of Common Prayer containing worship services which
use more modern language.
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S
Sacristan
liturgical assistants who have charge of sacred vessels, vestments, etc.
Sacristy
the room near
the altar where priests vest for the service; the room where the communion
vessels and vestments are kept.
Sanctuary
the portion of a church at the head of the chancel around the altar; the
space immediately around the altar. Sometimes used to refer to the whole
interior of the church, but this is not the usual Episcopal usage.
See
generally Roman Catholic usage referring to the ecclesiastical residence of
a bishop; occasionally used by Episcopalians
Seminarian
a student in a seminary; a student in residence in a school of theology.
Seminary
a residential academic program for the study of theology.
Senior Warden
the chairman of the vestry; the lay person who heads the governing board of
the local church.
Sexton
an older English title for the person in charge of
the church building [or a special portion of it] and grounds; in America the
Sexton is also commonly head of maintenance and custodial services and may
perform additional duties such as ringing the church bell.
"Smells &
Bells"
a way of describing a "high" church; a church that frequently
uses incense, bells, candles, chimes, vestments all together in worship
services.
SPCK
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; one of the oldest missionary
organizations of the Anglican Church. SPCK
specializes in publications and other media for promoting Christian
knowledge. The North American office of SPCK is
located in Hamilton Hall at the School
of Theology.
Stole
a long, narrow strip of cloth worn around the neck of the priest and
allowed to hang down the front of the clerical vestments; some stoles are
decorated with diocesan or school insignia near the lower ends.
Suffragan
see
Bishop, Suffragan.
Surplice
a white over-garment worn over other vestments; somewhat longer and fuller
than a cotta; always worn by the priest when celebrating the eucharist.
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Torch
[Torch Bearer]
a person who carries a candle in a religious procession; often the Crucifer
is followed by two "Torches"--two persons each carrying a candle
mounted on a short staff.
Trinity, The
a
fundamental symbol of the Christian faith and a very important doctrine in
catholic Christianity; the Trinity refers to the oneness and essential
unity of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Twelve Days of
Christmas
the time from December 25th to January 6th, that is from Christmas day to
Epiphany. The time from the first Sunday in Advent until Christmas Eve is,
properly, Advent; the time from December 25th to January 6th is the
Christmas season or the "Twelve Days of Christmas."
Twenty-eight Book
a way of referring to the edition of the Book Of Common Prayer approved by
the Episcopal Church in 1928; a version of the prayerbook
which retained older forms of language; sometimes the phrase is shortened
with reference to the persons who prefer this prayerbook
and they are referred to a "twenty-eighters."
This was the prayerbook in use in the Episcopal
Church until 1981; it was used at the eight o'clock All Saints' service
until the late 1980's.
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V
Venerable
see Archdeacon.
Verger
an older usage for someone who carries a mace or ceremonial staff in
procession; vergers sometimes also had responsibility for the condition of
the interior of a church.
Very Reverend, The
a
form of address for clergy who hold the office of dean in a church or
school: the dean of a cathedral would be referred to as "The Very
Reverend John H. Martin, Dean of Trinity Cathedral". See also Dean.
Vestments
clothing worn by people who lead the services of a church; clothing worn by
clergy. [The clothing worn by monks and nuns is usually called a 'habit';
the clothing worn by choir members is usually
called a `robe'; the clothing worn by professors is usually called a
`gown'.] Colors used in some vestments are changed during the year to
indicate the seasons of the church year. Vestments are usually styled by
cut and color to indicate whether a person is a deacon, presbyter, or
bishop. Bishops' vestments for instance include a purple shirt.
Vestry
governing board of a local Episcopal church consisting of lay members, much
like the board of deacons in a Baptist church; the group that usually makes
basic decisions about church budget, building plans, etc. Usually headed by
a Senior Warden assisted by a Junior Warden who often follows the Senior
Warden in office.
Vicar
an older English term referring to a priest in charge of a vicarage--a
small parish; usually such priests were substituting for the
"official" or assigned priest; sometimes but not often used by
American Episcopal clergy.
Votive candle
a devotional candle placed in a church or chapel; many votive candles are
placed in All Saints' for the Festival of Lessons and Carols. Votive
candles are often small, short candles in a special glass holder.
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W,
X, Y, Z
Wafer
the bread part of the Lord's Supper; often an unleavened, thin cracker;
sometimes the wafer is imprinted with a cross; some wafers are large, bein several inches in diameter.
Wine
the beverage portion of communion symbolizing the blood of Christ;
equivalent to the grape juice used in some protestant churches. Communion
wine is fermented grape juice and is therefore alcoholic.
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