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We thought it might be helpful to give you a list of frequently used words. So we are working to provide definitions to the words below. We hope a little advanced information might make you feel more comfortable when you visit in our church.
If you hear or read a term we use and would like to know "What's that?" just e-mail us and we'll send you a reply and add it and the definition to our list. Better yet, come on Sunday or during office hours (weekdays 9:00 am - 3:00 pm) and chat with our Pastor, Sharon Core. She's great at helping us understand the workings of our church and God's message to us through it.
If you have a specific term you want to look up, click on the letter it starts with. Or just browse through the list.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
This is the church season immediately before Christmas consisting of the four Sundays before Christmas and ending on Christmas Day. The word "advent" comes from the Latin word meaning "to come" or "to arrive" as we await for the coming of the Jesus. During Advent we prepare for the three ways of our Lord's coming: at Christmas when we celebrate his physical birth; for his coming into our hearts; and for his coming again at the end of time. The color of Advent is traditionally purple. Advent actually begins the church calendar year.
According to one legend, at Pentecost the apostles developed a creed that was their common statement of the essentials of the Christian faith. Each apostle, inspired by the Spirit, contributed an element. Peter said, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth." Andrew said, " and in Jesus Christ, His Son, our only Lord." James said, "Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born from the Virgin Mary." Simon said, "the remission of sins." Thaddaeus said, "the resurrection of the flesh," and Matthias said, "eternal life." Although the origins of the account lie in pious imagination rather than actual events, the legend reveals a key feature of Christian witness from the earliest age: the importance given to maintaining continuity with the witness of the apostles.
Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the actual beginning of the Lenten season. It is a day of fasting and prayer and a time when we can publicly confess the sin that entangles us. Ashes on this first day in Lent are a symbol that has been derived from several ancient customs. In the Old Testament, people put on sackcloth and ashes when they were in mourning. As far back as the third century, ashes were worn on the body as a visible sign of sin and a public request for forgiveness. Ashes were also sometimes used as a cleanser when soap was not available. And, in times past, farmers would burn off their fields in the spring, turning dried stubble to ash before new planting began. Thus, ashes become a symbol of repentance and renewal. Ashes on the forehead are a visible reminder of our frail human condition and the need for repentance and forgiveness.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Book of Confessions (or "The Confessions") The
Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has two parts. The first
is the Book of Confessions, the second (consisting of the Form of
Government, Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline) is called
the Book of Order. The Book of Confessions contains historical
statements of what we, as a church, believe. The Book of Order sets out the way we govern ourselves, sets guidelines for worship, and offers information in the case of disciplinary actions. It was developed and can be modified by the General Assembly with the approval of the majority of presbyteries. Our Book of Order has undergone significant changes over the years to reflect the needs of our church and the world we live in.
Bridge, The This is the monthly newsletter that we here at Arlington Presbyterian Church send out to all our members, friends, and frequent visitors. In it, Pastor Sharon Core presents a monthly letter highlighting a spiritual issue or church concern; we tell you what events are coming up and what happened; and we celebrate and give thanks for who we are. At the beginning of each month we mail it out or send a URL for you click on to download it. If you'd like to get on our mailing list or e-mail list, please contact the Church Office.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
In the Presbyterian Church you may hear the names John Calvin or John Knox. John Calvin was a French Reformer who followed in the footsteps of Martin Luther in the 1500s. He gave us the theological foundations of our church, so we tend to name a lot things after him. John Knox was a Scottish preacher who brought the teachings of John Calvin to Scotland and got the Presbyterian Church going there, so the Presbyterian Church has named a few things after him, too.
Church School Some churches call this Sunday School. Church School at Arlington Presbyterian happens to be on Sunday morning at 9;45. At Church School we study the Bible and apply it to our lives in meaningful ways. We are fortunate in that many are professional teachers (of both children, teens, and adults). Much more information is available by clicking here to go to our Church School web page.
Communion (or Eucharist or Lord's Supper) This is the meal we share from the Lord's Table. We call this meal Communion ; others may call it the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Eucharist is from the Greek word for "thanksgiving" which is what Jesus did before he gave bread and wine to his disciples.
