Youth Lector

At every parish I served as vicar or rector the past thirty years, the young people had active roles participating in worship. We trained them to be at ease before a group and they served as Lectors, reading one of the Bible lessons on Sunday mornings. My first Youth Lector was a little girl of ten who was not yet tall enough to see over the Bible, so when she was reading I put a box in the pulpit for her to stand on. The Youth Lectors always read beautifully and confidently. 

Those who wanted to do so and showed appropriate maturity and bearing, when they turned sixteen, I trained to be Eucharistic Ministers, serving a chalice on Sunday mornings. Nearly every parish has young people who are capable and enjoy doing these things in addition to or instead of being acolytes. 

During the summer at Holy Nativity, there will be opportunities for members of the Youth Group who wish to do so, to serve as a Sunday morning Lector. The first will be June 24th, when we are scheduled to have a baptism at the ten-thirty service. Aptly that morning, the Lectionary reading is from First Samuel chapter 17, the story of David and Goliath. And we already have a Youth Lector, a young man who has stepped forward confidently. His mother is nervous about it; but he will have a session with me ahead of time, for instruction and practice, and he will do beautifully!

Meantime, hope to see everyone in church this morning.

TomW+