Glossary of Terms

Sentences of scripture that may be used at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer. These sentences may relate the office to the season, day, or time of worship. The opening sentences may also recall a general theme of Christian worship, and draw the congregation together for prayer as the office begins. The BCP service […]

Sentences of Administration

Words said by the ministers of the eucharist at the distribution of the consecrated bread and wine during the communion of the people.

Septuagesima Sunday

See Pre-Lenten Season.

Septuagint

Name given to the Greek version of the OT. The word “Septuagint,” meaning seventy, comes from the early legend that seventy-two (rounded down to seventy) Jewish scholars translated the Pentateuch into Greek during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (282-246 B.C.) in Alexandria, Egypt. This translation of the Hebrew Bible is often designated by the […]

Sequence

A hymn sung after the second lesson and before the gospel acclamation at the eucharist. Many sequences were composed in the middle ages, but the Council of Trent (1545-1563) sought to streamline the liturgy and reduced the number of sequences to those for Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, and the Mass for the Dead. The sequence […]

Seraph (s), Seraphim (pl)

Supernatural creatures which have six wings and stand in attendance above the throne of the Lord, according to the vision of Isaiah (6:2-7). In this vision, a seraph said “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” A seraph flew to Isaiah and touched his mouth with […]

Sergius I

(d. 701). Pope from 687. He was Syrian and spoke Greek. Sergius brought several liturgical innovations to the Roman Church. He introduced the Agnus Dei (“O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us”; see BCP, p. 337) to the fraction (breaking of the bread) in the Roman […]

Sergius of Radonezh

(1314-1392). Abbot, mystic, and a patron saint of Russia. Sergius is considered the most popular Russian saint. In 1334 Sergius and his brother went to the forests near Radonezh, north of Moscow, to live in monastic solitude. They were joined by others. A chapel in honor of the Trinity was built in 1334. A community […]

Sermon

Religious address in a worship service. The sermon is to “break open” the Word of God and proclaim the gospel in the context of the readings from scripture, the liturgical occasion, the congregation gathered, and the pastoral needs of the situation. The Christian story, the congregation's story, and the preacher's story can be the one […]

Sermon on the Mount

A collection of the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapters 5-7). It is the first of five special speeches in Matthew and takes place at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Many of the sayings in the Sermon on the Mount are also found in the Gospel of Luke. Scholars agree that this […]

Sermon on the Plain

This is a less widely used term to refer to the portion of Luke's gospel which is parallel to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. Lk 6:17 states that after Jesus chose the twelve, he stood on a “level place.” The “sermon” begins at 6:20 and ends at 6:49. It contains some of the material that […]

Service of Light

The Service of Light from An Order of Worship for the Evening may introduce a variety of liturgies. The Service of Light may serve as a festal introduction to Evening Prayer, with the selection from the Psalter at Evening Prayer following the Phos hilaron. The Service of Light may also begin an evening eucharist, with […]

Services for Trial Use (1970)

See Proposed Book of Common Prayer.

Seven Deadly Sins

These are traditionally pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and sloth. Since sin is faithlessness-the opposite of faith-it may be said that all sin is deadly rebellion against God. But it is difficult to conceive any sinful act that is not defined by one of these terms. In some sense this list is a categorization […]

Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The gifts are 1 ) wisdom, 2) understanding, 3) counsel, 4) fortitude, 5) knowledge, 6) piety, and 7) fear of the Lord. This list is based on Is 11:2. The imparting of the gifts of the Spirit is associated with baptism, as well as Confirmation and Ordination. The “sevenfold” gift of the Holy Spirit is […]

Sewanee Theological Review

This periodical began publication on St. Luke's Day, Oct. 18, 1957, as the St. Luke's Journal of Theology. It was founded by the Very Rev. George M. Alexander, dean of the School of Theology at the University of the South, for the continuing education of clergy. It was edited by students in the School of […]

Sexual Ethics

A field of study focusing on the nature, practices, and purposes of human sexuality. Since Augustine human sexuality has been understood primarily in light of marriage and family by Christian ethics. The ends of human sexuality were understood thus in terms of procreation, mutual society, and the remedy of sin. Protestant reformers generally raised mutual […]

Shanghai, Missionary District of

William Jones Boone was consecrated the first Missionary Bishop of China on Oct. 26, 1844. The 1874 General Convention changed the title from China to the “Missionary Bishop of Shanghai, having Episcopal jurisdiction in China.” The 1901 General Convention divided China into the Missionary Districts of Shanghai and Hankow. On Apr. 26, 1912, the Chung […]

Shattuck-St

Mary's School, Faribault, Minnesota. Shattuck-St. Mary's School is a coeducational Episcopal boarding school for grades six through twelve. It was founded in 1858 by the Rev. James Lloyd Breck, who organized the school in conjunction with the formation of the Diocese of Minnesota. He created it as a mission for children of Native Americans and […]

An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church