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Early Service - In many Parish communities, this refers to the eight o'clock a.m. Sunday service. Since 1981 this service has been generally a 1928 prayerbook service or a Rite One service. Sometimes the congregation of this service is derisively spoken of as "the eight o'clock crowd."
Easter - The day celebrating the Lord's Resurrection and the Fifty Days following.
Easter Eve - See Great Vigil of Easter.
EFM - Education For Ministry; the popular extension program of the School of Theology.
Elements - The bread and wine to be consecrated at the Eucharist, and the water of Baptism.
Elevations - The lifting up of the Consecrated Elements after the Words of Institution, at the conclusion of the Great Thanksgiving, or at the Invitation to Communion.
Epiphany - The Feast of the Manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ observed on January 6th (a feast celebrating the visit of the Wisemen to the infant Jesus; the end of the Christmas season). The Epiphany Season continues until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Episcopal - An adjective meaning "of or pertaining to bishops." From the Greek word "episcopoi" (overseers). The "Episcopate" is the office of a bishop, the period of time during which he or she holds the office, or bishops as a group. The name of a form of church organization which means government by an overseer
Episcopalian - A noun referring to members of the Episcopal Church or to Christians who believe in an episcopal form of church government.
Episcopal Life - The national newspaper of the Episcopal Church.
Episcopos - The Greek word from which we derive the English word "bishop."
Epistle - The lesson at the Eucharist preceding the Gospel taken from one of the Letters of the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, or the Book of Revelation; 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.
Epistoler - See Subdeacon.
Eucharist - The Communion, or the Lord's Supper. From the Greek word meaning "Thanksgiving." The principal act of worship on Sundays and other Feasts (see Mass, Lord's Supper, Liturgy, The Holy Communion); a "good gift" or thanksgiving; the current usage in the Episcopal Church to refer to communion or the Lord's Supper.
Eucharistic Prayer - That part of the Great Thanksgiving beginning with the salutation and preface and concluding with the doxology and Amen. In The Book of Common Prayer there are several Eucharistic Prayers: two for Rite I (BCP, 333ff. & 340ff.); four for Rite 11 (BCP, 36]ff., 367ff., 369ff., & 372ff.); and two forms in An Order for Celebrating the Holy Eucharist (BCP, 402 & 404).
Eucharistic Vestments - The stole, (maniple), and chasuble worn by the celebrant at the Eucharist. The stole may either be worn under the chasuble or, in some places, over it. The Eucharistic vestments are worn over amice, alb, and cincture, or over a cassock-alb.
Eulogy - A speech or homily in praise of a deceased person; brief remarks about the deceased at a funeral.
Evangelicals - Episcopalians who identify with the teachings of Protestantism and the Reformed tradition, emphasizing Scripture and the importance of individual conscience. Evangelicals are sometimes called "low church" because they believe Christ allows great freedom in organizing the church and its liturgical practices. Within Anglicanism, the term does not have the same meaning it has within American Protestantism, where the term usually refers to Christians who emphasize salvation and conversion.
Evensong - Sung Evening Prayer (BCP, 6]ff. or 1]5ff.); an evening worship service; evening prayer; and evening prayer service featuring a choir.
Ewer - See Flagon, for water at Baptism or on Maundy Thursday at the Washing of Feet.
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.
Exultet - The paean of praise that is sung or said during the first part of the Great Vigil of Easter by the deacon or other person appointed (BCP, 286).
Fair Linen - See Altar Cloth.
Faidstool - See Bishop's Chair.
Fast - A day of special devotion (Ash Wednesday, other weekdays of Lent and of Holy Week, Good Friday and all other Fridays of the year, except for Fridays in the Christmas and Easter seasons, and any Feasts of our Lord which occur on a Friday) observed by acts of discipline and self-denial.
Father - A familiar or direct way of referring to some ordained clergy: the Reverend John B. Smith, but--in personal conversation or in the salutation of a letter--Father Smith, Dear Father Smith. Typically used of all Roman Catholic clergy and of some Episcopal clergy. Be careful in using or not using this term: some clergy do not like it; others are offended if it is not used. Usually the people who prefer the term assume that you know they prefer it. There is no easy way to tell what the clergy preference is except by paying attention to letters, conversations, etc.
Feast - A day of celebration associated with the life of Our Lord, of the Saints, or days of thanksgiving (see BCP, 15-18).
Fifty Days of Easter, The - From the Great Vigil of Easter up to and including the Day of Pentecost.
Flagon - A large metal or ceramic pitcher often used for wine (and water) to be consecrated at the Eucharist. If more than one chalice is used during the administration of Communion, the flagon (or an additional cruet filled with wine and water) is placed on the altar at the Offertory, and other chalices are brought to the altar after the Breaking of the Bread. There should be only one chalice on the altar during the Great Thanksgiving (see BCP, 407).
