Sermons, songs, welcomes, offerings, prayers, and sacraments are all critical components in the public worship of God. Through these activities God speaks to us, we speak to God, and we speak to one another.
However, nothing in a service of worship compares with the reading of the Scriptures. It is in Scripture that we have the most trustworthy revelation of God and God’s purposes, and it is through reading the Bible aloud that God speaks directly to all the members of a congregation at the same time and in the same way.
Unfortunately, this element is often overlooked or unsatisfactorily delivered in worship. In some churches, reading the Bible is omitted altogether, except perhaps as a prooftext for the pastor’s sermon. In congregations where Scripture reading is a regular activity—such as in churches that follow a lectionary—it is often carried out with inadequate preparation or understanding, and thus is done poorly. This article can do little to address the first shortcoming except to encourage churches to begin a regular reading of Scripture in the service. However, there are strategies that readers can employ to ensure that communication of the Bible’s message in worship is effective and meaningful.
Each strategy below is linked to the purpose of the public reading of Scripture: to help people hear and understand the word of God. This means that the Scripture must be read in such a way that the members of the congregation can both hear it and understand it. There are three keys to making this element of worship more intelligible and significant for the listener.
Practice
The first key to effective reading aloud is practice. Vocal ensembles and instrumentalists often spend hours rehearsing for worship services; many pastors practice their sermons multiple times before they preach them. There is no reason that reading from the Bible should receive any less preparation.
The person doing the reading should be given the passage as soon as possible—several days before the service, at the very least, though a week before is better. This will allow the reader to practice it several times and ensure correct pronunciations of unfamiliar names or words. Practice also allows the reader to find the best pacing and tone of voice. It is critical for the reader to understand what the passage is actually saying so the proper emphases can be given to the text. For example, if not handled carefully, a reading of Luke 2:16 can sound as if Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus were all in the manger: “So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger” (NRSV). The words “Mary and Joseph” should be recited without a break or with only a slight pause after “Mary,” followed by a longer pause between “Joseph” and “and the child lying in the manger” (which should be read without pause) to clarify the meaning.
Practice should be done aloud as well as silently. The passage should be rehearsed in various ways, emphasizing different words or phrases until a particular manner of interpretation is chosen, and then that approach should be thoroughly rehearsed. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect” (though it is actually “perfect practice” that “makes perfect”). For those new to or inexperienced in public speaking, it might be helpful to have the pastor or someone else who reads Scripture effectively listen to the reader sometime during the week and give pointers.
Tempo and Inflection
The second key to effective reading aloud is tempo and vocal inflection. Scripture is often read too quickly, especially by those not accustomed to reading or speaking in public. People can typically read aloud faster than others can hear and comprehend; it takes a few moments for a spoken word to reach the consciousness of a hearer. That lesson was brought home to me the first time I ever preached a sermon: I told a joke and started to move on to the next point; however, the congregation’s laughter came not right after the punchline, but several seconds later. It took that long for the joke’s meaning to sink in. The same principle is true for reading the Bible aloud: It takes time for people to comprehend what has been said. When words are strung together too quickly, they become a blur, and people are apt to tune them out. That is not a good way to treat the word of God! Do not be in a hurry. This is one of the most important parts of a worship service, and it must be given its proper time. Furthermore, the faster one reads, the more chance there is of making a mistake, stumbling over words, or mispronouncing them.
The reader must speak not only at an appropriate speed, but distinctly. Avoid dropping syllables, especially at the ends of words or in what might be considered unimportant words. Each word should be slightly overpronounced and savored in the mouth. Aim for the experience of Ezekiel, who was told to eat a scroll (i.e., consume the word of God) before he was to speak to the people: “Then I ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey” (Ezekiel 3:3, NRSV).
While Scripture should generally be read plainly and forthrightly, not every Bible passage should be expressed in the same way. The tone of the passage should determine the tone of voice and pacing to be used. Psalm 23, for example, will normally be delivered in a tender, comforting voice, probably in a relatively low range and at a slow to moderate tempo. On the other hand, Matthew 27:15–26 (Jesus’ trial before Pilate and the crowd calling for the release of Barabbas) will be more effective if presented slightly faster, in a higher range, and—at least in certain spots—somewhat harshly. Some passages will call for a variety of treatments, such as Mark 4:35–41 (Jesus calming the storm at sea). However, the reader should not go to extremes with these differences in tone or engage in histrionics; it is a matter of degree. Remember, the main priorities are hearing and understanding, and plain speaking is almost always preferable.
Respect
The third key to effective reading aloud is respect—that is, how both the Bible itself and the words it contains are treated. The effectiveness of the reading begins with the way the book is handled physically. Plopping the Bible down on the pulpit or lectern and casually flipping its pages demonstrates a lack of respect for it, which may undermine the effectiveness of the reading. The book should be handled reverently and lovingly. Cell phones, iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and other electronic devices are quite handy and can certainly be used for Bible reading in many contexts, but for presentation in public worship I prefer a physical Bible because it emphasizes the special nature of both the book and the activity. Bibles are set apart and used only as Bibles, whereas electronic devices are used for a multitude of everyday tasks. However, because the typeface in many Bibles is small, it might be helpful to print out the passage, enlarge it to a more readable size, and insert it into the Bible.
Respect for the Bible is also communicated in the way the passage is announced. The Bible reference should be stated clearly, distinctly, and plainly. If the people are expected or invited to follow along in their own Bibles or in a pew Bible, it is important that the announcement be made in the proper order. The first thing the people need to know is the name of the book, then the chapter, and finally the specific verses. Announcing the reading as something like “Today’s gospel reading begins with the first verse in the fifteenth chapter of Luke” has it exactly backward, because people cannot begin looking up the passage until they know the book in which the reading is to be found. After the announcement, the reader should pause long enough for most people to find the passage, then repeat the reference. A typical sequence would be something like this: “Today’s gospel reading is Luke 15, verses 1 through 7, Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep.” Pause, then repeat: “Luke 15, 1 through 7.” Then, after another short pause, begin reading.
Despite careful preparation, it is inevitable that occasionally a mistake or disruption will occur—a word skipped or mispronounced, a cracked voice, a disturbance in the congregation (a crying child or a dropped book). There is no one solution for these situations; however, in general it is best not to try to go back and fix a mistake, but to keep the continuity of the passage. No amount of correction can “fix” a verbal mistake or disruption. Backtracking simply calls more attention to the error and causes a loss of focus in the hearers.
In Isaiah 55:11, God promises that God’s word “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (NRSV). We are privileged to join the Spirit’s work through our public reading of Scripture, so we should undertake this task with care and attention. Through the use of practice, clear speaking, and respect, the reading of Scripture can be a highlight of worship as it fulfills its role as “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow,” and “able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).