Adapted from John N. Wall, A Dictionary for Episcopalians (Boston: Cowley Publications, 2000).

A

Advent: the first "season" of the church's liturgical year, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ending with the first eucharist of Christmas

Altar: table on which the bread and wine are placed during a celebration of the eucharist

Anglican: a person who belongs to any church, such as the Episcopal Church, that is part of the Anglican Communion

Anglican Communion: a world-wide assembly of churches that have a historical liturgical relationship to the Church of England

Anointing: the rite of applying consecrated oil on a person, signifying the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and when ministering to the sick

Archdeacon: the title of an ordained person who serves on the administrative staff of a bishop of a diocese

Ash Wednesday: the beginning of Lent, a 40-day (excluding Sundays) period of repentance leading up to Easter

B

Baptism (Holy Baptism): a sacrament by which a person is initiated by water and the Holy Spirit into membership in the Christian church

Bishop: one of the three offices to which people can be ordained in the Episcopal Church, along with deacons and priests; the chief pastor of a diocese of the Episcopal Church

The Book of Common Prayer: the authorized prayer book of the Episcopal Church, sometimes simply called the Prayer Book, containing the regular services used for public worship plus collects, the psalter, the rites of baptism, confirmation, marriage, burial, ordination, the liturgical calendar, two lectionaries, and the historical documents of the church

C

Canon: a rule or procedure by which the Episcopal Church and its members are to live

Cathedral: the principal church of a diocese

Celebrant: the priest or bishop who officiates at the altar during a celebration of the eucharist

Chancellor: the legal advisor to a diocese

Christmas: the Feast of Christ's Incarnation, beginning on December 25 and continuing for twelve days, ending on January 5, the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany

Clerical: relating to a member of the clergy

Clergy: people who have been ordained as deacons, priests, or bishops

Collect: a short prayer consisting of an invocation, a petition, and an ascription of glory to God

Commission on Ministry: a committee of lay and ordained people in each diocese that determines the present and future needs for ministry in the diocese, recruits and screens candidates for ordination, promotes continuing education for clergy and lay professionals, and supports the development and affirmation of the ministry of the laity in the world

Communicant: a member of the Episcopal Church in good standing, that is, who has received Holy Communion in the church at least three times in the past year and who has also been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God

Companion Dioceses: dioceses in the Anglican Communion that enjoy an official relationship with one another intended for mutual support and a deeper understanding of Anglicans in other parts of the world

Confession: a prayer which expresses our regret for our sins and a plea for God's forgiveness

Confirmation: a post-baptism rite of mature commitment to Christ through prayers, the renewal of vows made at baptism, and the laying on of hands by a bishop

Congregation: a local gathering of worshiping Christians, also called a parish or mission

Consecration: (1) action by which the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ in the eucharist (2) the rite for the ordination of a bishop (3) the blessing of altars, church furnishings, and church buildings to set them apart for the service of God

Constitution: the set of directions specifying how the Episcopal Church or a diocese is to be organized and governed

Convocation: a regional district of congregations within a diocese; also called a deanery

Council: the annual meeting of lay and clerical representatives from the parishes and missions of a diocese to elect members of committees and deputies to General Convention, to make decisions about diocesan policy, conduct other diocesan business, and, from time to time, elect a bishop for the diocese

Creed: a concise, formal, authorized statement of the faith of the church

Crosier, crosier: staff in the shape of a shepherd's crook carried by a bishop in procession

D

Daily Office: daily services of prayer for the morning and evening that are read by individuals privately as daily devotions and corporately as a liturgy in church

Deacon: one of the three offices to which people can be ordained in the Episcopal Church, along with priests and bishops

Dean: the clergy person elected or appointed to preside over meetings of a convocation or deanery

Deanery: see convocation

Diocesan: relating to a diocese

Diocese: a geographical area, overseen by a bishop, that serves as the primary unit of organization in the Episcopal Church

E

Easter: the central rite of the Christian faith, celebrating Christ's resurrection from the dead

Education for Ministry (EFM): a four-year program of theological education for lay people

Epiphany: the "season" of the church year that begins with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6 and continues until Ash Wednesday and that proclaims that Jesus Christ is savior of the whole world and that God's promises of salvation to Israel now apply to all the peoples of the earth

Epistle: second of three scripture readings in the Liturgy of the Word of the eucharist, usually drawn from the New Testament epistles of Paul and his followers

Eucharist, Holy Eucharist: the sacrament of Christ's resurrection and ongoing presence at work among us; also known as Holy Communion

Executive Board: a body of lay and clerical members that serves between annual councils to oversee the program and business of a diocese

F

Fast: the penitential observance of special acts of discipline and self-denial, particularly Ash Wednesday, weekdays in Lent, and Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.

