Glossary of Terms

Locum tenens

A member of the clergy who temporarily fills the office of another. From the Latin, “to hold a place.” A substitute or deputy. The position may be known as a locum tenency.

Greek for “word,” used in various senses. The term is used for the Christian message or kerygma, which is the proclamation of God's saving act in Jesus Christ. It is also used as a christological term, which is believed to have originated from use in Hellenistic Judaism as a synonym for the divine wisdom. In […]

London Company

See Virginia Company of London.

London, Bishop of

From the earliest days of the Virginia colony the Bishop of London had a vague responsibility for the Church of England in the American colonies. This may have been because Bishop John King of London was a member of the first Council of the Virginia Company. William Laud was Bishop of London from 1628 until […]

Long Island, Diocese of

The 1868 General Convention voted to divide the Diocese of New York and establish a new diocese. The new diocese included the following counties: Brooklyn, Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk. The primary convention of the new diocese met at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, on Nov. 18-19, 1868, and adopted the name the Diocese […]

Lord, have mercy or with silent prayer

Audible intercession virtually disappeared from the Mass in the west during the middle ages, until Cranmer revived it in his "prayer for the whole state of Christ's Church." In Cranmer's 1549 and 1552 versions of the BCP, however, intercession retained its medieval character as a responsibility of the priest. Modern liturgical revisers restored general intercessions […]

Lord, The

The term is an English translation of several words from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek indicating a person or deity with power and authority. The Hebrew Adon indicates a superior or human master, with Adonai used almost exclusively for divine lordship. The BCP notes that Adonai is used in the Psalms with reference to God, and […]

Lord’s Day, The

Sunday, the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection, the first day of the week. The term was used in early Christian literature for the Christian observance of Sunday. Each Sunday was celebrated as an Easter festival. For Christians, the Lord's Day took the place of the Jewish Sabbath as the weekly day of rest appointed by […]

Lord’s Prayer, The

This prayer of Jesus was given to his disciples as an example of how they should pray. The phrase “Lord's Prayer” is not used in the NT. The prayer is found in Mt 6:9-13 as part of the Sermon on the Mount and in Lk 11:2-4 when Jesus and the disciples are on the road […]

Lord’s Supper

See Eucharist.

Lord’s Table

The altar, also known as the holy table. The term “Lord's table” has been used by those seeking to emphasize the eucharist as a shared meal rather than a sacrifice. All three terms are used with the same meaning in the BCP (see pp. 354, 361).

Lorica (Celtic)

Prayer to be chanted while dressing or arming for battle. It is also known as a breastplate prayer. It is recited for protection while one prepares for physical or spiritual battle. The Hymnal 1982 includes two Celtic loricas, “I bind unto myself today” (Hymn 370) and “Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart” […]

Los Angeles, Diocese of

The General Convention of 1895 voted to divide the Diocese of California and establish a new diocese. The new diocese consisted of the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The primary convention of the new diocese met at St. Paul's Church, Los Angeles, Dec. 3-4, 1895, and […]

Louis IX, King of France

(Apr. 25, 1214-Aug. 25, 1270). The patron saint for the Third Order of St. Francis. Born in Poissy, Louis IX became King of France on Nov. 29, 1226, and ruled until his death. He lived an austere and prayerful life, and embodied the highest ideals of medieval kingship. He sought to live a Franciscan life […]

Louisiana, Diocese of

The Diocese of Louisiana was organized on Apr. 28, 1838, at Christ Church, New Orleans. Philander Chase (1775-1852) organized Christ Church, New Orleans, after a group of Protestants in New Orleans asked Bishop Benjamin Moore in 1805 to send a member of the clergy to start a church. The 1979 General Convention voted to divide […]

Louttit, Henry Irving

(Jan. 1, 1903-July 24, 1984). Bishop of South Florida and a key figure in the effort to try Bishop James A. Pike of California for heresy in the mid-1960s. He was born in Buffalo, New York. Louttit received his B.A. from Hobart College in 1925, and his B.D. from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1929. […]

Love Feast

” See Agape.

Low Church

The term was apparently invented to describe churchmen whose principles were the opposite of “high church.” The term “low church” emerged in England in the early eighteenth century. During this period, it was virtually synonymous with “latitudinarian.” Low church teaching minimized the authority of the episcopate and tended to exalt royal supremacy. This loyalty to […]

Low Mass

A simple celebration of the eucharist in which the celebrant was typically assisted by only one server. The entire liturgy was said, not sung. The priest typically read all the lections and led all the prayers. The celebrant thus took over the prior liturgical roles of the deacon, lector, cantor, and choir in the eucharist. […]

Low Sunday

The Sunday after Easter, the Second Sunday of Easter. The term may reflect the somewhat less intense celebration of the day relative to the great feast of Easter on the preceding Sunday. Many parishes experience lower attendance on Low Sunday than on Easter Day.

An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church