Here are proclaiming times by experienced lectors:
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 Year B 2nd Sunday of Advent Lectionary #5
Year C Baptism of the Lord Lectionary #21
Beginning with “Comfort. Give comfort to my people. . . . “ 1 minute 41 seconds
How warm does your “comfort” sound? Are you “crying out” with power?
Are your “glad tidings” joy filled? Does your shepherd sound caring?
Let your tone of voice convey the emotion of the word or phrase.
I Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13 Year C Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary #72
Beginning with “Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly. . . “ 2 minutes 43 seconds
Does your tone vary with the multiple aspects of charity and love?
Do your pauses allow enough time for the love’s components to be absorbed by the congregants?
Does it soar at the end? Very familiar readings can become almost trite.
They require different types of emphasis on the individual ideas.
Hebrews 4:12-13 Year B 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary #143
Beginning with “Brothers and sisters: Indeed the word . . . .” 41 seconds
With very short readings you should proclaim much more slowly than those of typical length.
This slower pace will alert the assembly that something different follows. If spoken at the pace used with texts of “normal” length, you will be done before the congregants begin to listen.
Philippians 3:8-14 Year C Fifth Sunday of Lent Lectionary #3
Beginning with “Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss. . . “ 1 minute 47 seconds
If you have proclaimed this reading well you are to be congratulated! It is one of the more challenging that you will encounter.
Because of its uncommon word order and complexity including the 85 word run-on second sentence, your speed should be slower, pauses more frequent, rhythm more variable and greater eye contact much more desirable.
Caution: Beware of stone or marble walled churches. They echo and bounce and distort sound. Thus, your speed has to be 2/3 of your rate in a “soft” walled church.