When I read Scripture with a group, I remember why we need to hear the Word of God and not just read it. Diverse voices bring out different aspects of the text, lending it color and nuance and texture. The practice of reading Scripture aloud in the assembly of the faithful goes back thousands of years – it was already a feature of weekly worship when Jesus began his ministry. In fact, he was a lector:
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
The shock of what happened next we’ll leave for tomorrow; today, let’s focus on reading scripture aloud. Hearing the Word read is yet one more way the revelation of God is mediated through human beings, which happens at each stage of scripture’s development. People were inspired by God, told and retold, shaped and reshaped stories about their encounters with God, wrote down those stories and received teachings, collected and shaped those writings, and translated those collections. Countless human beings were involved at each of those stages, making the Bible a rich tapestry of ideas and enthusiasms – as well as distortions.
And each time we hear a passage of Scripture read, it is mediated through the intellect and voice of another person, giving it new life and new interpretations. Just try reading a passage aloud, emphasizing the verbs, and then read it again emphasizing the pronouns. You’ll get two very different readings.
God's Word comes through differently when we hear it rather than just reading it for ourselves. I recommend that you read it aloud even when alone, just to hear the cadence of the words, the way the ideas go together or seem to clash, the wit and wisdom that are often to be found just below the surface. Just as can happen when we read poetry aloud, we often find scripture easier to understand when we hear it.
The ministry of reading Scripture in church is that of an aqueduct – a vessel carrying the Living Water to the people. I invite lectors to read as if they are reading a bedtime story. That day in the synagogue, Jesus was the Living Water. We carry him as we read his stories to each other.
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