Blessing before reading the gospel

[Paidiske]

It hasn't been my custom (or the custom of any parish where I've ministered or worshipped regularly) to have the person reading the gospel blessed by the priest; but some people in my parish told me today that it's something that they like to see done on high feast days, and would like to see done tomorrow for Easter.

There are no notes or rubrics pertaining to this in the prayer book in use in Australia. I have been able to find an instruction in an American book that says this should be done when the bishop is presiding (but not in the bishop's absence).

So I'm a bit at a loss as to a) whether and why I should do this, and b) how it would be done, anyway. I'm a bit reluctant because it seems to play into all that clericalist/hierarchicalist stuff that to me is really unhealthy ecclesiology.

So if it's been your (or your parish's) custom, any insight would be appreciated!

 

[Philip_B]

Certainly familiar with the custom. The prayer was along the lines 'as the angel brought fire to cleanse the mouth of the prophet Isaiah so may the lord cleanse your mouth that you may worthily proclaim the holy gospel.'

I did not see it as overly clericalised but more biblical and helping the Gospel reading stand out inside the ministry of the word. It normally happens during the singing of the gradual hymn and I guess speaks of God's blessing as we go forth to prclaim the good news of the resurrection.

I think for me it says we proclaim not because we think we are better than anyone but because God asks us .

Happy and Holy Easter

 

[Radagast]

There are no notes or rubrics pertaining to this in the prayer book in use in Australia.

Seems like a bit of a hint that you shouldn't do it, then?

 

[Paidiske]

We do lots of things for which there are no rubrics or prayer book notes; I wouldn't necessarily take the absence of a rubric as forbidding something.

 

[Radagast]

We do lots of things for which there are no rubrics or prayer book notes; I wouldn't necessarily take the absence of a rubric as forbidding something.

OK, then. Sorry.

 

[MyGivenNameIsKeith]

To chime in, ecclesiastical differences aside, I want to address the Isaiah aspect first.
Isaiah 6:5-8
5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

In this passage, you see the blood of Jesus Christ symbolized by the live coal which purges Isaiah's sins.
In the past, Israel had no way to access the holy of holies as was customary, only the priest could, but only had access to the courtyard, the outer area. Jesus made it so that we could approach the holy of holies because as you see he is the high priest.
In Zechariah 3, you see how Joshua is given the diadem of high priest. This is an allusion to Christ. Same name to be technical...

1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

6And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, 7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 9For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

My point being is that it seems to reiterate the formal efforts, laws, traditions, and rules that certainly do not bind us. By this I mean Jesus fulfilled all the relevant traditions and laws to unbind us and free us. For HE is the high priest.
One thing I notice in my own congregations that I've attended is that some pray and bless the Word of God so that the words will be fruitful unto the hearers. So that God's Word will not return void. Keep in mind that God used the donkey to speak to Balaam, spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. The power comes from the Word not the speaker. For the speaker may or not be grounded in faith, or things similarly. But the word of God is steadfast, immovable.
That being said, whatever the spirit moves you to accept as being righteous, let it be so. If it be not righteous to you according to the word of God then let it be known. All I know is that the word of God being preached does not require a blessing from men, for its power flows from God. Keep that in mind the next time you hear John 3:16 come out of a child's mouth that has just come to know the Lord.
I have other matters when it comes to hierarchy, ecclesiastical things but this is not the proper place to discuss as the thread is, of course denomination specific. However I am a Christian. There are no denominations in heaven. We are part of the same body of Christ. We have the same Holy Spirit living inside of us. If you wish to converse about the other matters, feel free to message or prompt to start a thread, I'd be happy to chat.
Love in Christ.

 

[Paidiske]

OK, then. Sorry.

No need to apologise, I was just explaining.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I’ve never heard of this practice.

However, all involved in the worship pray together before the service, and I am pretty sure this is a good time to bless one another.

 

[Deegie]

It's the norm in a few of the parishes around here, including at the Cathedral. My main theological objection is that one's ordination is all the blessing and authorization required to read the gospel. And in the case that you have a deacon doing it, it seems to imply that s/he needs a priest's permission to do so and thus weakens the view of the diaconate as a separate and equal order.

Now, if you have a layperson reading the gospel (which I have only even heard of once or twice and is entirely contrary to the rubrics -- at least here), then I would actually be all for it.

As to Philip_B's point that it helps the gospel reading stand out from the others, I feel that enough is already done to make that happen without this extra blessing. In my current place, for example, the gospel reading gets a sequence hymn, a procession out into the congregation with verger, cross, and torches, a different introduction and conclusion than the other readings, an ordained reader, and sometimes incense.

I rather like Naomi's suggestion, and we have incorporated it at times into the pre-service prayer with the other liturgical ministers and choir. But I usually make that prayer up on the spot to reflect the season, theme(s) of the day, pastoral situation, my mood, etc. and thus it doesn't always get said.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

We always have lay people do the readings (sidespeople). The onLy distinction we have for a gospel reading is that we stand and have a gospel acclamation in our more formal service. It is always read from the lectern and followed in church bibles or on the screen.

 

[Paidiske]

Deegie, in Melbourne, deacons (who are not also priests) are rare as hens' teeth, and so the luxury of actually having a deacon is something highly unusual. It is our custom - and there is nothing in the rubrics forbidding it - that lay people may read the gospel. (In more Anglo-Catholic parishes often the priest always does, but I don't particularly like that because - as above - clericalism etc). In my parish we have several lay people who take on the liturgical roles of a deacon, so that I'm not left doing it all myself.

I think, on balance, I'm leaning away from doing it. I don't like what it suggests about how shared ministry functions in a parish; as if lay people need my blessing (or for me to articulate God's blessing) on what they do. I'll just have to try to figure out how to explain that to the people who like it...

 

[Deegie]

Thanks for sharing that. One of the things I love about this place is hearing how different expressions of Anglicanism can be in different places!

Have a blessed Pascha!

 

[gordonhooker]

It has been done in our Parish for years for Lay Readers.

 

[Tigger45]

I noticed at our local Episcopal cathedral the bishop who was in attendance for the Saturday vigil service blessed the deacon just before she was to to proceed forward to do the reading of the Gospel. I’ll have to pay attention if this is their practice at services when the bishop isn’t present.