Episcopal Glossary

- E -
Early service - in many Parish communities, this refers to the eight o'clock a.m. Sunday service. Since 1981 this service has been generally a 1928 prayerbook service or a Rite One service. Sometimes the congregation of this service is derisively spoken of as "the eight o'clock crowd."

Easter - The day celebrating the Lord's Resurrection and the Fifty Days following.

Easter Eve - See Great Vigil of Easte.

EFM - Education For Ministry; the popular extension program of the School of Theology.

Elements - The bread and wine to be consecrated at the Eucharist, and the water of Baptism.

Elevations - The lifting up of the Consecrated Elements after the Words of Institution, at the conclusion of the Great Thanksgiving, or at the Invitation to Communion.

Epiphany - The Feast of the Manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ observed on January 6^th (a feast celebrating the visit of the Wisemen to the infant Jesus; the end of the Christmas season). The Epiphany Season continues until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Episcopal - the name of a form of church organization which means government by an overseer

Episcopos - Episcopos is the Greek word from which we derive the English word 'bishop'.

Episcopalian, The - the general newspaper of the Episcopal Church; usually sent to each communicant or family of a church; news of the moves of clergy from one church to another is often published in this paper.

Epistle - The lesson at the Eucharist preceding the Gospel taken from one of the Letters of the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, or the Book of Revelation; also any reading from the Bible other than the Gospels or Psalms.

Epistle Side - the right side of a church when facing the altar; this older usage is now no longer accurate in churches reading the gospel from the right side pulpit. See Gospel Side.

Epistoler - See Subdeacon.

Eucharist - The principal act of worship on Sundays and other Feasts (see Mass, Lord's Supper, Liturgy, The Holy Communion); a "good gift" or thanksgiving; the current usage in the Episcopal Church to refer to communion or the Lord's Supper.

Eucharistic Prayer - That part of the Great Thanksgiving beginning with the salutation and preface and concluding with the doxology and Amen. In The Book of Common Prayer there are several Eucharistic Prayers: two for Rite I (BCP, 333ff. & 340ff.); four for Rite 11 (BCP, 36]ff., 367ff., 369ff., & 372ff.); and two forms in An Order for Celebrating the Holy Eucharist (BCP, 402 & 404).

Eucharistic Vestments - The stole, (maniple), and chasuble worn by the celebrant at the Eucharist. The stole may either be worn under the chasuble or, in some places, over it. The Eucharistic vestments are worn over amice, alb, and cincture, or over a cassock-alb.

Eulogy - a speech or homily in praise of a deceased person; brief remarks about the deceased at a funeral.

Evensong - Sung Evening Prayer (BCP, 6]ff. or 1]5ff.); an evening worship service; evening prayer; and evening prayer service featuring a choir.

Ewer - See Flagon, for water at Baptism or on Maundy Thursday at the Washing of Feet.

Executive Committee - a type of diocesan government in which a committee advises the bishop; the executive committee is smaller and usually less representative than the Bishop-and-Council type of government.

Exultet - The paean of praise that is sung or said during the first part of the Great Vigil of Easter by the deacon or other person appointed (BCP, 286).