Glossary of Terms
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.
Low, Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon
(Oct. 31, 1860-Jan. 18, 1927). Founder of the Girl Scouts. She was born in Savannah, Georgia. Low was educated at Stuart Hall and Edge Hill in Virginia, and at the Mesdemoiselles Charbonnier's in New York City. She was a lifelong member of Christ Church, Savannah. In 1911 Low met the founder of the Boy Scouts, […]
Lower Criticism
This method of scriptural analysis, most often called text criticism, focuses on the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic text of a particular portion of scripture. It works from the conclusion that we do not have any original copies of any scriptural material. When one manuscript is not exactly the same as another, it is necessary to […]
Lowrie, Walter
(Apr. 26, 1868-Aug. 12, 1959). Kierkegaardian theologian and translator. He was born in Philadelphia. Lowrie received his B.A. in 1890, and his M.A. in 1893, both from Princeton University. He studied in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland in 1893-1894. Upon his return home he joined the Episcopal Church. Lowrie was ordained deacon on June 9, 1895, […]
Loyalists
“Toryism” in the American colonies at the time of the American Revolution was virtually synonymous with “Loyalism.” The term described those who were critical of colonial resistance to British imperial authority and remained loyal to the Crown. Evidences of such “loyalty” appeared tentatively in the pre-Revolutionary crises. After the Revolution, the term embraced those who […]
Loyalty Oath to the English Sovereign
Beginning in 1549, a person ordained in the Church of England was required to swear an Oath of Loyalty to the sovereign. In the liturgy for ordaining deacons, the ordinand had to say: “I, A. B., utterly testify and declare in my conscience, That the King’s Highness is the only Supream Governour of this Realm, […]
Lucernaria, Lucernarium
Lucernarium is the singular form and Lucernaria the plural of the Latin word for “light.” In the BOS and The Hymnal 1982 (S 305-S 320 in the Accompaniment Edition, Vol. 1), the term is used for the optional anthems which may be sung during the lighting of candles in the Order of Worship for the […]
Luke the Evangelist, Saint
(St. Luke was a Gentile, and the traditional author of the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He was a physician and is identified with the church's ministry of healing. In Col 4:14, he is described as “the beloved physician.” Many Episcopal hospitals have the name of St. Luke because he […]
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.