Confessional Anglicanism has always had an extremely high regard for the wide reading of God's Word, throughout the week, and notably in their services. The divine services suffuse the worship. Here, Bishop Robert Forsyth of Australian, reflects on the issue.
http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/news/communion/the_marginalisation_of_scripture/
The marginalisation of Scripture
Bishop Robert Forsyth
October 14th, 2009
At an Induction Service the other night, the acting rector made a comment that struck me “For us Anglicans, the reading of the Bible aloud in church is a very special moment”.
It got me thinking of a lecture given by Oliver O’Donovan in April this year, “The Reading Church: Scriptural Authority in Practice” which was a reflection on the clause in the Jerusalem Declaration that said
We believe that the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of God written and to contain all thinking necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense with respect for the church’s historical and consensual reading.
O’Donovan rightly noted that very few people have commented on these words. And, introducing his book of theological reflections on the homosexual crisis in our Church, (A Conversation Waiting to Begin: the Churches and the Gay Controversy’ SCM Press, 2009) he does just that in his usual, profound, if somewhat difficult to follow, way.
But it was the concept of the place of the reading of Scripture in church that got me. It can be easily be overwhelmed by the other elements: the music, the singing or, even more likely in our culture, the preaching.
In fact, preaching the word of God, explaining the Bible, or giving a sermon (what ever it is called) is important but it is not quite the same as hearing God’s word read in the middle of a congregation gathered.
For O’Donovan the reading of Scripture is an expression of the authority of God in our church. In particular, the authority of God which limits and challenges our own ideas and piety and imagination and dreams. He writes,
All authority arises from mediation of reality. The free imagination and ranging purposes of the human mind are brought to heel by an interruption of something that simply and unnegotiably is the case. And the authority of Scripture is the moment at which the attested reality of God’s acts disturb the ideal constructions and zealous projections of human piety. Those who are anxious about the church’s weakening attachment to Scripture do not anticipate a loss of piety, but a rank growth of it; they fear the promiscuous multiplication of religious images in which history and fantasy are blended in equal measure, in which Star-Trek and Jesus are equally apt for our devotion.
In fact, in this particular contemporary culture, the public reading of Scripture in church, which is the way in which the authority of Scripture is acknowledged, is even more crucial as O’Donovan points out.
The practices that acknowledge the authority of Scripture in the church arm it against the greatest danger of a culture that declares itself “post-modern”, the loss of a sense of difference between image and reality.
Scripture is not just a matter of “private reading the Bible for yourself”. There is a sense in which it gives the church gathered (and also I suppose the church understood as the society over time) its identity. That’s the moment at which the nature of the church is more clearly revealed.
It is simply that without a proper value assigned to the corporate exercise of public reading of Scripture, private reading must look like an eccentric hobby. No collective spiritual exercise, no sacrament, no act of praise or prayer is so primary to the catholic identity of the church gathered as the reading and recitation of Scripture. It is the nuclear core. When Paul instructed his letters to be passed from church to church and read, it was the badge of the local church’s catholic identity. This is not to devalue preaching, praise, prayer, let alone sacramental act; these all find their authorisation in reading.
O’Donovan notes that this is, as the acting rector at my induction service the other day had also noted, a crucial Anglican issue, although he regards, at least in England, something having gone wrong.
Here we are on classic Anglican ground. Fifty years ago Stephen Neill, in identifying the elements that characterised Anglican Christianity, named as the first of these “the biblical quality by which the whole warp and woof of Anglican life is held together...The Anglican Churches read more of the Bible to the faithful than any other group of Churches. The Bible is put into the hands of the layman; he is encouraged to read it, to ponder it, to fashion his life according to it.” That these words would be wholly impossible to write today ought to sober us.
Would these words be wholly impossible to write today about Sydney Anglicans also?
One of our problems is, of course, what to read. So often the sermon series is the quite lengthy large tail which waves the small Scripture-reading dog. And probably fair enough, although the lack of other readings and the submersion of the public reading of Scripture into simply serving the sermon should be a worry. One of the problems is that we don’t know quite what to do about consistent reading of Scripture given our contemporary church practices, as O’Donovan notes
To build a pastorally effective lectionary for congregations with more varied and haphazard worshiping habits is a difficult task, and I should have thought it deserved more of our common attention than it has in fact received.
However, for me one of the greatest problems is how poorly Scripture reading is done. O’Donovan notes ironically a rather sad, if well-intentioned, reason for the collapse of public reading of Scripture in church.
There is another requisite for the public reading of Scripture beside the lectionary, seemingly even less attended to, and that is a public reader. A task once confined to the clergy has now largely been made over to lay members of the congregation, but far from dignifying lay ministry, this has, on the whole, merely marginalised a task on which a great deal in the act of worship depends.
