No congressional response.

First off, I think you mean congregation response. Second, in TEC at least, even when the reading is from the apocrypha the response doesn't change.

Normal practice, as I have experienced it, is that the response at the end of the end of a reading of scripture is normally governed by the versical offered for the response.


The advice given is based in the words coming from Article 6 of the 39 Articles where it says "And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following:" followed by a list of deuterocanonical scriptures including the book of Wisdom.

The second of the listed versicle response patterns would possibly be a contravention of the article, however all the others would seem to work.

The readings from the Deuterocanonicals included in lectionaries are generally in accord with the Proto Canon, as the reding you cited is. I have not noted the absence of a response to readings when they come from the Apocrypha.

The thing is that that is not the response that's appointed in any of the BCPs I checked, not TEC's 1979 book, not in the historic book favored by the Continuing Anglicans, and not in the several others I checked.

It's hard to keep straight, but today is Pentecost VII in TEC and ACNA but Trinity VI in the Continuing Churches, although I know that some churches will make it a saint's feast day. There is no reading from the pulpit of the Apocrypha in most Continuing churches and, in any case, no provision exists in the BCP. As for the response you asked about, it's provided for after the reading in the TEC book, but the priest you referred to may think it inappropriate when the reading is from the Apocrypha, although that probably doesn't hold in all churches using that book.

Tigger45 said:

I personally appreciate this approach and am wondering is the omission of the congressional response normally omitted throughout Anglican & Episcopal liturgical responses?

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My experience is chiefly with TEC; I have not worshipped with an ACNA parish, so I cannot speak to their customs.

The prayer book used in TEC provides two options for concluding the non-gospel readings.

1) The reader says "The Word of the Lord", and the congregation responds "Thanks be to God". Or,

2) The reader says "Here ends the Reading", and there is no congregational response.

(Occasionally, the congregation will stumble into "Here ends the Reading" "Thanks be to God", but that's to be avoided, since it sounds like "Glad that's over!" )

In my previous parish, the priest made a distinction between the Old Testament and the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books in the responses used, so that a reading from Wisdom would be followed by "Here ends the Reading" instead of "The Word of the Lord". An earlier priest in my current parish made no such distinction. My current priest, who is more Protestant, mostly avoids the Apocrypha altogether. I think that represents the range of options pretty well.

In the 1928 BCP, the Apocrypha is included in the daily office lectionary; the lectionary for Morning and Evening Prayer. In that format, the reading would be followed by a canticle. In Continuing churches, it is rare to find the OT read at a service of Holy Communion. The Propers for Holy Communion contain only an Epistle and Gospel lesson.

Many Continuing churches use the Anglican Missal, which supplies an Introit and Gradual Psalm as well.

I am reminded of an occurrence at our clergy retreat last fall. The host had invited some folks from Dallas Theological Seminary to observe (a very Baptist institution). A reading from Ecclesiasticus, which I prefer to call Sirach, come up in the Morning Prayer. The little Baptist contingent was quite confused since they knew Ecclesiastes only has 12 chapters.