Worship Words

In the Anglican Church, and at St. Paul the Apostle, Rexdale, we use some words and phrases that may not be familiar to you today. We draw on a religious tradition that was established and developed in and by the early church. We aim to use these terms in a contemporary context. We hope this abbreviated list of words and their meanings are helpful to you.

Term	Definition
Alb	The basic white vestment worn by the priest and servers.
Altar	The (often large pronounced) table on which the Eucharist is celebrated. It’s placed in a central position in the church as the focus of worship.
Absolution/The Pardon	After we have asked for God’s forgiveness, the bishop or priest prays a prayer that declares God’s mercy and 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.
BAS (Book of Alternative Services)	One of two prayer books used in the Anglican Church of Canada. This is the contemporary version that has been in use since 1985. The BAS combines resources from the earliest centuries of The Church and those more recently developed in many parts of the Anglican Church. The original prayer book is The Book of Common Prayer.
Baptism (Holy 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.
Chalice/The Cup	The stemmed cup used at the Eucharist which contains the wine.
The Chancel	The area where the choir is located.
Congregation	Members of a local Christian community/church. The church can also be called a Parish.
Collect	The Collect is near the beginning of the service. It is a short introductory or welcoming prayer that hopefully prepares worshippers for the liturgy (worship). It normally precedes the first inspirational reading.
Crucifer	A person who carries a cross, leading the procession at the start and the recession at the end of the service. There are other services that the Cross is an integral part of the service, such as Holy Cross Sunday or Good Friday.
The 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, His death and glorious resurrection. Another word we use for “The Eucharist” is Communion.
Font	A basin for water to be used in church baptisms. Ours is at the back or as you enter the main body of the church for worship. Ours is brought to the front for baptisms.
Oblation	The act of offering the bread and wine for the celebration of The Eucharist/Communion.
Lectern	A stand that traditionally holds the Bible and from which the lessons of the day are read.
Liturgy	The manner, ritual and ceremonies by which we worship.
Nave	The main body of the church (some people call it the sanctuary) where pews or chairs are located on which the congregation sits during worship services. The word means ship, describing the church as it carries its members on their pilgrimage.
Parish	A geographical area in which a priest, deacon or lay person (not ordained) is licensed to serve the church. A parish may be made up of one or more congregations.
Parishioner (sometimes called a congregant)	A person who worships in a parish.
Paschal Candle	A very tall candle which sits on a very tall candle stand, and placed in a prominent display in the sanctuary or near the font. The candle is lit throughout the Easter season, 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.
Priest-in-Charge	A priest-in-charge of a parish exercises the functions of an Incumbent for the period of his/her appointment. A priest-in-charge is appointed by the bishop for a specific period of time or for the completion of a particular objective.
Processional	The musical procession by the Crucifer, choir and clergy from the back of the church to the front at the start of a service.
Recessional	The recessing by the Crucifer, choir, and clergy from the front of the church to the back at the end of a service.
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.
Stole	The liturgical vestment worn by bishops, priests and deacons. Bishops and priests wear it around the neck and it hangs over the alb, but sometimes under other vestments. The colour of the stole changes with the liturgical season that the church is in. Example: a green stole is worn during Ordinary Time between Pentecost and Advent when the colour changes to blue. White is mostly used for Easter, baptisms, weddings and funerals. Deacons wear a stole draped over the left shoulder.
Vestments	The clothing worn by persons leading the worship service.
Wardens	Senior lay officers of a congregation. In some churches, one warden is elected by the congregation and is called the People’s Warden; the other is appointed by the Incumbent/Rector/Priest-in-Charge, and is often called the Rector’s Warden. There are also Deputy Wardens. St. Paul the Apostle – Rexdale has both Wardens and Deputy Wardens.