To be frank, I am uneasy about the common practice of reading from the Bible as well encouraging the listeners to follow on in a printed text let alone, having the text up in from of everybody on an overhead screen. It is well intentioned but probably counterproductive. I believe there is good scientific evidence that reading and hearing the same thing at once, especially on a long text, is much more difficult to understand and remember than just doing one or the other. (It has something to do with the small size of our short-term working memory.) When I draw attention to how distracting it is, especially having a large text on the wall in front of us, I am often told, “We had to do it”. Why? “Well, because it is the only way we can understand the readings.” How about reading it well in the first place?
I may just be overly grumpy, or old, or a bishop at this point, but I do think it is time to recover what we could call the catholic identity of our churches by making the public reading of Scripture the profound and effective moment as we are gathered together.
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Peter Smith 1 week, 5 days ago
I concur wholeheartedly with what you are saying Rob. THE MOST WONDERFUL Anglican activity of reading Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle and Gospel has been buried- for the worst. I can't understand why a Diocese like yours, that champions the word of God so wonderfully, does not follow this most cherished and wholesome essential Anglican tradition.Please encourage your Archbishop to introduce a lectionary that includes at least three of the readings weekly and then urge the whole diocese to follow in sync. A motion at synod that legislates the systematic reading of Scriptures by licensed Bible readers who are skilled in oratory should be endorsed. I reckon it would be worth trying for a year and then getting feedback to see the results! Imagine that! The whole diocese following the most wholesome pattern.
...to be short, there is nothing that more maintaineth godliness of the mind, and driveth away ungodliness, than doth the continual reading or hearing of God's word, if it be joined with a godly mind, and a good affection to know and follow God's will (Tommy C 1st AB Canterbury)
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Braden James Compton 1 week, 5 days ago
Rob thank you for sharing publically what so many of us have thought privately. As a relative youngster, let me assure you that your observation is neither "overly grumpy or old". It is, I would argue, critical for the wellbeing of our churches. While I would be powerfully opposed to both synodical legislation of readings and synodical licensing of readers (as Peter suggests), I am equally determined that something must be done.Obviously, at a minimum, we need to provide some training for those who would read in public. The problem with this (now it's my turn to be grumpy!) is that so few of our clergy are able to read proficiently, let alone train others to do the same! Having said that, in my experience there are usually a couple of seniors in each congregation who are quite skilled in this department (praise God for gifting us with such!). If it were up to me, I'd be approaching one of these to develop a short training course and one-on-one tutoring programme, via which all potential readers must come. Of course, you’re going to get more mileage out of this by training your clergy, bible study, youth and children's leaders as well. After all, from whence have the atrocious habits we hear each week come, except those who have modelled them to us in the first place?!
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Brett Slavin 1 week, 5 days ago
A good resource for Bible readers is Clifford Warne: The Art of Reading Aloud, which can be found as a MP3 download in the SA audio section. Our Ministry staff recently held a training for Bible readers on how to read out loud effectively and Clifford's talk is very useful.
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Allan Dowthwaite 1 week, 5 days ago
Clifford's talk can be found here.
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Chris Little 1 week, 5 days ago
Braden, why would you be 'powerfully opposed' to such legislation? (Note, I ask as someone not in Sydney nor in an Anglican church.)I take it that Sydney Diocese churches understand why child protection practices, for instance, are legislated diocese-wide. Why not something as important as Bible reading?
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Ian Tyrrell 1 week, 4 days ago
@Allan, that's a fantastic talk.Thanks for the link!
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Peter Smith 1 week, 4 days ago
Chris, I don't really think leglislation is the answer, but a debate on the matter would be worth having. I reckon a new party should be launched to promote the reading of the Scriptures. Call it the Anglicans for Reform and go flat out promoting classic Anglicanism. It is also worth remembering that in many parts of the Anglican communion the Scriptures are read much more extensively than in some Sydney parishes but people are just as biblically illiterate because the sermonette that follows undermines the reading. BUT at least, if there is a famine in the pulpit there is still a feast to be had from the readings!
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Chris Little 1 week, 4 days ago
Thanks Peter (you seem to be arguing both sides of the fence, though. Stop confusing me!)I think I'm genetically predisposed against legislation. But I know that it would be a weak argument for me to say, 'I don't like that idea.' Anyway, perhaps there's good enough legislation already - it might be that the need for readers to be licensed should be enforced, with the requirement of initial & regular training.