Feast: a day of celebration, including all Sundays
General Convention: the national legislative assembly of the Episcopal Church that meets every three years to set church-wide policy and budget

G

Good Friday: the Friday of Holy Week, the day when Christians have traditionally remembered and meditated upon the crucifixion of Jesus

Gospel: (1) the third scripture lesson in the Liturgy of the Word during the eucharist, always taken from the biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John (2) the Good News of God in Christ that Christians are charged with proclaiming to all the world

Great Thanksgiving: the prayer of consecration in the eucharist

H

Holy Communion: an alternate term for the Holy Eucharist

Holy Spirit: the spirit of God at work in the world and in the Church

Holy Week: the most significant week of the church year, beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Day

Homily: a short, informal sermon

House of Bishops: part of the two-house legislature of General Convention comprising all bishops and that also meets periodically between General Conventions

House of Deputies: legislative body made up of eight elected representatives, four clerical and four lay, from each diocese at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church

I

Incarnation: the taking on of human form and nature by Jesus

Intercession: a prayer of petition for the needs of the world

Interim Rector: a priest hired for a short, fixed period to allow a congregation to plan effectively for its next long-term rector after the former rector has retired or left for other reasons

Invocation: a prayer that calls on God for blessing, help, protection, inspiration, etc.

J

Junior Warden: a member of the vestry of a parish who is usually responsible for the maintenance and repair of church buildings and grounds

L

Laity: Christians who are not ordained

Lay: relating to the laity

Lay Reader: a lay person who is licensed by the bishop of a diocese to read the scripture lessons in church

Laying on of hands: ceremonial gesture that is meant to convey the power of the Holy Spirit, used by priests and bishops in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and in certain other rites of the church

Lectionary: table of assigned scripture readings for the eucharist and for the daily office throughout the year

Lent: the forty-day period (not counting Sundays) before Easter devoted to preparation through fasting, penitence, almsgiving, prayer, and study

Lesser Feasts and Fasts: a book of collects, lessons, psalms, and brief biographical sketches for the minor saints' days and other observances found on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church

Lessons: biblical texts read at the daily office and at the eucharist

Liturgical: relating to liturgy

Liturgy: the public prayer and worship of the people of God gathered in community and the texts of the rites that enable this public worship to take place

Liturgy of the Word: the part of the eucharist that begins with hearing the Word of God in scripture, continues through the sermon and the creed, and concludes with the confession and the exchange of the peace

M

Mission: (1) a worshiping unit of the church that is financially dependent on the diocese (2) the task of all members of the church to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ by praying, worshiping, proclaiming the gospel, and promoting justice, peace, and love

Missionary: a person chosen and supported to carry out the mission of the church overseas or in regions or demographic groups in the United States that are not otherwise reached by the regular structures of the church

O

Ordain: to perform the rite of ordination

Ordination: the rite by which one is ordained a deacon, priest, or bishop

Ordinary Time: another term for the season of Pentecost

P

Palm Sunday: the last Sunday in Lent, commemorating Jesus' triumphal procession into Jerusalem and marked by a blessing of palms and a procession of the whole congregation around the church, followed by a reading of the gospel story of Jesus' crucifixion and death

Palms: leaves of the palm tree that are blessed and carried in procession on Palm Sunday, then later burned to provide ashes for the next year's observance of Ash Wednesday

Parish: (1) worshiping community of Christians who gather weekly to experience God's redemptive love by celebrating the eucharist (2) administrative unit of a diocese that is self-supporting, led by one or more clergy and governed by a vestry

