LECTORING 101 1. Prepare in a quiet place alone. I

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LECTORING 101 1. Prepare in a quiet place alone. I begin with a prayer thanking God for the gift of speaking and seek his guidance in expressing the meaning of His word. 2. Read scripture silently. Understand the message. What’s the mood, tone and setting? What’s the story here? Every story has beginning, middle and end. Where are they? 3. KNOW THE SCRIPTURE! This doesn’t mean memorizing it, it means making it your own. An anchor coach I worked with years ago who also worked with the late Peter Jennings, told me the test should be if she took the paper away, could I tell her about the story. If I truly know the scripture, I should be strongly persuasive in convincing the congregation of its meaning. 4. Read by whispering. This is the first step of engaging the mind with the machinery. The process from silent reading to aloud is training. Get muscles and mouth trained to articulate, pronunciate. 5. Read aloud in normal voice. Look for appropriate pace, phrasing. Therefore… I urge you, brothers and sisters…, in view of God’s mercy… to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God// this is your true and proper worship. //2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world…, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind….Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good…, pleasing…and perfect will.

6. Mark the script! Visual cues are excellent reminders for the eye and mind to follow. 7. Pause for meaning. Sometimes silence as effective as speaking. Throws the ear off by injecting a bit of uncertainty with the mind questioning, “Wait, what’s next? Something’s amiss here, I need to tune in!” Especially important in POP. 8. Day of reading. Good breakfast. Go over reading at home. Drink liquids. Hydrate! Facial exercises. It’s game day! 9. Stand at lecturn well before service with empty church. Get full view so you won’t be shocked when it’s full of eyeballs looking back at you. 10. Say a prayer, Lord, may my voice be your voice. 11. Don’t stand with knees locked. Relax. 12. Take an adequate breath and read with vigor the word of the Lord.

http://betterdaysarecoming.com/bible/pronunciation.html