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Stephen Noel Howes 1 week, 4 days ago
A few practical tips to implement effective public reading:- When a narrative passage is set, get different readers to read the parts for each character. e.g. in the account of Jesus meeting Bartimaeus you could have 3 people reading the parts of Jesus, of Bartimaeus and of the Narrator.The Bible passage can be easily edited on your computer to separate the different characters and perhaps print each part in a different font.The 3 readers should take a few minutes to rehearse their reading at least once before the service.- Rectors should EXPECT a high standard of effective reading. Use the very practical little book published by Harry Cotter a few yeara ago.- At CMS Summer Schools etc get the Chair to appoint effective readers well beforehand, using several readers where appropriate. - Study the readers on "Play School"(!) and listen carefully to how they use their voices to read to children.
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Sandy Grant 1 week, 4 days ago
At our congregations, with very rare exceptions, we always have Old Testament and New Testament readings; and at 8am, we have OT, Epistle and Gospel. We do this by conviction of the importance of hearing from old and new covenants! However it's perfectly fine to depart from those excellent patterns - so long as the Scriptures are publicly read one way or another - as we are not under law!Further, although I like to hear Bible readings well read, I think we can take the call for excellence in the task too far. E.g. what about about our 93 year old elderly gentleman whose speech is now a bit slurred and who mucks up a few words, but reading the Scriptures aloud has been part of his service at church for years, and he sees it as part of his contribution to worship. He was devastated when his name did not appear on the roster for the term (because we had a surplus of readers) and thought he'd been dropped. And the rest of the 8am-ers can cope with his less than eloquent reading with the occasional unintelligible word. Ditch him from the roster?What about the Pacific Islander, who has served as a Bible translator there for many years, and reads the Bible well, but with a fairly thick accent which some find difficult? Ditch her too? What about the working class person who does not read aloud so well, but whose presence up front says something about who is welcome to participate? What about the teenager who rattles it off a bit too quickly because of nerves?
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Sandy Grant 1 week, 4 days ago
I reckon this is why I heard the Archbishop musing at a clergy conference that we can be a bit too precious about whom we let read the lessons! Yes, let's train and encourage excellent readings. But let's not be too elitist about it.
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Peter Smith 1 week, 4 days ago
Good point Sandy. You have the heart of a pastor and I am glad to hear that the tradition of the Cathedral carries on in regard to Bible reading.
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Michael Robinson 1 week, 4 days ago
Let's be fully inclusive and get even more people up front doing stuff... most people can bash out chopsticks or heart and soul on the piano or strum 3-4 chords on a guitar. Maybe we could get them to play the organ or lead the singing on a regular basis... The music might not be that helpful, but at least we've got people involved. OK, I'm kidding! I don't want to be elitist about ministries, but we also want people to serve where they are gifted and skilled. I fully appreciate your pastoral quandary, Sandy, but the perhaps the reason so many people don't read the Bible at home is because they'd heard it read badly at church. When it is read poorly, the Scripture becomes a meaningless burr. When read well with people listening (and as Robert suggests) without following in their own Bibles, God's Word springs to life! It takes understanding and skill to achieve that... now I'm sounding like Clifford Warne! The reason for that is I heard his MTC lectures on reading out loud several times when I worked with him at Anglican Television. I have his lecture notes and am willing (if I can carve out the time) to come and train Bible readers at churches around the traps. (I cover most of Clifford's material in 2 two hour sessions.) PM me if you're interested in doing something next year.
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Peter Smith 1 week, 4 days ago
I heard the great Clifford Warne's lectures and was entrhalled. Will you come over to Perth Michael.
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Donald Own Howard 1 week, 4 days ago
A quote by Peter De Salis in "Preach or Perish" says it all: "I would cheerfully exchange all else in a service for intellligent and spiritually sensitive reading of Scripture, but in no respect am I more regularly disappointed." -- Bishop Donald Robinson
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Sandy Grant 1 week, 3 days ago
I have been thinking a bit more about this. Please hear me. I attended Clifford's lectures and benefitted from them. I have run "How to read the Bible aloud" seminars for people at church, using his and other resources. And I am careful about who can read the Bible publicly. I would not have our 93 y.o. read it at the other congregations, where he is not well known, or where there are lots of visitors, nor at 8am at Christmas time. And sometimes I offer those who read feedback about areas they might improve. But tell me exactly where in the Bible does it say the Scriptures have to be read aloud publicly to a certain (in this conversation) high standard of spoken (English) excellence?The NT (e.g. 1 Corinthians 1-2) give us certain pause about a stress on rhetorical excellence in preaching (without denying some place to the importance of lovingly crafting your message, so people can easily hear and follow and understand and digest). I am suggesting there could be a little parallel caution about too high a stress on rhetorical excellence in public reading of Scripture.
