Ship of Fools: RCL readings published in various places don't match. Do you know why?

Thread: RCL readings published in various places don't match. Do you know why? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by PentEcclesiastic (# 12098) on :

I was recently having a discussion with our parish secretary and our curate about the Sunday Eucharistic readings. She told our curate that she pulls the readings from the softcover, RCL Readings and Collects book published by St. Mark's Press (an episcopal church). She sometimes pulls the readings from lectionarypage.net. She then told us that sometimes the readings in those two places do not match. Meaning, they have the same pericope, but wording is quite different. When compared to the readings book that on our lectern (published by Morehouse), we found instances of three similar but different wordings from the same pericope. Has anyone an explanation?

[ 28. April 2015, 14:35: Message edited by: PentEcclesiastic ]

Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :

Do you refer to differences in translation (e.g., New Revised Standard in one resource and New King James in another), or do you refer to the books and verses that are prescribed for the given day (such as the difference between RC and UM readings during Lent)?

Posted by Fr Weber (# 13472) on :

Sort of undercuts the whole "Common" part, doesn't it?

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by PentEcclesiastic:
She then told us that sometimes the readings in those two places do not match. Meaning, they have the same pericope, but wording is quite different. When compared to the readings book that on our lectern (published by Morehouse), we found instances of three similar but different wordings from the same pericope. Has anyone an explanation?

Different translations/versions? The Morehouse lectern book may be older and use RSV, but I believe the Lectionary Page uses NRSV.

Posted by Oscar the Grouch (# 1916) on :

When in doubt, we usually refer to this page. The readings are from the NRSV.

Having moved from the UK to Canada, I am "appreciating" afresh the C of E's cack-handed way of implementing (or not) the Revised Common Lectionary. More than once, I have almost tripped up over situations when the readings in the RCL are different from the C of E's version (and I have a lot of resources which are are UK-oriented).

I'm not saying that the RCL is perfect, but the C of E's perpetual insistence that "we know best" is one of the things I really don't miss.

Posted by PentEcclesiastic (# 12098) on :

Upon further investigation, I have surmised that the readings printed and published by St. Mark's Publishing has only copied the text as printed in the NRSV. What the NRSV says, this bound copy of readings mirrors it exactly.

Example
NRSV: "The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem (6) with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family."

St. Mark's Publishing: "The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem (6) with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family."

That leaves me with the conundrum of various wordings between sources published by Church Publishing and Lectionarypage.net. The 1979 BCP states: "In the opening verses of the Lessons, the Reader should omit initial conjunctions which refer only to what has preceded. . .(BCP, 888). In essence, the Reader must give the appointed reading context in the opening verse in cases where context is not readily apparent in the approved reading.

This would certainly account for the difference of wording in the opening verses of Acts 4:5 (Proper for Easter 4B). What I still can't account for is why the re-wording isn't consistent.

Example
Church Publishing: "The rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, (6) with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family."

Lectionarypage.net: "The day after they had arrested Peter and John for teaching about Jesus and the resurrection, the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, (6) with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family."

TL; DR I think I answered my own question, but I still don't know why the wording is different...

Posted by PentEcclesiastic (# 12098) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

Different translations/versions? The Morehouse lectern book may be older and use RSV, but I believe the Lectionary Page uses NRSV.

The lectern book was published in 2007, St. Mark's Press book published in 2001. The lectern book, St. Mark's book and lectionarypage.net (the latter two are frequently used by staff to print readings and collects) purport to use the NRSV.

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Oscar the Grouch:

I'm not saying that the RCL is perfect, but the C of E's perpetual insistence that "we know best" is one of the things I really don't miss.

Gosh. I was thinking my irritation with Second Before Lent etc, was due to Roman prejudice.

Posted by Offeiriad (# 14031) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Oscar the Grouch:

I'm not saying that the RCL is perfect, but the C of E's perpetual insistence that "we know best" is one of the things I really don't miss.

I think you'll find that virtually every denomination/Province/whatever - Anglican or not! - that has officially adopted 'RCL' has felt the need to tinker with details of it.

I'm not sure if it is the result of 'auntie knows best', or whether the world has a surfeit of underemployed liturgists... [Devil]

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Tell me where the URC has or the Methodist Church.

Jengie

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

The Methodist Recoprder has notes on the upcoming lectionary readings each week.

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Yes I know both the Methodist Church and URC encourage congregations to use the RCL, but I want to know if there is any evidence of them changing the readings as denominations.

Jengie

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

I would say churches that use the RCL actually follow the suggested texts 90 percent of the time. There are slight variations based on the theology of the denomination or the different feast days or commemorative days

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