Church of the Incarnation

There are several steps to reading well in worship:

1. During the week, read over your lesson several times.
1. You can find your reading at http://www.io.com/~kellywp/. Click on the appropriate date and then "RCL" for the Revised Common Lectionary readings.
2. If you're having trouble pronouncing any words, look them up at http://netministries.org/bbasics/bbwords.htm. This site will even pronounce the words for you!
2. On Sunday, arrive in time to check the lectern before the service to be sure your reading is clearly marked.
3. When it's time for your reading, take your bulletin with you and walk to the lectern. Take a deep breath.
4. If you're reading the first lesson:
1. Introduce the reading by saying only "A reading from ___" (insert only the name of the book).
2. Proclaim the reading.
3. End with a brief pause and "the Word of the Lord."
4. Exception: if the first reading is from the Apocrypha (those funny books in the middle that might not be in your Bible at home), end with "Here ends the reading," since not everyone agrees that those belong in the canon of scripture.
5. Introduce the Psalm (its number is in your bulletin):
1. At 8:30, say, "We will read Psalm ___ (give the Psalm number) responsively by whole verse. The Psalm can be found on your bulletin insert." When the paper-flapping begins to subside, proclaim the first verse of the Psalm. At the end of the Psalm, pause and take another deep breath before returning to your seat.
2. At 10:30, say, "The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm ___ (give the Psalm number) found in your bulletin insert." You may then return to your seat to sing the Psalm.
5. If you're reading the second lesson:
1. Introduce the reading by saying only "A reading from ___" (insert only the name of the book. For books with a number in the title, you may say simply First John or, if you're absolutely certain it's a letter, you may say The First Letter of John. This can get tricky, as some are named for who wrote them and some are named for whom they're written to. First John is always safe.)
2. End with a brief pause and "the Word of the Lord."
3. At 10:30, Jenny will announce the Gradual after the Children's Sermon. If you know for sure there is no Children's Sermon, you may say, "The Gradual is hymn number ___ (say hymn number - it's in your bulletin)."
4. Gather your papers and return to your seat.
6. Go home knowing you've played a vital role in making worship at Incarnation special for so many people.