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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Resource for Lectors
ST. PAUL’S MISSION: ST. PAUL'S SEEKS TO BE A DIVERSE, GENEROUS AND FAITHFUL COMMUNITY.
We invite all people into a renewed, reconciled and loving relationship with Jesus Christ so that together we can reveal God's joy and love in the world.
WE SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN FOUR WAYS INCLUDING:
CREATING SACRED SPACE & TIME TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S PRESENCE & LOVE
This means w e are a people who . . .
Draw all who enter our church into an experience of God through sacred music and the Anglican liturgical tradition. Provide diverse opportunities for prayer, worship and learning that will meet the needs of a variety of seekers. Share our experiences of God's love with those we meet each and every day, at home, at work, at school and in our neighborhoods.
“…The word of God is, first of all, a spoken word, a ‘word’ spoken to us by God. This is why the ministry of lector is so important to the liturgy.”
Mitch Finley, The Joy of Being a Lector
The Lector’s Role A lector is a lay person who desires to contribute to the Liturgy by reading assigned lessons from the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is a ministry in which you help to create sacred space through proclamation of the Word of God. The reading of Holy Scripture reminds the members of the congregation of the historical and contemporary relationship they have with God. At the core of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist each Sunday is the balance of Word and Sacrament. As lectors bring the community into the experience and presence of
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Christ through the Word, the Celebrant presides over this experience of Christ’s presence during Holy Communion.
Your first responsibility in reading the Word is preparation. What follows are specific ways you can bring reading Scripture to life and have the Word be meaningful to the congregation.
St. Paul’s has adopted an electronic form of scheduling and you will be asked to register and create a user name and password to set up your profile on St. Paul's Web terminal. The profile will have your contact information and your availability for dates and preferences for services. The Administrator of the website will ask you to submit your preferences and dates by a deadline and then send out a schedule via e-mail. As soon as you receive the Lectors’ schedule make sure the scheduled date(s) are put on your calendar. If you are unable to read on your assigned day, you are responsible for finding a substitute and entering the changes on the website.
The assigned reading will be sent from the Parish Office the week of your scheduled reading.
Once you receive the reading, take time to read it, reflecting on context and content and what it means. We strongly suggest that you read the entire Chapter in which the assigned passage is found. You can use online Bible Commentaries to help you understand the different translations of the passage. You can also contact the Coordinator of Lectors or clergy for assistance. If you have questions about pronunciation you can refer to the Harper Collins Pronunciation Guide located in the Sacristy.
Be sure to re-read the passage a few more times until you feel comfortable with your pace and articulation of the passage. Engaging in this practice will enable you to convey the passage with insight and clarity.
Knowing the type of reading will affect how you read. Determine if the passage is narrative, i.e., Genesis, Exodus; poetry, i.e., Psalms, Song of Solomon; Wisdom sayings, i.e., Proverbs; prophecy, i.e., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos; letters, i.e., Romans, Hebrews.
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Ask questions that lead to an understanding of the times and circumstances in which the passage was written; i.e., Who is speaking? When and where were these words spoken? To Whom? Why? The discipline of preparation will nourish your spiritual and prayer life while contributing to the congregation’s experience of worship.
After you have prepared by reading, reflecting and learning about the context of the Scripture, practice reading the passage out loud. This will help you to focus on the Word, enhance understanding of and confidence with the passage, and will increase your ability to connect the congregation to the Word.
Arrangement for practice time and use of the space in the Church has been made on Saturdays at 10:00 A.M.. Your use of this practice time is voluntary unless you are scheduled to read for the first time. Reading from the Bible or an attached e- mail is different from reading from the Lectionary book at the Lectern. If you want to have an experienced Lector listen and coach you please contact the Coordinator of Lectors to make these arrangements.
If you have not practiced on Saturday, arrive early to your scheduled service and check the Lectionary book to make sure that your reading is accurately marked. The Altar Guild usually makes sure of this; however it’s important to have certainty because a Lector in a previous service may have changed the placement of the ribbon that designates the Readings.