Parochial: of or pertaining to a parish

Pastor: term for a member of the clergy especially emphasizing the responsibility to care for and protect the sick, the grieving, the needy, and those in pain

Pastoral: referring to the responsibilities of a clergy person in his or her role as a pastor

Peace, exchange of the: the greeting between Christians that takes place at the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word as a sign both of Christ's love and of reconciliation between members of the church

Pentecost: (1) the Feast that occurs fifty days after Easter in which the church remembers the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles as told in Acts 2:1 (2) the "season" of the church year that runs from the Feast of Pentecost until the First Sunday of Advent during which Episcopalians explore the significance of the church itself as the sign of Christ's continuing presence and ongoing activity in the world; also called Ordinary Time

Petition: a prayer that makes specific requests of God

Prayer Book: a short name for the Book of Common Prayer

Prayers of the People: a term for the prayers of intercession in the eucharist

Presiding Bishop: A bishop who is elected by the House of Bishops at a meeting of the General Convention to preside at meetings of the House of Bishops, to be the chief officiant at consecrations of newly-elected bishops, to oversee the entire program of the Episcopal Church, and to represent the Episcopal Church to the member churches of the Angican Communion.

Priest: one of three offices to which people can be ordained in the Episcopal Church, along with deacons and bishops

Proper Preface: variable introductions to the Great Thanksgiving depending on the liturgical season or other special occasion

Propers: those texts--the collect, the lessons, and the proper preface--of the eucharist or daily offices that vary according to the day or season, as opposed to texts that always remain the same

Province: (1) a group of geographically adjacent dioceses, representatives from which meet annually in synods to promote cooperation among member dioceses (2) a national church belonging to the Anglican Communion

Psalms: poems in the Hebrew Bible, recited in almost every rite of the church, that make up the psalter in the Book of Common Prayer

Psalter: the biblical book of Psalms as contained in the Book of Common Prayer
Rector: the chief sacramental and liturgical leader of a parish who is called by and accountable to the vestry of the parish

R

Retreat: period of days spent away from ordinary routine, frequently in silence, and occupied in meditation and rest

Reverend, the: formal title for a priest or deacon in the Episcopal Church

Reverend Deacon, the: formal title sometimes used for a deacon in the Episcopal Church

Right Reverend, the: formal title for a bishop in the Episcopal Church

Rites: church services

Rubric: written directions found in the Book of Common Prayer for the conduct of worship

S

Sacrament: in the Episcopal Church, the rites of baptism, eucharist, confirmation, ordination, marriage, reconciliation, and anointing or unction that are for us signs that the whole created world is the arena where God meets us and works out our redemption and sanctification

Sacramental: relating to a sacrament of the church

Seminary: a church institution offering a program of study in the areas of scripture, church history, theology, and pastoral ministry leading to the degree of Master of Divinity (M.Div.), the professional degree for those seeking ordination

Senior Warden: an elected member of the vestry of a parish who is the spokesperson for the vestry and who works closely with the rector of the parish

Sermon: the proclamation and interpretation of the Word of God

Standing Committee: a committee of lay and ordained members elected in each diocese of the Episcopal Church to serve as the bishop's council of advice and, in the absence of a bishop, to represent the authority of the diocese

Stewardship: taking care of God's creation and the things God has given to us

Stipend: compensation package paid to Episcopal clergy in parish ministry, which includes salary, housing and utilities, travel, insurance, and pension

Synod: the yearly gathering of bishops and elected lay and clerical delegates in each of the nine geographical provinces of the Episcopal Church

T

Tithe: ten percent of one's material wealth

Triennial: the national convention of the Episcopal Church Women that is held every three years, meeting concurrently with General Convention

U

Unction: the sacrament of anointing and laying on of hands for the sick and those who are close to death

V

Very Reverend, the: formal title for a dean in the Episcopal Church

Vestry: the legal governing and decision-making body of a parish, consisting of the rector and elected lay representatives

Vows: solemn promises made in the presence of witnesses

Visitations the regular visits by bishops to parishes or missions under their care required by canon at least once every three years

W

Warden: an elected member of the vestry of a parish who has special duties in addition the usual ones; see Junior Warden and Senior Warden