John Dornheim inquired, in response to my note about a fairly 
common practice in some Episcopal Churches of having the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy
of the Table, each led by different people, 

> Is this treated like Act I and Act II, two seperate Liturgies in which
> there is no crossover of characters? In the Lutheran rubrics (our
> liturgies are basically the same), the assisting (laic or cleric)
> minister and the presiding (ordained) minister share leadership
> responsibilities. 

	The Lutheran Book of Worship service with a presiding pastor and 
an Assistant is the way many Episcopal churches work with a deacon 
assisting. The deacon reads the Gospel, sometimes preaches to it, 
introduces  the Prayers of the People -often led by a lay person - 
administers communion with the celebrant, does the ablutions, and ends 
the service with a dismissal following the celebrant's blessing. That is 
the common practice.

	In some places where there is an assisting priest and the rector 
preaches, the assistant begins the service usually from a chair in the 
chancel, reads the collect, introduces the Prayers of the People if there 
is no deacon, and sometimes pronounces the absolution, bids the peace and 
announcements and offertory sentence. Then the rector puts on the chasuble 
from the altar rail and continues with the Sursum Corda, etc. Both clergy 
administer communion, commonly assisted by lay people.

	This gives the Assistant something to be seen doing at the 
principal service, particularly at Christmas, Easter, and other times 
when the expectation is that the rector will both preach and celebrate.
I have seen this more commonly done when the Assistant is female and the rector male. I don't approve, but I am reporting.


	In most places, one priest preaches and the other presides at the 
whole service. I prefer this as being more consistent with the rubrics and 
with the liturgical tradition.


  Thomas Rightmyer
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