Approach the lectern using a normal smooth walking pace and return to your seat in the same manner. If you approach the altar using the middle aisle you may bow or show reverence in some other manner.
Pause before you begin the reading; take a deep breath and speak clearly and distinctly. In using a microphone be sure to position it so it will pick up your
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With a clear voice, introduce the reading with the phrase “A reading from…” Conclude the reading with “The Word of the Lord.” The only exception is if the reading is from the Apocrypha, then the appropriate conclusion is “Here ends the reading.”
Present the reading with depth and richness. Remember that your voice will reflect your understanding and the meaning of the passage. Use intonation, pitch, pacing, and timbre of speech appropriately when reading; avoid being overly dramatic. Make eye contact periodically with the congregation, especially at the beginning of the reading and at the end. If doing this is difficult choose reading with clarity over making eye contact.
Summary
We are grateful that you want to participate in this ministry and for your willingness to accept the responsibilities that come with it. In addition you are expected to attend the bi-annual meetings of the Lectors and Intercessors. There is always a theme and a facilitator, usually Clergy. These meetings reinforce skills, build community, enhance the ministry and provide spiritual enrichment that will make your offering to the Liturgy more impactful.
What makes this Ministry vital is YOU and your commitment to preparing for it. You are being entrusted with a responsibility that is integral to worship. This means that you will do what is necessary to carry out your responsibilities.
Again, if you need assistance we want you to feel comfortable asking for it. When the lectors meet we can share everyone’s ideas about what is helpful and what is needed.
What follows is a list of resources that will help you prepare. If you discover others please let us know so we can share with others.
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“The best advice anyone can give you is to read from your heart, not from your head. Proclaim the Scriptures from your deepest center where God dwells in silence and unconditional love. When you do that, those whose ears the sacred words fall will perceive what they are supposed to perceive: God speaking to them in the silence of their own hearts with a message of unconditional love.”(Finley, p. 59)
Resources
The Books of the Bible are introduced in various ways Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, "A Reading the Book of - Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Ezra, from .... Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations the First Book Samuel, Kings, Chronicles of - the Second Samuel, Kings, Chronicles Book of - the Song of Solomon Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, the Book of Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, the Prophet - Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi the Gospel Matthew, Mark, Luke, John according to - the Acts of the Apostles the Letter of the Romans, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Paul to - Philippians, the Colossians, Titus, Philemon, the letter to - the Hebrews the First Letter the Corinthians, the Thessalonians, Timothy of Paul to - the Second Letter of Paul the Corinthians, the Thessalonians, Timothy to - the Letter of - James, Jude the First Letter Peter, John of -
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the Second Peter, John letter of - the Third Letter of John the Revelation to St. John
Resources – Books and Print Introducing the Lessons of the Church Year. Frederick Borsch with George Woodward, 3rd Edition, Morehouse Publishing, 2009
The Word and Worship Desk Calendar, Paulist Press, 1-800-218-1903 The Joy of Being a Lector, Mitch Finley, Resurrection Press, Williston, New York, 2000
A Lector’s Guide to the Revised Common Lectionary https://www.amazon.com/Lectors-Commentary-Revised-Common- Lectionary/dp/0961811293 Sample: http://blakleycreative.com/jtb/StMarksNet/StMarksPress_LGC- A_sample.pdf
Resources – Online
Note: Some of these links are for Roman Catholic websites; the lectionary readings may not be the same in all cases with the Episcopal Church’s version of the Revised Common Lectionary
Diocese of Saint Augustine: Norms and Guidelines for Lectors http://www.dosafl.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/02/NormsandGuidelinesforLectors2010.pdf
Links to Other Lectionary Websites - catholic-resources.org catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Links.htm
The Lectionary Page: Provides the correct readings for the Episcopal Church version of the Revised Common Lectionary -- http://lectionarypage.net/
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The Text this Week: Provides multiple resources for understanding the scripture readings for each Sunday: http://www.textweek.com/