Beyond Reading – Advanced Training for Proclaimers of the Word of God

Assemblies recognize the difference between a lector who simply reads and one who truly proclaims the Word of God. They perk up and take special notice when they sense that the lector has worked to get inside the text, to express the meaning authentically, and to draw them into the story. Douglas Leal has spent decades as a lector, lector trainer, actor, and director. He knows how to coach lectors beyond reading so they can become proclaimers of the Word. The conversational, spirited style of the book recreates the sense of a live training session with the author. In a magazine format, with running text surrounded by boxes that focus on a particular subjects and techniques, a tool from the actor’s toolbox, or an encouraging story from the world of acting, the book presents a wealth of wisdom and practical instruction that can carry a lector far beyond basic training. Chapter by chapter, Leal guides lectors to

• Understand their role as sacred storytellers
• Learn how to study the text closely: understand its style; notice its literary devices; consider its context in the Bible, the liturgical year, and the lectionary; use Scripture resources to arrive at its meaning; practice the text; and pray it
• Work with their voice: articulation, tempo, rhythm, pauses, volume, and inflection
• Develop comfort with nonverbal skills: eye contact, posture, and facial expression
• Choose an intention appropriate to the text and responsive to the needs of the community
• Understanding and expressing the true emotional content of the text
• Staying focused on the text, cultivating authenticity and humility, and seeking feedback
• Overcoming nervousness, mistakes, colds, and other unexpected problems
• Developing a plan for practice and preparation