Guidelines for the public reading of Scripture

Preparation

• If you cannot fulfil your duty please indicate via Planning Center Services.
• Please prepare using a Christian Standard Bible.
• Read and re-read the passage for understanding.
• Read the bit before and after the passage for context.
• Think about the genre (poetry, narration, law).
• Think about who is speaking (God, a prophet, Paul).
• Think about who is the audience (Israel, a crowd, a church).
• Think about how the author wants to affect his audience (trust, repent, shock).
• Convey meaning by adding feeling. It is possible to overdo this and end up with a dramatic reading drawing attention to yourself, not God’s Word. So be careful.
• You can use volume, speed and tone to vary your reading. Increase volume for anger, surprise, disgust, judgment, or warning. Decrease volume for suspense or fear. Speed can emphasize excitement or urgency. Decrease the tone of sadness or disappointment.
• Pauses help listeners make sense of blocks of thought, group ideas and introduce a new idea. It is hard to over-emphasize the importance of pauses. Mark them in your Bible if that helps.
• In public reading you need to exaggerate pronunciation a little. Hard consonants like B, G, D, K, P and T can get lost without a bit of extra emphasis.
• If your passage has difficult names make sure you know how to pronounce them. Sound confident when you read them. Never smile or joke if you get it wrong.
• Prepare a summary of this week’s reading of 25-40 words. This should be submitted to the BBC Scripture Readers WhatsApp group before Saturday, 12:00pm, for review.
• The dress code for those who serve up front is smart casual. Men wear a collared, buttoned, long-sleeved, plain shirt with no pattern. Dress pants or chinos. No tie. No jacket while on stage.
• Ask God in prayer to use you as you serve Him, and His people.

Before the service

• Please arrive no later than 9:00am for the 9:30am service.
• Inform the worship leader that you are present when you arrive.
• Please attend the pre-service run-through in the meeting room.
• Straight after the pre-service run-through is a prayer meeting at the same location.
• Be seated 5 minutes before the service.
• Be seated in such a way as to minimise distraction when you come up.
• Anticipate coming up just before you’re called.
• Come up to stage about 2 meters to the left or right of the pulpit to avoid the stage monitors.

Before the reading

• Do not tamper with the podium.
• You will speak into the podium mic.
• Do not test the mic by blowing into it.
• Do not put your hands into your pockets.

The reading

• Make sure you make eye contact with the congregation.
• Always use the version of the Bible that will be preached from. Our default is the Christian Standard Bible.
• Give the Bible reference, “Today’s reading is James chapter 5, verses 1-12.” Repeat it.
• Allow a long enough pause for everyone to find the passage.
• During the pause, read your 25-40 word summary of the reading.
• Before you read, say, “If you have questions about the reading, come and speak to me, an elder, or pastor Mark.”
• When reading open your mouth wide. Imagine yourself speaking without a microphone.
• Read the Word observing commas, full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks.
• Don’t read the headings, or notations (such as Selah or who the author may have been in the Psalms).

After the reading

• Say, “This is God’s Word.”
• Pause, and look at the congregation, expecting them to reply, with you, “Amen.”
• Walk back to your seat.

How does the public reading of Scripture feel?

• Authoritative.
• Sincere.
• To some extent the mood of the reading should match the mood of the passage without dramatizing the reading.

More from this series

The elements of worship

Guidelines for serving