Communion Table (or Lord's Table) This is the table at the front of the sanctuary that holds the bread and wine for Communion. Sometimes other items are on the table such as the Bible, a cross, or candles. We call this the Lord's Table not an altar because the night Jesus Christ was betrayed he was eating the Passover meal with his disciples at a table. An altar is a place for making sacrifices. In the Reformed tradition, we believe that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for all. It doesn't have to repeated with a Mass or other Communion on an altar.
Confessions (or Book of Confessions): The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has two parts. The first is the Book of Confessions (or the Confessions), the second (consisting of the Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline) is called the Book of Order. The Book of Confessions contains historical statements of what we as a church believe.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
When we pray the Lord's Prayer we use the words debts (as in "forgive us our debts") and debtors. Some Christians say "trespasses" or "sins." This is because the Lord's prayer is found in both Matthew's and Luke's Gospels and in the original Greek they used two different words that mean "to sin." In Matthew's version the word means "to owe a debt" but a debt of sin, not money.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
An elder doesn't mean someone is has great age, or even lengthy time in our church. Here at Arlington Presbyterian we are in the process of gradually reducing the number of Elders from 18 to 9. Every December, the congregation meets briefly after worship service to elect elders based on a committee's nominations.
Election (see also Predestination) This is a theological term that means that God makes the first move in acting to redeem sinners. People within the covenant for faith are called "the elect." Reformed (or Presbyterian) theology teaches that we are incapable of saving ourselves from our sins and that God "elects" or "chooses" to save us.
Epiphany Epiphany
means "appearance" or manifestation of God and has roots in
the word for sunrise or dawn. For Christians, Epiphany celebrates
the appearance of the Lord in the midst of humanity. It follows
Christmas (or the season of Advent) and our celebration of God coming to
us. Epiphany is both a day and a season. In the strictest sense it is the day when the Wise Men paid a visit to the Christ child. We think of this visit as the beginning of the revelation of Christ to the world. As we move through the season of Epiphany,
sscriptures tell stories of continued revelation--Christ's baptism, Christ's calling of the disciples, the transfiguration The season of Epiphany is all about revelation, about changing our perceptions and perspectives, about seeing life in a whole new way. Eucharist (or Communion or Lord's Supper) This is the meal we share from the Lord's Table. We call this meal Communion ; other may call it the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Eucharist is from the Greek word for "thanksgiving" which is what Jesus did before he gave bread and wine to his disciples.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Every year all the presbyteries in the church elect commissioners or representatives to attend a meeting of the General Assembly. This group makes decisions for the whole church within the United States based on democratic election principles.
Good Friday Good Friday is the Friday of Holy Week and it was most likely first
known as "God's Friday." This day is a worldwide commemoration of Christ's suffering and death on the cross, and it has been remembered in
that way since the fourth century. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A member of the local church who volunteers to help during worship service each Sunday. Lay leaders lead worshippers in prayer during the service and reads the Biblical lectionary. Any Presbyterian member can volunteer for this. APC's sign up sheet is outside the Church Office on the bulletin board. Our minister, Sharon Core is happy to answer more questions.
Lectionary From the earliest days of Christianity, some churches have followed a lectionary for their worship services. At APC, we use the Revised Common Lectionary (1993), which offers four Scripture readings per week. The two readings for worship are usually chosen from among these four.
Lent The
central event in the history of the Christian faith is the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The word lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon
word meaning "springtime." Taken literally, the word means
that this is the time of the year when the days lengthen. We see the
season before Easter as a holy springtime of the soul–a time of
preparation and nurture for Christian growth. The season of Lent
began in the early church as a time for preparing new converts for
Baptism on Easter. By the middle of the fourth century, a 40-day
preparation period had been established. During that time, candidates
for Baptism fasted and heard lectures from church leaders. Later,
the season of Lent became a time for all Christians to prepare for
Easter. It remains a 40-day period. Historically, the Lenten fasts were
lessened on Sundays, thus Sundays are not included in the days of Lent.
