New Articles from ScotsWelcome to Scots Church
At first glance...
I can pick out a tune on my recorder, and teach myself to sing it. With a lot of practice I can even begin to play the tune moderately well. I’d never even consider playing in Sunday worship.
By contrast, I have a friend who can sight read music; the first verse is impressive, the second verse is “Surely he practiced this!”
I can sight read text. Give me a bible reading, unprepared , and I’ll do it well, adding expression as I go. It’s easy... except for many people, it is not. We who prepare worship know this well. People need time to practice the readings before the service. Reading in worship is hard work, and stressful.
What’s my point? When we print a liturgy in the news sheet, or throw it up on the wall, we are asking people to sight read. Essentially, we are asking them to do the Bible reading without notice.
And, we are asking them to do the Bible reading, without notice, in unison with twenty or fifty other people. It’s no wonder responsive readings sometimes sound like a verbal version of Brown’s cows! Read on >>>>