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 […]

Logos

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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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.

An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church