significant lay participation

[cellio]

Last week one of the morning minyanaires asked if I would lead the service occasionally, and lent me a siddur when I said I needed to learn it better. (There's a big difference between being able to pray for yourself and being competent to lead a congregation.) This morning he asked how it was going ("slow progress", I said), and then he said something about me leading every Thursday (!). I said something like "let me get through it once before we schedule me for a regular slot, ok?". If I can do it correctly I would enjoy that, though.

I've been really enjoying the occasional opportunities to read Torah at my own congregation. (I almost said "periodic", but the cycle isn't regular yet.) I'm glad that we have something like ten people either reading already or interested in learning how. I think this will good for the community -- participation leads to engagement and investment.

I wonder which other religions have comparable opportunities for serious-but-not-formally-educated lay people to take on significant worship roles. My childhood congregation didn't, but that's only one data point.

(Aside: is there a better word than "lay" to describe "just plain folks" in this case?)

Comments

[aliza250.livejournal.com]

Yasher Koach.

(Aside: is there a better word than "lay" to describe "just plain folks" in this case?)

Congregant? Member of the congregation?

Side question, just for my own curiosity: My sister's shul (C) requires that anyone on the bimah wear a tallit. Since she reads Torah regularly, she now owns a tallit, and wears it for the whole service on days when she's reading. It's a pretty pastel blue. Looking around, I noticed a number of women wearing assertively feminine talitot - all of them women who were 'forced' into the practice because they visit the bimah regularly.

So... are you required to wear a tallit while reading Torah? How do you feel about the issue?

(BTW, I don't think we've met online or in person before, but I'm a friend of D'Glenn's from way back, and I've seen On The Mark in concert once. [And didn't buy a CD, drat!])

[kayre]

Catholicism certainly has a formal structure for lay participation, though I think use of it varies widely. One can be ordained to the rank of deacon (just short of priest) without celibacy; traditionally deacons both read Scripture in church, and do the work of the church in caring for the poor and needy of the congregation.

Methodism was originally a lay movement within the Anglican church, and still has the structure for using lay people in leadership roles. Unfortunately that mostly boils down to using lay pastors in churches too small for a full-time or even shared pastor. I've been a certified Lay Speaker myself, but sadly, folk are not very comfy with listening to a layperson when there's a "real preacher" around.

And no, I don't know of a better term.

[zare-k.livejournal.com]

My parents' church has lay members do readings from the Bible at just about every service, but as far as I know they don't have lay people do anything related to interpretation (like giving a sermon)

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

Aside: is there a better word than "lay" to describe "just plain folks" in this case?

Congregant. The Catholic church uses Parishoner, but I don't think that would apply to a temple. :) "A secular person", perhaps?

I don't know at what point you broke off from the Catholic church. Nowadays, folks can be cantors (the one who gives the first reading of the Bible) and deliver the Eucharist. I've been the former, but not the latter. I think there's a small ritual you have to go through first.
-- Dagonell