In today's wedding, something similar happened, and I was told to go back home.
Somebody Took Your Job and Threw You Out
The wedding was in the afternoon. I slept a little and woke up to prepare. After taking a shower, I readied myself and took off towards the church, being the scheduled commentator for the wedding.
Imagine my surprise when after arriving at the church, Nadya the lector-scheduler told me that somebody was already the commentator.
I was told that Sharon, another lector, was asked by the entourage to be the commentator for the wedding.
Apparently, Nadya was not informed of this. I just called Nadya in the morning to confirm the wedding and she didn't mention anything about me being replaced.
Yeah, no notice whatsoever.
I saw Sharon readying herself at the lectern. She's all dressed-up and quite early. So yup, this decision that she become commentator didn't happen just today.
It sort of felt like someone made a move and threw you out of the mat.
In fairness to Nadya, she was very apologetic about the incident. After all, she didn't know about the planned switch (whoever planned it).
Quite sure that there's nothing else for me to do there, I just went home.
How Was the Wedding
Two hours later, I called Nadya to ask how the wedding went. As I half-expected, there were blunders.
Here's one blunder: It is not up to the commentator to lead the Apostle's Creed, which Sharon did. Some priests prefer it, some don't. So if it were me, I would just leave it up to the officiating wedding priest to lead if he prefers it.
See, this is what experience teaches. You can't put any commentator on the lectern and expect him or her to rely on the wedding program script for a smooth proceeding of the wedding. There has to be a semblance of mastery of the sequences of the wedding program.
Was Sharon a regular wedding commentator? Not so, according to Nadya who assigns the task to the lectors. I suppose when Nadya took over as the wedding commentator scheduler, Nadya has pulled out of the wedding commentator assignments.
I do remember in a wedding a long time ago when Sharon weaseled out of the commentator task in a wedding where the groom sang.
Learning: Defer to the Scheduler
In a previous wedding, a godparent of the wedding couple asked me to be the wedding commentator. I advised her that I didn't know the wedding commentator already assigned for them.
Even if I wanted to, I know that a commentator is scheduled and so I defer that to the scheduler.
As it turned out, I happened to be the commentator for them. So all is well and good.
The point is, it is not up to me to simply take somebody else's scheduled service even if the wedding party requested me. I will seek permission first from the scheduler.
That is what I mentioned to Nadya for my being upset. Sharon could have practiced prudence and notified Nadya her preference to be the commentator. That way, Nadya could have told me ahead of time that I need not prepare and show up at the church.
It is a big waste of time and effort for me, the original scheduled commentator, to go there and be told, unceremoniously, to turn back and go home.
