Church Words & Phrases

In the Anglican Church, we often use words and phrases that aren’t familiar to us today. We draw on a rich tradition that goes back to the early church. That means that many of the terms we use aren’t familiar to us in our contemporary context. We hope this list of words and their meaning are helpful to you.

• Alb: the basic white vestment worn by the priest and servers
• Ablutions: washing of chalice and paten used for communion.
• Absolution: after we have asked for God’s forgiveness, the bishop or priest prays a prayer that announces God’s forgiveness
• Agnus Dei: From Latin words agnus, meaning “lamb” and dei, meaning “of God.” We say or sing the “Lamb of God” as the bread is broken during the communion service.
• Antiphon:  a song sung back and forth by two groups whether they be choirs or choir and congregation or priest and congregation
• Aumbry: A box or cupboard in the wall of a church building where we keep the reserved sacrament.
• BAS (Book of Alternative Services): One of the prayer books of the Anglican Church of Canada that has been in use since 1985. It is more contemporary, drawing on a broad range of resources, both those that are being recovered from the earliest centuries of the Church and those more recently developed in many parts of the Anglican Communion. We use the BAS at the 10:30 service on Sundays and the festivals of the church year.
• BCP (Book of Common Prayer): The “BCP” has been the worship book of the Anglican Church since its inception in 1549. It is a collection of classic prayers, devotions, services and psalms that developed from the rites of the 16th Century and uses language of that century. Many people continue to find its measured cadences attractive, and it remains the church’s official prayer book. We use the BCP at the 8:30 am service each Sunday.
• Baptism: The service where a new member is welcomed into the body of Christ as a child or adult with promises made about how they will live their lives and grow in their relationship with God. It is always part of a Sunday service or feast day in the church year.
• Canticle: a song that comes from Scripture that is used in the church’s worship.
• Cassock: a long garment, usually black, used in non-Eucharistic liturgies.
• Catechism: a form of instruction usually based on questions and answers.
• Chalice: the cup used at the Eucharist.
• Chasuble: a liturgical vestment originally derived from the outdoor cloak worn by men and women in Roman society. Now, it is sometimes worn by the Celebrant of the Eucharist.
• Ciborium: A cup that resembles a chalice, except that is has a removable lid. A ciborium is used to hold communion wafers during the Eucharist
• Collect: The Collect is a short prayer that brings the people together in prayer. It is normally the prayer near the beginning of the Eucharist that precedes the readings of scripture and often collect the themes or thoughts of the readings that will be read.
• Cope: a decorated liturgical cape used especially in processions and on festival occasions.
• Crosier: The bishop’s staff (a shepherd’s crook) carried in a procession and held when giving the absolution or blessing.
• Crucifer: A person who carries a cross, leading the procession into the church and the recession out of the church.
• Crucifix:  A cross that has the body of Christ attached to it. Sometimes a cross will have Christ on the cross but in royal robes which is referred to as a “Christus Rex”.
• Curate: Originally, the curate was the “head priest”. Today, we refer to refer to a transitional deacon. Usually a curate is one who recently graduated from seminary, and is in the process of contining their formation to become a priest in charge of a parish or ministry.
• Deacon:  There are “transitional” deacons: those who will eventually be ordained as priests, and “vocational” deacons, those who will serve as deacons for the balance of their lives. Deacons represent and are called to the church’s ministry of serving the wider community.
• Eucharist: the primary act of “thanksgiving,” in which the central beliefs of our Christian faith are celebrated as the church remembers Christ’s saving work on the cross. Another word we use for “Eucharist” is communion.
• Evensong: the title of the evening worship service in the BCP. Now frequently applied to Evening Prayer when it is sung.
• Font: A basin for water to be used in church baptisms.
• Fraction: The part of the Communion service where the bread is broken by the celebrant.
• Homily: A time of reflection following the scripture readings when there is a reflection on the readings and how they relate to our lives and the world today.
• Lection: a passage of Scripture appointed to be read at a liturgical service.
• Litany: a form of prayer which consists of a series of requests to which the people reply with a fixed response such as “hear our prayer.”
• Liturgy: used in reference to authorized services of worship especially the Eucharist.
• Mattins: an traditional title for morning prayer.
• Narthex:  In church architecture, the narthex is an enclosed space at the entry end of the nave of a building; the area in the church building inside the doors and in front of the nave. The narthex is usually enclosed and is the area where the procession gathers prior to the service.
• Nave: The main part of a church building; the place where the congregation sits.
• Oblation: the act of offering the bread and wine for the celebration of Communion.
• Paschal Candle:  A very large candle in a very tall holder and placed in a prominent display in the sanctuary or near the font. The candle is lit throughout the Easter season, and during baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
• Priest: Individuals God has called to provide spiritual and sacramental leadership in the life of the church. From the ordination service, the priest is to baptize, preach the Word of God, to celebrate the Eucharist, and to pronounce Absolution and Blessing in God’s Name.
• Recession: The procession of the crucifer, acolytes, choir, and clergy out of a church building at the end of a service.
• Recessional: The final hymn sung as the recession takes place.
• Sacraments:  “outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace.” Sacraments are physical actions that point us to deeper realities than we are able to experience with our five senses. The Anglican Church recognizes two major, or “gospel” sacraments, and five minor sacraments, or sacramental acts. The two major sacraments, Baptism and Communion, and called gospel sacraments because Jesus told us (in the gospels) to do them until he comes again. The five sacramental acts (or minor sacraments) are not all necessarily required of all Christians. They are Confirmation, Marriage, Ordination, Reconciliation, and Unction.
• Sacristy: A room near the altar where the communion vessels, altar hangings, candlesticks, etc. are kept and cleaned.
• Sanctus: The part of the Holy Communion service that beings with the words, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
• Stole: the liturgical vestment worn by bishops, priests and deacons. Bishops and priests wear it around the neck and the shoulder; deacons wear it over the left shoulder.
• Sursum Corda: the part of the communion service before the sanctus inviting the congregation to lift up their hearts
• Taizé:: A service of contemplation and prayer featuring the rich musical tradition of the community of monks in Taizé, France.
• Versicles: short verses, often taken from the psalms, usually recited antiphonally between the officiant and the people.
• Vestments: the clothing appropriate to persons performing liturgical actions who are involved in the worship service.
• Vestry: a meeting of the members of the parish. Also refers to a room in the Church, where ministers vest, and often official records (vestry books) are kept.