All Sundays are considered "little Easters," celebrating the
resurrection. Purple is the color associated with the season of
Lent and is used in churches that observe liturgical traditions. Purple
is a solemn color, reminiscent of royalty and repentance. It reflects
the serious and somber nature of this time in the life of the church. Letters on the Cross The Letters on the Cross, which were placarded by Pontius Pilate are INRI. "I" is actually a "J" in Latin and stands for: Jesus. "N" stands for: Nazareth. "R" stands for: Rex which means "king" in Latin. The last "I" stands for "J" again, this time representing the word: Jews. "INRI" means in Latin "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Pontius Pilate actually had the sign written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek so everyone who stood at the foot of the cross could read the sign in a language with which they were familiar.
Liturgy From a Greek word meaning "the work of the people," a liturgy is a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion. Essentially, the liturgy is how we worship God. It has some basic elements: welcome, acknowledging sin, readings from the Bible, a sermon, praising God, and once a month serving communion. Strictly speaking, the liturgy is the same words used in each service.
Lord's Supper (or Communion or Eucharist) This is the meal we share from the Lord's Table. We call this meal Communion ; other may call it the Eucharist. Eucharist is from the Greek word for "thanksgiving" which is what Jesus did before he gave bread and wine to his disciples.
Lord's Table (or Communion Table) This is the table at the front of the sanctuary that holds the bread and wine for Communion. Sometimes other items are on the table such as the Bible, a cross, or candles. We call this the Lord's Table not an altar because the night Jesus Christ was betrayed he was eating the Passover meal with his disciples at a table. An altar is a place for making sacrifices. In the Reformed tradition, we believe that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for all. It doesn't have to repeated with a Mass or other Communion on an altar.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday of Holy Week. The emphasis for this Thursday is on Jesus' own commandment of love: "Love one another even as I have loved you." The word "maundy" comes from the English form of the Latin mandatum, which means "commandment." Maundy Thursday is a combination of three things: 1.) a time to commemorate the Last Supper, 2.) a time when penitents are reconciled to the family of believers, and 3.) a time to prepare for Baptism. It is also a time when the discipline of Lent is concluded with absolution and forgiveness. Jesus' love for all people is demonstrated in His service to others, as well as in His gift of Himself for our salvation. The washing of the disciples' feet as part of the Last Supper was a concrete example of the loving service Jesus shared with His followers. Foot washing is often a part of Maundy Thursday celebrations today, as a response to the new commandment and as a symbol of Christian charity and service. Minister We
believe that all are called to ministry in their communities, but
particular forms of leadership are needed for the work of the
church. Presbyterians understand a call to ministry to have three
parts: 1) an inner sense of call; 2) a community that tests this call;
and 3) a call from a community to serve in a particular place. A
person who feels called by God to be a Presbyterian minister, expresses
that desire to Session and spends about two years in an inquiry phase
exploring what it means to become a minister. An inquirer must
demonstrate personal faith, a sense of self-understanding, an
understanding of the Reformed tradition, what it means to be
Presbyterian, and an understanding of the task of being a
minister. Candidates have a college degree , a seminary degree and
then pass exams that demonstrate their competence in the fields of
theology, Bible, worship and the Sacraments. Following an oral
review by a committee and after presenting a personal statement of faith
and preaching a sermon, the candidate receives a call to ministry from a
church. The presbytery then ordains him or her to the Office of
Minister of the Word and Sacrament. Ministry Team APC has seen ministry teams, each with a ministry team leader. These represent the tasks that we as a church believe are important to how we worship and serve God. They are: Worship and Music, Fellowship, Christian Education, Finance, Stewardship, Church in the World, and Evangelism.
