Some parish churches simply play fast and loose with RCL. Ulverston Parish
Church, a few miles from me, made this choice for Sunday:
Psalm 66 1-9
Luke 8 26-39
No problem, you might say, but they then proceeded to send them out to the two
other (much smaller) churches in the benefice as 'the readings'. I'm
celebrating in one of those churches on Sunday, and received a message from the
far-from-confident new churchwarden asking me to confirm that those were indeed
the readings. Given that I'd already written to the Galatians passage that's
the day's epistle, I had to shatter her illusions...
Martin
Rev. Martin Williams
'Seashells'
4A Rampside
Barrow-in-Furness
LA13 0PY
Email - martin.williams@xxxxxxxxxx
Landline - 01229 877882
Mobile - 07484 816555 (This is NOT a smart phone)
________________________________
From: methmins-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <methmins-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf
of Alexander Conn <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 30 June 2022 14:09
To: methmins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <methmins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [methmins] Re: A puzzle
John Barnett asked how the confusion comes about. It’s quite simple if we take
two stages.
Stage 1: the revised common lectionary, agreed by most churches uses the label
“Proper” for most Sundays without a special label, like Lent and Easter. Most
churches use the RCL and most use it unmodified, apart from the possible
inclusion of an extra like we have Aldersgate Sunday where we are offered
alternative lessons but not overriding the main lectionary.
Stage 2: The Church of England, in its wisdom, could not give up the old
labelling of Sundays after Trinity for the drag between Trinity Sunday and
Advent. They also have a countdown of Sundays before Advent where the
lectionary peters out rather than coming to a climax in the celebration of
Christ the King. To add to the confusion, in their lectionary they use the
label Proper for many Sundays. I have not bothered to work out their system.
An added complication arises in churches where they are sharing with us or most
other churches. Most of the time, their actual readings coincide with thee RCL
but, on some Sundays they have altered the selection of readungs As well,
meaning there needs to be haggling about whose lectionary takes priority.
I hope this helps.
Alex Conn
From: methmins-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <methmins-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of John Barnett ("jpbarnett")
Sent: 30 June 2022 11:24
To: methmins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [methmins] A puzzle
I'm working on the service for a week on Sunday. According to my LWPT diary,
it's the "4th Sunday after Trinity", but when I look at the back of the same
diary to find the Lectionary readings it's called the "15th in Ordinary Time".
When I turn to my Roots wallchart it bears the heading, "Proper 10".
Does anyone know why there are so many different ways of describing the same
Sunday, and why the Church can't settle on a single form of nomenclature?
John Barnett
