Guidelines for Liturgists

Thanks for being one of our liturgists! We are so grateful for your help leading God’s people in worship through the Word and prayer. We want to provide support for you as you engage in this important role, so below please find some guidance and encouragement (and hopefully answers to a few questions).

On Reading Scripture

The public reading of God’s Word is an important part of every worship service, as we hear God speak to us. The power of the Word comes not from the reader but from its God-given authority and the Holy Spirit’s work in applying it to our hearts. However, we are called to steward Scripture reading well. Below are a few general instructions and then answers to a few specific questions. 

In general, in reading Scripture, you should…

  • Read the passage prayerfully beforehand, out loud, so that you won’t stumble over unfamiliar words or phrases.

  • If the congregation is not standing, you can invite them to stand in honor of God’s Word. Usually the person doing the prior element of the service will already have done this.

  • While it is fine to use a printout to actually read from, we would encourage you to bring a Bible with you up front to remind people of the source of what you are saying.

  • Invite the congregation to read along, either in their Bibles or on the screen. Inform them that the reading is from “the book of X, chapter Y, starting in verse Z” or something similar. If the reading is part of an ongoing series, you can also first say something like “This morning, we are continuing our series through A.”

  • Read the passage in a way that is clear and engaging, not too fast, and not in an overly performative manner.

  • Ask the congregation to be seated and join you in prayer.

Common Questions:

What if I don’t know how to pronounce a certain name?

You can always look it up online or ask Pastor Eric if you realize beforehand that you need help with pronunciation. That said, don’t stress about it—ultimately, the correct way to pronounce some unfamiliar Greek or Hebrew word is “confidently.” This isn’t a test of your obscure language familiarity; those reading along will know what you mean.

What do I read, specifically?

Do NOT read the italic chapter headings in your Bible (those weren’t part of the original text.) Do NOT feel the need to highlight chapter or verse changes, UNLESS there is a section you are skipping over (for instance, because the sermon includes two texts). DO read the superscriptions in Psalms (i.e. “For the choirmaster, a psalm of David,”), the word “Selah,” the word “Amen,” and similar features, as they are in the original text.

On Public Prayer

What you are leading in the time of prayer after the Scripture reading is a time of offering prayers of the people of Grace on behalf of the church as a whole. You are not in a position of authority, instruction, or performance; you are simply representing God’s people as one of them as we together bring our requests before God. It is good for you to do this in a way that is natural and represents your own voice in prayer. Don’t imitate some other person’s approach; instead, talk to God the way you would talk to Him in private. However, since you are helping others to pray with you, it is important to give some thought to what you will be praying for and shape your prayers in ways that serve everyone present.

Within the prayers of the people, you are offering both thanksgiving and intercession for our church, our community, and the world as a whole. This can include the following elements. You should not try to cover every one of them every Sunday, but should choose from among them as you plan your prayer:

  • A specific ministry or event at GCC

  • A ministry in our city that GCC partners with

  • One of the missionaries we support as a church

  • A specific need or illness within our congregation

  • Another gospel-centered church in our city or state and their ministry

  • Omaha and Nebraska as a whole and their leaders

  • Our nation and its leaders

  • International events of particular significance

  • The elders, deacons, and other ministry leaders of our church

  • The person who is about to bring God’s Word

These prayers of the people should take 2-4 minutes. At the end, invite people to pray the Lord’s Prayer, saying something like, “And now we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray…” 

Common Questions:

How should I pray for specific request or area of need?

First, PLEASE ensure the need is public, usually meaning it has been shared via the church prayer email, and that you only cover previously shared facts. Public prayer is never the place to reveal private information. In addition, remember to be mindful of visitors or new members of our community. Instead of just saying, “we pray for Bob and Suzie,” add a few words for people to have context—“we lift up Bob and Suzie in Bob’s recent cancer diagnosis” or “we rejoice with Bob and Suzie in the birth of their child.” This applies to other requests as well—for instance, when praying for a missionary, briefly mention where they are working and what they are doing. 

What specific ministries/churches should we pray for?

A good starting place is our missionary of the month. You can also lift up a local ministry we are connected with, like the Open Door Mission or CityServe. It is always appropriate to lift up our sister churches in the PCA. It is good, given the universality of Jesus’s church, to occasionally pray for other churches whose beliefs and mission we overlap with—ask one of the pastors if you are unsure about a certain church’s fit here. It can also be appropriate to pray for another ministry that you are passionate about, although keep in mind you are not praying only for yourself but as a representative of the congregation as a whole.

How should we speak to potentially controversial/divisive issues like politics?

The biggest thing to recognize is that in public prayer you are asking things on behalf of the community of people at Grace, with the diverse views and experiences that represents. While we can and should rightly touch on issues that are “political,” we should be doing it in general, biblical ways which Christians of different specific convictions can support.

For instance, when praying for our leaders, a good formula is to pray something like this: “We pray for those who rule over us, that they would be people of justice, wisdom, and character. We pray that they would rule with equity, and that we might live peaceful and quiet lives.” When praying for a war or crisis, pray something like: “We pray that you would be at work in X region. We pray that you would protect the innocent, visit justice on those who do evil, and ultimately bring peace to our broken world.”

Never pray for a specific outcome of an election. Never name specific parties or candidates, especially in ways that paint them as either good or evil. Only address issues directly spoken to in Scripture, and do not go beyond what Scripture says in how you address them. Remember, God knows the specifics of what needs to happen better than we do, and He doesn’t always work in the ways we might think or expect. When Jesus teaches us to pray that God’s kingdom come and His will be done, that is a recognition that we trust God to know the details of how to work that out.