GLOSSARY

Absolution

The Pastor pronounces forgiveness of sins to the congregation. This usually takes the form: In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Acts

The Acts of the Apostles, one of the books of the New Testament. This Book describes the beginning of the Church and many of the struggles of the Apostles to spread the good news (Gospel) of Jesus Christ.

Collect

A short prayer. Usually used at a prominant point in the Divine Service and is intended to "gather" the people's attention on what is to come or has just ended.

Communion

This is one of the two Sacraments celebrated in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. Communion describes the procedure when the Church Members each receive the true body and true blood of Jesus Christ in with and under the elements of bread and wine. Liturgical elements preceed and follow distribution of the bread and wine. Communion also refers to the Church members "communing" with the Lord Jesus Christ and with each other. The other Sacrament is the Holy Baptism. This latter is done usually for infants and occurs soon after a recent birth. Conversly, this can be done at any age. Baptism is extremely important as it marks the recipient as belonging to Christ.

The Epistle

A reading from one of the Books of the New Testament, excluding the Gospels. In the general sense, each of such books can be thought of as an Epistle. The author of these are mostly Apostles, but some others have contributed to them also, fex Luke, who wrote one of the Gospels and the Book of Acts.

The Gradual

Usually a two verse proclimation, intended to make the transition between the Old Testament reading and the Epistle.

Holy Scripture

The Bible. Laid out by Book, Chapter and Verse. There are 66 Books, each with a number of Chapters, each of these having many Verses. All of it is about the Lord Jesus Christ, either allegorically or literally.

Liturgy

This generally refers to the presence and ordering of the various elements of the Divine Service

Old Testament

The first 39 Books of the Bible. They are generally referred to as "Jesus Christ concealed," or, "The Law," but has much of the Gospel also.

Readings

Lessons from Holy Scripture

Sacrament

Procedure established by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Trinity

This is the nature of God as He has revealed about Himself in Holy Scripture. It means that God is one true God composed of three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. See, for example, the Athanasian Creed as it appears in the Trinity videos (the oldest in list). God is also referred to as Triune, meaning Three in One.

Word

God's Word is the Holy Scriptures in the Bible. God's Word also refers to His Son Jesus Christ.