Public Reading of Scripture

"Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhorting, to teaching."
-- I Timothy 4:13

Overall, we have not done a very good job (in my opinion) to include the public reading of Scripture in church assemblies. I guess to some extent we have come to believe that Bible classes and the sermon have served this purpose. In the past we sometimes have a person (usually a teenage male) read the text for the sermon prior to the sermon itself. It might have been more an opportunity to train young men to lead in worship which is a noble cause in and of itself. But I not sure that the public dissection or explanation of portions of Scripture is as powerful and helpful as spending a significant time in public reading of Scripture without explanation.

I wonder why the public reading of Scripture does not have a more prominent part of our weekly corporate worship? I heard of a minister who was on sabbatical last year and spent the time studying at Oxford. He and his family attended a Church of England each Sunday while there. When asked "What was most striking thing about weekly worship?", his reply without even stopping to think about it was "the amount of Scripture that was read during the service." He reported that sometimes upwards to 20 minutes would be devoted to the reading of Scripture. There was even a reading tutor who would in advance instruct and help those who would be reading publically. It was obvious that reading Scripture was considered central to their assembly and that they placed value on doing it well.

It seems that our emphasis when it comes to the reading of Scripture is personal reading. Maybe the encouragement the church needs most is not to be more immersed in private reading, but in how to make Bible reading more a part of the communal life in the church.

How do you think we can incorporate more public reading of Scripture into our services? Perhaps we need more time to listen to the word of God rather than rushing through our services to insure that we get to the sermon?

After all, Acts 2:42 is, in essence, communal and not individually oriented, especially when one reads it in the context of the entire paragraph.

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.