Each day throughout the year, visitors and many staff at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri. participate in a time of prayer and meditation dedicated to the pursuit of peace. Individuals and groups around the globe join in raising their hearts and minds in this same worship by accessing the readings, scriptures and special prayers from the Community of Christ website. As one of the many volunteers who assists with the services in the Temple, it is a real privilege to participate, to experience this special service in a sanctuary dedicated to the pursuit of peace with architecture rich in the symbolism of God's Spirit descending to envelop the earth.

All of this is offered to set the stage. Sometimes, these daily services seem just a bit more meaningful and connect more deeply with those who have gathered. Just a week ago I was part of a prayer for peace service in which the worship leader particularly touched my heart. As I reflected, there were two things she did that made this service special:

1) The person reading text, scriptures, prayers, etc. was attentive to reading the words with sensitivity, pacing breaks between parts of the service to highlight transitions, using her voice inflection with care - not overly emotional but with deep meaning. In other words, she read with the "ear" of a musician.

2) The worship leader didn't just read the prayer for peace for the day; she prayed the prayer.

Since some people always seem to connect with the music of the spoken word within a worship service, I believe we may incorrectly assume that, when reading is part of worship, "some folks have it and some folks don't."

But most any musician can think back to that great teacher who helped her/him develop an ear for pacing, sensitivity to tone and volume, a sense of flow and transition. Can't we help readers develop an ear for these things, too?

I bet we can! We just need a little courage - courage to invite people to try to get better at something they probably assume they already know how to do. We can invite all who read in our worship services to join for a discussion of how to be more effective ministers through the spoken word. Combine careful preparation by studying the text, thoughtful reflection on the musicality of the words, and prayerfully seeking God's blessing to illumine our minds and the result will be a profound blessing for all who come to worship.