|
|
|
|
|
|
|
News/Information > Glossary Glossary Acolytes Usually only at the 11:15 a.m. service and on feast days, acolytes are the torch bearers who walk behind the crucifer in the procession and flank the gospel book during the gospel reading. One of them usually assists in preparing the table at the Eucharist. Advent Happy New Year! Advent marks the beginning of the church year and is the four Sundays before Christmas. It is a time of preparation, of waiting and watching - for the birth of the baby in the manger and for the awaited time of Christ's coming again. If you come to church here during Advent you won't find the church decked out for Christmas and we won't be singing Christmas carols, either. We wait, we watch, we prepare. Ascension Ascension Day is the commemoration of Jesus' return to heaven forty days after Easter. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Ashes are placed on our foreheads as a sign of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and as a reminder of our need to repent. Baptism A sacrament of the church, it is the rite of entry into the body of Christ. Water that has been blessed is poured over the head of the person as they are baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. Where once it was mainly infants being baptized, it is now common for those who come to faith as adults to seek to be received into the household of God through baptism. Bidding A form of prayer used during the prayers of the people, the intercession is usually introduced with "I bid your prayers for…" Blessing of the Palms As part of living out the Holy Week story, we begin the Palm Sunday liturgy by blessing the palm branches that we wave in the same manner that the people welcomed Jesus on the first Palm Sunday. We add our chorus of "Hosanna in the Highest" and we recall that the crown of thorns is not that far away. Book of Alternative Services (BAS) In the Anglican Church of Canada there are two "service books" in use - the Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Alternative Services. We use the latter in this parish. The BAS contains prayers for the Divine Office (Daily prayer), the liturgies of the church (baptism, eucharist, weddings and funerals), the "propers" of the church year (the prayers set for each Sunday and feast day), scripture readings appointed for each day and other occasional prayers and liturgies. Chalice Is the vessel that the wine is put into when the communion is being served to the gathered faithful. Chancel The space at the very front of the church where the clergy and servers sit is called the Chancel. Crucifer A member of the Servers Guild, the crucifer is the person who carries the processional cross in the worship services during the entrance, at the gospel procession and during the recessional. Sometimes assists in preparing the table at the Eucharist. Easter/First Eucharist of Easter This is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. While the day marks the end of the Holy Week journey it is also the beginning of the journey as we discover anew the stories of Jesus and grow as his faithful disciples. Entrance Procession At the beginning of the service the crucifer and two acolytes (if used) lead the assisting clergy and celebrant into the chancel usually by way of the centre aisle. Often this occurs while the opening hymn is being sung. Epiphany Epiphany is one of the High Festivals, or Principal Feasts, of the church year. The word itself comes from the Greek epiphaneia (manifestation). We remember the story of the three wise men who, led by a star, bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. By their act of worship, they show that Jesus came for all people, not just a limited few. Eucharist Translated from Greek, Eucharist means thanksgiving. A sacrament of the church it comes from the Last Supper when Jesus said to his disciples "Do this in remembrance of me…" (Luke 22: 14-23; Matthew 26: 26-29; Mark 14: 22-25). The Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, the Mass are other ways of referring to this sacrament. The gifts of wine and bread are brought forward, blessed and shared with the gathered faithful. At the 9:30 a.m. service we gather in a circle around the table when the gifts are presented. At the 11:15 a.m. service we move forward to receive communion at the altar rails after the prayer blessing the gifts. Evensong/Evening Prayer Part of the Daily Office (prayers at various times of the day) Evensong, Evening Prayer or Vespers as the liturgy is often known as, is a time of prayer, quiet meditation on the appointed scripture readings for the day and hymns. Garden Watch At the end of the Maundy Thursday service the church is plunged into darkness and the church remains open for a time of silent prayer until midnight. We recall the story of the Jesus going to the garden to pray before he is betrayed. The disciples who went with him were unable to stay awake in the garden - we are invited to wait and watch with Jesus as the darkness grows. Good Friday Jesus is betrayed and stands trial. The crowd shouts "Crucify him!" and on Golgotha Jesus is nailed to a cross. The sky turns dark and his body is laid in a tomb. We recall all of this through scripture, prayer and the presence of a cross brought into the midst of the gathering and placed in the chancel, and the Eucharist. Gospel Procession At the time of the gospel reading, the crucifer and acolytes lead the gospel reader down into the midst of the people for the reading. The acolytes stand on either side of the gospel book, the light of their candles "illuminating the Word". Great Vigil We gather on Holy Saturday waiting in the darkness for Jesus, the light of the world. The new fire is lit and from it the Pascal Candle is lit and carried into the church. The light from that candle is spread to the candles each of us holds and the light spreads and grows. We listen to the stories of God's acts of salvation. We renew our baptismal faith and hear the Easter Proclamation "Christ is Risen. Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!" We celebrate with thanksgiving as we gather for the Eucharist. High Festivals Throughout the church year there are specific dates on the church calendar that are High Festivals or Principal Feasts. These feast days are: Easter, Ascension Day, The Day of Pentecost, Trinity, All Saints Day, Christmas and Epiphany. Holy Saturday Please see "Great Vigil". Holy Week In the worship services of Holy Week, we journey through the story of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to his betrayal, death and celebration of his resurrection with the First Eucharist of Easter. Please refer to Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday/Great Vigil and Easter for more about these services. Intercession During the prayers of the people, the person leading the prayers will offer a prayer which names a concern. These intercessions or prayers invite the gathered community to add their own concerns or situations either silently or aloud. Laying on of Hands Prayers for the healing power of God on a specific person are offered at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday service on the first Sunday of the month and at other times as requested. Anointing is usually part of this time of prayer. Lent As with Advent, Lent is a season of preparation. We prepare for the celebration of renewal in the life of faith that is ours through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It begins with Ash Wednesday where ashes are place on our foreheads as a reminder of our need to repent. We are invited to enter into Lent with a commitment to penitence, prayer, fasting, reading and meditating on the word of God. It is usually the time that those who are new to the faith prepare for baptism or to renew their baptismal vows. The last Sunday of Lent is Palm Sunday. Liturgy Quite literally "the work of the people", the liturgy is the worship service. Maundy Thursday From the Latin mandatum novum do vobis, the name Maundy Thursday arose. During the liturgy, the sentence from John 13.34 is often read - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you." We gather to hear scripture read, for washing of feet, for the Eucharist and in the growing darkness as we move toward Good Friday we strip the church of its finery and prepare to wait in the garden during the Garden Watch. Meditation Meditation is a spiritual discipline that encourages the participant to go more deeply into their relationship with God through a variety of exercises and prayer techniques. Morning Prayer/Mattins Part of the Daily Office (prayers at various times of the day) Morning Prayer, or Mattins as the liturgy is often known as, is a time of prayer, quiet meditation on the appointed scripture readings for the day and hymns. Palm Sunday The Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. We gather for the Blessing of the Palms and recall the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. From this very celebratory moment in the story of Jesus life we begin the journey to the cross. Paschal Candle Also known as the Christ Candle, this candle is blessed at the Easter Vigil and lit from the first fire. It is used at Baptisms, on the Sundays from Easter to Pentecost and at funerals. This candle reminds us of Christ's resurrection. Pentecost This is the celebration of the birth of the Christian church. Fifty days after Easter, we remember the story of the dove descending on the disciples of Jesus like flames of fire - the dove and flames are quite often used as symbols of Pentecost. In some places this is also known as Whitsunday. Recessional During the singing of the last hymn the servers and clergy leave the chancel in much the same way as they entered, led by the crucifer. Sidespeople Also known as greeters or ushers they are the first to welcome you to our church. They will hand you a copy of the hymn book and bulletin (programme) and will help you find a seat. During the 11:15 a.m. service they assist in helping folks know when to move forward for communion. Taizé A religious community in Taizé, France founded by Brother Roger, they have developed a style of meditative prayer that includes repetitive songs that help to direct the prayer life of the community. We have developed an evening service on the fourth and fifth Sunday of the month that is rooted in this prayer and music tradition that makes use of a variety of languages, instrumental accompaniments and lots of candlelight. Thurifer On Epiphany, at the Easter Vigil and on feast days when the occasion calls for it, incense is used at some of our services. The person who carries the thurible (the covered brass container on chains that holds the burning incense) in procession and prepares it for the celebrant at the reading of the gospel and for blessing the gifts at the Eucharist is called the thurifer. The cloud of incense that sometimes hangs in the air after censing is often referred to as "smoke". Vespers Part of the Daily Office (prayers at various times of the day) Vespers, Evensong or Evening Prayer as the liturgy is often known as, is a time of prayer, quiet meditation on the appointed scripture readings for the day and hymns. Washing of Feet During the Last Supper Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. At our Maundy Thursday liturgy, the celebrant washes the feet of twelve parishioners as a way of recalling their servanthood as priest. |
| Contact Us Directions/Parking Donations Downloads Renting Space Sign up for eNews Site Map Weddings |