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Michael Robinson 1 week, 3 days ago
@Peter: sure... make me an offer!@Sandy: I don't want "rhetorical excellence". I simply want the Scriptures read clearly and with understanding so that the the meaning is clear to the hearer. Slovenly, unprepared, unskilled reading of the Scriptures doesn't honour the Spirit who breathed them. But in answer to your question, I suspect we can learn from the example of Ezra and his Levites as well as Paul's instruction to Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of scripture (which I presume involved time and effort).As far as "spoken (English)" is concerned, is it not a thing plainly repugnant to the word of God to conduct any part of the public gathering of God's people in a tongue not understanded of the people? :-)I think we are on the same page (so to speak); it may simply be a matter of degree.CheersMichael
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Dianne Howard 1 week, 3 days ago
Reading the Bible publicly...with understandingfor understandingDi
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Donald Owen Howard 1 week, 3 days ago
Paul endorses the importance of Scripture in services when in I Timothy 4:13 he commmends "public reading and exhortation". Bishop Ryle came to Christ through hearing Ephesians read in church. Perhaps we ought also to reclaim the grand Reformation heritage of congregational participation in reading the Psalms.Donald Howard
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Peter Smith 1 week, 3 days ago
In my younger days (70's and 80's) I found the reading of the Psalms together a doleful experience because it sounded contrived. I also did not know what they were on about. However, I now delight in reading them corporately in church because I understand better and it is the tradition of my local culture. Working out how to read Scripture and respond with Scripture (ie training the congregation to think God's thoughts after him) without making it feel contrived is no mean feat. I would like to hear how others have worked out how to do this classic Anglican activity in fresh ways.
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Michael Jensen 1 week, 3 days ago
I would be perfectly happy with a bit of elitism when it comes to reading the Bible aloud. It is too often the bone we toss people who we want to get involved in some way up the front. It's the word of God! It needs to be honoured, doesn't it? I would advocate a small rota of specially-trained people who see reading the Bible aloud in church as their particular ministry and so seek to work on it. You know, practice and that. Aussies have to work a bit harder I think than the poms on this. It was really noticeable to me when I was in the UK that the ability of people to read in a clear and interesting voice without mumbling or stumbling far exceeds what we have locally. There was a time when even the students at Moore were read the Bible in chapel in a slapdash and disinterested way. But our Kappelmeister Greg Anderson has really worked with the students to improve this, and I am pleased to say we are almost always now well-served. And we seem to manage two readings and a Psalm in each service.
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Robert Denham 1 week, 2 days ago
8am Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle and Gospel .9.30am Old Testament, New Testament.Part of our discipleship program ("Learn to Serve") is teaching how to read the Bible out Loud, using Clifford's material, & another on how to pray out loud (written by Dan Henby) as well.
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Philip Cooney 6 days, 18 hours ago
Robert, I support whole-heartedly the sound and effective reading of Scripture. This requires preparation to understand the text, the flow of the sentence structure and the CORRECT pronunciation of words. Even then I'm sorry to say that even the high-profile ordained readers at public events such as CMS Summer School sometimes leave something to be desired. Even if a systematic lectionary is not followed, it is so helpful to understanding the unity of Scripture to have a related reading from the other Testament and something from Psalms or Proverbs (preferably without introducing it as Psalms 1 verse 1.) I'm interested in your scientific evidence for not reading at the same time as hearing. Teachers are taught that combining visual and auditory information is helpful for students. I know one teacher who always shows DVDs with the subtitles for educational reasons. Perhaps it's the trying to follow on the screen that is the problem.
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Michael Robinson 6 days, 16 hours ago
@ Phil. Technically reading (although it uses the eyes) is still auditory. The brain "sounds" out the words, apparently, so the reader listener gets two audio tracks at the same time. Visual would be pictures rather than words. Tomorrow I'll track down an article that explains it better. (I'm enjoying Synod at the moment!) Also, when a text is read well, communicating the meaning of the text, reading along sometimes spoils careful pauses and other vocal tools. (You don't read along with a professional presentation of a Shakespeare play!
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Philip Cooney 5 days, 18 hours ago
Thanks Michael. I've been discussing this with some colleagues. We'll be interested to see what the article says.
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Dannii Willis 5 days, 12 hours ago
I've been practising listening better... I now avoid reading along with the Bible readings at church. It is especially distracting when you have a different translation than the reader!I'm also in support of public Bible reading training courses. I did one a few years ago and found it very helpful.But whatever the circumstances, it's always a great joy when someone reads the Bible passionately and well. :)
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