Glossary of Terms
Lectern
A book stand or reading desk that holds the book used for reading scripture in public worship. It may also be used for preaching the Word, and it may hold the preacher's notes or sermon text. The lectern where the Word is read and preached is the focal point for attention during the liturgy of […]
Lectio Continua
The liturgical reading of selections of scripture by starting at the beginning of a particular book and working through consecutive readings to the end. This contrasts with selective readings (“propers”) which are chosen for each particular occasion. At the time of the early church, readings in the services of the Jewish synagogue were chosen at […]
Lectio Divina
The term means, at root, the “reading of Holy Scripture.” In Jerome and in the Rule of St. Benedict, it meant the scriptural text itself, the lectio, the “lesson” or reading. In the middle ages it came to refer to the act of reading the Bible, the sacred text, for a sacred purpose. It was […]
Lection
See Lesson.
Lectionary
An ordered system for reading the Holy Scriptures at the eucharist and the Daily Offices. It is usually presented in the form of a table of references for the psalms and readings for the various days of the liturgical year, although it may be a separate book containing the actual texts of the readings. The […]
Lectionary Cycle
The Lectionary in the BCP and other contemporary lectionaries use a three-year cycle, referred to as Years A, B, and C. Year A begins on the First Sunday in Advent in years evenly divisible by three (e.g., 2001). The Daily Office lectionary follows a two-year cycle. Year One begins on the First Sunday in Advent […]
Lector
A lay person trained in reading scripture who is appointed by the clergy person in charge of the congregation to read lessons or lead the prayers of the people. The term is from the Latin, “to read.” There is no license required for this lay ministry. A lector may also be known as a reader. […]
Lee, Alfred
(Sept. 9, 1807-Apr. 12, 1887). Tenth Presiding Bishop. Lee was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University in 1827 and then studied law. He later studied for ordained ministry and graduated from the General Theological Seminary in 1837. Lee was ordained deacon on May 21, 1837, and priest on June 12, 1838. He […]
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
In 1865 Judge Asa Packer (1805-1879) asked the Rt. Rev. William Bacon Stevens (1815-1887), the fourth Bishop of Pennsylvania, to help him plan a university. On Feb. 9, 1866, a charter was granted, and the school opened on Sept. 1, 1866, with 40 students. The first four presidents of Lehigh University were Episcopalians, one of […]
Lent
Early Christians observed “a season of penitence and fasting” in preparation for the Paschal feast, or Pascha (BCP, pp. 264-265). The season now known as Lent (from an Old English word meaning “spring,” the time of lengthening days) has a long history. Originally, in places where Pascha was celebrated on a Sunday, the Paschal feast […]
Lenten Array
Lenten array usually refers to a rough or homespun fabric. It may have an off-white color or it may be made without any dye. Lenten array may be decorated with purple or dark orpheys and Lenten designs. Use of Lenten array follows the custom from the late middle ages of using dark or drab colors […]
Leo the Great
(d. Nov. 10, 461). Defender of orthodox Christology and pope. On Sept. 29, 440, he was consecrated Bishop of Rome. He was a great opponent of heresy, and his major accomplishment was his condemnation of Eutyches and Monophysitism and his defense of the permanent distinction of Christ's two natures in his one person. Leo's letter, […]
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, The (LFF)
A collection of proper collects, lessons, and psalms for the eucharist on each of the weekdays of Lent, weekdays of Easter season, and each of the lesser feasts of the church year. It also includes a biographical or historical sketch for the lesser feasts and fixed holy days. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church […]
Lesser Silence (Little or Simple Silence)
In monastic and religious communities, the silence that should be kept in working hours. Local regulations may tie it to specific times and places. It is generally less absolute than the Great Silence of evening and night hours. It is most complete among Trappists (Reformed Cistercians), who traditionally use sign language to communicate noiselessly. Its […]
Lesson
A selection of scripture that serves as a reading for a church service. It is also known as a lection or a reading. The BCP appoints lessons for the eucharist in the Lectionary (pp. 889-931), and it appoints lessons for Morning and Evening Prayer in the Daily Office Lectionary (pp. 936-1001). Appropriate lessons for other […]
Letter of Agreement
A written agreement concerning terms of employment, either for a priest in charge of a congregation or a member of a diocesan staff. Several dioceses provide for Letters of Agreement to specify terms of a call to serve as rector or vicar of a congregation, and for other positions within a diocese. The phrase is […]
Letter of Transfer
This term was previously used for a certificate of membership, typically used when a member of a congregation in the Episcopal Church moves to another congregation.
Letters Dimissory
Clergy may transfer canonical residence from one diocesan jurisdiction to another by presentation of Letters Dimissory from the ecclesiastical authority of the former diocese to the ecclesiastical authority of the new diocese. It is a testimonial by the ecclesiastical authority of the former diocese (typically a bishop) that the clergyperson has not “been justly liable […]
Lewis, Clive Staples
(C. S.) (Nov. 29, 1898-Nov. 22, 1963). Author and one of the best-known Christian apologists in the Anglican Communion. Lewis's works included literary history, criticism, essays, three science fiction novels with spiritual themes, speeches, and the well-known children's stories, The Chronicles of Narnia. Attractive to almost all Christian denominations, Lewis's writings have achieved an enthusiastic […]
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
A Latin phrase often used in the study of liturgy, it means “the rule of prayer [is] the rule of belief.” The phrase describes the pervasive pastoral reality that habits of prayer shape Christian belief. Official provisions for worship can thus have a determinative role in shaping Christian doctrine.
Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.