GIVE ATTENDANCE TO READING

"What is written in the law? How readest thou?" It is the privilege of a number of brethren to read aloud the word of God in the audience of the people week by week. Our readers are not specially trained men and there are not many of cultured voice and speech. Indeed, the reading of the word of God is not intended to be a piece of dramatic art or mere elocution. It is part of our worship and a deliberate re-sounding of the voice of God in our midst.

For this reason no reading of the word of God should be a casual, matter-of-fact affair. The reader should have a sense of vocation: "Blessed is he that readeth." His mouth is to echo the privilege of the children of God throughout the ages: "Seek ye out the book of the law . . . and read . . . read it in our ears." Let every reader approach his reading with reverence and with an inward prayer.

When the Lord Jesus Christ read in the synagogue at Nazareth, and before he made any comment upon what he had read, the gospel writer adds: "And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him." He had created by his very manner of reading a sense of expectancy. Everyone present felt that the word had something to do with him, and with Him. And herein lies a lesson. The reader is not fulfilling his calling if he fails to deliver the spirit which lies in the word of God.

"Understandest thou what thou readest ?" That is the question for each public reader of the word of God. It is our duty as readers to become acquainted with the word of God. Sometimes, maybe, we are called to read without warning and then there is some excuse for our failure to grasp the fullness of the chapter. But these occasions are few. They should never arise on Sunday at the Breaking of Bread. All of us know the readings for the day and brethren should look through them at home and meditate upon them. The presiding brother should do similarly with the reading for the evening service. Let him ask the speaker early enough, preferably after the morning or afternoon service, what the reading for the lecture will be. If preparation is practised in any work for God we shall do it the better.

Occasionally, it is true, the Authorized Version is obscure in its meaning. If we have doubt whether or not we are conveying the meaning let us look at another version-Weymouth, the Revised Version, the New English Bible, the American Revised, or whatever we have to hand. There is sure to be some help there to guide us into right reading.

When Ezra and his company read the word of God in Jerusalem after the return to the land, it is said: "They read in the book, in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the meaning." Therein is the perfection of reading. It is probably true that Ezra interjected comments here and there to emphasize or make clear the meaning of the word, but we can be sure that much of the object was attained simply by good reading by men who believed what they read. The effect was something that Jerusalem had not seen for many a long day-the whole congregation wept before the Lord and were comforted by the priests. The word of God was alive that day.

A good reader will seek to enlighten and to enliven his hearers.
In addition to the personal faith and prayerful approach of the reader, and his understanding of the message, there are simple rules or hints which will help him to perform his service well.

Let the reader announce the chapter in a clear voice and, generally, wait until others have found the place. Many readings get off to a bad start and, often, speaking brethren lose the force of powerful references, simply by failing to give time for others to look at as well as hear the words. Give your reading a good setting by adequate time, clear announcement of the chapter and a confident beginning to the opening words. By this means many verses of the Bible will speak for themselves and require but little comment by the speaker.

Let us lessen the handicaps which hinder successful reading. A clear Bible, good light and a desk of the right height and slope are what the ecclesia should provide. Knowing the length of the chapter, the nature of the reading and the size of the hall will help the reader to do his part.

A reader must be heard. Not all of us have good voices but a little practice at home will help us to make the best use of our own voice, prevent us from keeping our head too low and thereby sending the sound into the page rather than out into the room, and help us in the simple matter of breathing regularly and properly without sounding out of breath at the end of each verse.

Read at the right speed. Some readers runallthewordstogether and others make ... the ... gaps . . . between . . . words ... too ... long. There should be a flow about our reading as though the very essence of the reading is bearing us along. The pace will vary with the nature of the passage and, somewhat, with the length of the chapter. Try to distinguish the obvious differences in speed between, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" and, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious . . ."

Read with sympathy: beware of mere acting and melodrama. The reading should be reverent but should not lack tone, character and feeling. There should be a distinct difference between reading the words of Jesus himself and the words of those who mocked or despised him. Try to indicate that difference. For those who find it difficult to produce much variation in tone or expression the effect should be achieved by variation in speed or emphasis.

Watch the punctuation. Commas, full stops and other marks are intended to be guides. Make use of them. Perhaps the Elizabethans were a little over generous in the use of commas but sometimes they will prevent our making a major error in reading. Take for example: "And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death." Failure to observe a comma would result in making Jesus a malefactor. The verse says: "Two other (i.e. two others) comma, malefactors . . ." In other words, "two other who were malefactors" and not "two other malefactors in addition to Jesus". It is almost impossible to avoid a blunder such as this without the utmost care. A far better method is to become acquainted with the reading beforehand.

On the other hand the precise, stilted reading where the commas are made to sound more important than the words which lie between them is equally to be shunned.
A device which many readers find most helpful is that of reading ahead. The eye goes on a few words in advance of the voice and thereby the mind is making preparation for a true delivery of the sense. It is not difficult to acquire this useful aid to good reading. Practise it at home.

The Bible contains a wide variety of types of reading-narrative, conversation, poetry, closely reasoned argument, etc. Each of these needs different treatment. Good practice can be obtained by seeking to convey the whole meaning of chapters like Genesis 24 (the servant seeks a wife for Isaac), Genesis 19 : 23-32 (Abraham pleads with God for Sodom), Isaiah 40 (comfort from God), Romans 5 (Paul reasons concerning faith, grace and eternal life). Young brethren particularly would do well to read these aloud at home endeavouring to break through the written page into the hearts of the writers, seeking to be less self-conscious, and above all to be sincere, prayerful and humble, by which all play-acting and reading-for-mere-effect will be avoided.

It used to be a mark of our homes in years gone by, and perhaps is not so much so in these days, to hear the Bible read in company at home. Brethren whose education had been but little and sisters who had scant time for reading in days when housework was a dawn-to-night task, learned to read the Bible effectively. The Bible was their educator in more senses than one. The good sound speech of the word of God passed into the everyday vocabulary and they were all the better for it. Children learned to read the Bible and were often ahead of their fellow pupils at school by this very practice.

Let us not neglect our opportunities, but with the added advantages of this astounding age keep the Book on the tips of our tongues.
Let us capture the air of expectancy and the spirit of privilege, the sincerity of heart and the humility of mind of the One who came to Nazareth where he had been brought up ... "and stood up for to read". 