Mission Jesus Christ commands his disciples to live a life that exhibits love for God, neighbor, and self. APC's mission is run by our Church in the World Ministry Team with help from others members or friends of our church. Our biggest mission project is running the Ronda Gilliam Clothing Bank which makes clothing available to the needy in our area. We also participate in the Crop Walk, donating our time and money to local, national, and other charities which benefit many others. Please see more about our mission on our Serving Others web page. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A creed is a summary of Christian Faith written by the church in order to confess clearly what it believes. The Nicene Creed was originally written in 325 A.D. (in Greek) when the Roman Emperor Constantine called together the Council of Nicaea (in Asia Minor) to address the fragmentation of the Christian church--primarily because of disputes over whether or not Jesus Christ was fully God. The Creed was expanded to the current text at Constantinople in 381 A.D. The Presbyterian Church (USA) adopted a contemporary translation of the Nicene Creed completed by an ecumenical body, the English Language Liturgical Consultation in 1987.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
The part of the Christian church year following Epiphany and Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time. But the word “ordinary” as we use it in the church calendar doesn’t "common" or "mundane. " It is a term that comes from the Latin word "ordinal," which means counted time or a numbered sequence as in First, Second, Third Sunday after Pentecost, and so on. Counted time after Pentecost always begins with Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) and ends with Christ the King Sunday or the Reign of Christ the King—the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent—usually in November. Trinity Sunday on June 3 this year marks the shift out of Pentecost and into Ordinary Time. The 33 or 34 Sundays of Ordinary Time--including the 23 to 28 Sundays after Pentecost--are used to focus on faith, especially the mission of the church in the world. Many ministers use Ordinary Time to focus on specific themes of interest. The sanctuary color for Ordinary Time is dark green. Green has traditionally been associated with new life and growth. In Christian tradition green has come to symbolize the life of the church following Pentecost as well as the hope of new life in the resurrection. In Ordinary Time, the focus is on the Lord’s Day. In lectionary terms, Ordinary Time is a sequence of Lord’s Days to reflect on the ministry of the Lord. The Sundays of Ordinary Time celebrate the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection, andthe unfolding presence of the new creation. Ordinary Time presents us with an ongoing opportunity to witness to the living Lord who makes all things new.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Palm or Passion Sunday Palm or Passion Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday before Easter. This is the specific day when we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. It also is the first day of Holy Week where the mood changes from one of triumph to one of somberness as the knowledge of the events of the coming week unfold. The early Christians did not celebrate Palm Sunday until about the fourth century when worshipers began holding up olive twigs during the procession. The use of palms in the service did not begin until about 400 years later. By the Tenth Century, it was common practice to use palm branches in the processions.
Pastor
Pastoral Intern
Pentecost: We commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the 12 Disciples after Christ's Resurrection (Acts 2). Pentecost is traditionally seen as the birthday of the Christian church, and is also the beginning of the longest season in the church - the season after Pentecost. The season after Pentecost runs from the day of Pentecost to the first Sunday in Advent. The word "pentecost" in Greek is "pentekostos" from "pentekonta" or the fiftieth day from Passover.
Predestination (see also Election) Similar to election, this word often raises questions for people. Basically predestination means that our election by God occurred not only before we were born but so far back in time that it happened "before the creation of the world." (Eph 1:4)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbytery The Presbytery is made up of a group of churches usually in a certain geographical area. Arlington Presbyterian Church is a member of the National Capital Presbytery as are Presbyterian churches from Maryland, the District of Columbia, and throughout Northern Virginia. A presbytery meeting includes "presbyters" or elders sent to represent their churches to help make decisions affecting the whole presbytery.
Presbyterian Presbyterians are distinctive in the Christian world in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Reverend
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Session This is the group of people elected by the congregation who make decisions on the long term goals of the the church and help plan how we as a church will get there. In some churches this group is called the "church council." At APC we've been changing the role of Session from one of direct operation of the church to leading the church spiritually. Our Session is working to delegate day-to-day operations of Arlington Presbyterian to Ministry Team Leaders.
Shrove
Tuesday
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end. After His sojourn in Cæsarea Philippi, Jesus took with him apostles Peter, James, and John and led them to a high mountain where He was transfigured before their eyes. In the Gospel Matthew and Mark express this with the word metemorphothe or transfiguratus. Other gospels explain the meaning of the word by adding "his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow," or "as light," according to the Greek text.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Westminster Confession of Faith
Worship Worship is an act of the gathered community. We bring who we are and who we want to be. We bring our doubts and our certainties. We bring our frustrations and our celebrations. We bring all aspects of our lives into the presence of God. Each time we gather for worship, we become open to the possibility that our encounter with God and God's word will comfort us, challenge us, and may even change us.
(Thanks, in part, to Presbyterians Today and the PC USA website at www.pcusa.org.) |