Folk Mass - Communion in which the music is often guitars or other instruments instead of organ music; a term for a less formal communion service which incorporates new songs, spirituals, folk songs, and contemporary poetry as part of the worship service.
Font - See Baptismal Font; a basin of water used in baptism. The Episcopal Church practices baptism by "sprinkling" rather than by "full imersion"; also, a fixed receptacle for holy water at the entrance to the church or in the sacristy.
Frontal - A covering for the altar, usually of the same material as the vestments or of the liturgical color of the season or feast. It may either cover all sides of the altar, or only the front. The altar cloth is spread over the frontal.
Funeral - The Burial of the Dead.
General Convention - The national triennial meeting of the Episcopal Church; parishes send "deputies" or official representatives to General Convention.
Genuflection - The bending of the right knee when reverencing the Blessed Sacrament and at other times of solemn reverence (see Chapter 3).
Gifts - The offerings of Bread and Wine (and Alms) presented to the celebrant at the Offertory of the Eucharist.
Girdle - See Cincture.
Gloria in Excelsis - See Song of Praise; also, BCP, 52, 94, 324, 356.
Gloria Patri - The Doxology which concludes the recitation of a psalm at the beginning of the Eucharist; at the end of the psalms in the Daily Offices; and at other times as listed in the Prayer Book (see BCP,'63).
Good Friday - The Friday before Easter Day on which the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated (see BCP,276ff).
Gospel - The final lesson in The Word of God taken from one of the four Gospels in the New Testament. It is normally read by a deacon or priest, and as a sign of reverence, the people and assisting ministers stand when the Gospel is proclaimed (see BCP, 326 or 357).
Gospel Book - The book (usually with an ornamented cover) which contains the Gospel lessons appointed for use at the Eucharist. It is carried in procession (at the entrance) and at the proclamation of the Gospel by the deacon or other reader. "It is desirable that the lessons and Gospel be read from a book or books of appropriate size and dignity" (BCP, 406).
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.
Gospeller - See Deacon.
Gospel Procession - The movement of the deacon or celebrant with torches, incense and processional cross, to the place of the proclamation of the Gospel: the nave, the lectern, or the pulpit.
Gradual Psalm - The psalm appointed to be read or sung after the lesson at the celebration of the Eucharist (see BCP, 326, 357,& 889-931).
Great Thanksgiving, The - The major prayer of the Eucharist beginning with the salutation and preface and concluding with the Lord's Prayer (see BCP, 333ff., 36]ff.).
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 Communion, The - The second part of the Holy Eucharist, following the Word of God and beginning with the Offertory (see BCP, 333ff., 36]ff.). This term may also refer to the whole service in the same way as Mass, Lord's Supper, Holy Eucharist, or Divine Liturgy.
Holy Orders - The sacrament of ordination, which marks the entry of the candidate into the ordained ministry. The orders of bishops, priests and deacons are termed 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 Saturday - See BCP, 283; also, see Great Vigil of Easter.
Holy Water - Water blessed by a bishop or priest for use in blessing the people, in the setting apart of objects for use in the church, or for other liturgical purposes. Holy Water is often used at the Burial of the Dead, at Weddings, and at other times at the discretion of the priest.
Holy Week - The week that commemorates our Lord's Passion and Death: The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; and, Holy Saturday (see BCP,270-283). The Great Vigil of Easter is the climax of Holy Week and the beginning of the Fifty Days of Easter celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord; 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.
Honorary Degree - A kind of degree awarded by a university to honor worthy candidates; honorary degrees are awarded in recognition of work done by the recipient, but not for academic work; academic work is recognized by what are called "earned" degrees or degrees-in-course.
Host - Literally, a "sacrificial victim." The consecrated bread in the Eucharist. (See p. 36)
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; sacred poetry set to music and sung during the liturgy.
Incarnation - The Christian doctrine that the eternal Son of God took human flesh from his human mother and that the historical Jesus is at once fully God and fully human.
Incarnatus - That part of the Nicene Creed which states "He became incarnate ... and was made man." In many churches it is customary to bow or genuflect at this part.
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; a mixture of perfumed spices, burned on the coals in the thurible, and used as a sign of prayer, honor, and solemnity at liturgical functions.
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.
Interim Pastor - A priest trained for interim ministry to serve either full-time or part-time, who is retained for a specific period of time while a search for a new rector is being conducted, with a written contract specifying responsibilities and compensation. An Interim Pastor is not eligible to become the Rector.
Introit - The hymn, psalm, or anthem sung (or said) at the entrance of the ministers at the Eucharist (BCP, 323 or 355)
Invitatory - At Morning Prayer: the Venite, Psalm 95, Jubilate, or Christ our Passover; at Evening Prayer: 0 Gracious Light (Phos Hilaron) or other suitable hymn or psalm. The invitatory is used at the beginning of an Office after the opening versicle and response and before the appointed psalms.
Junior Warden - The assistant to the Senior Warden; usually becomes Senior Warden after the Senior Warden's term is up.
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