SPEECH ARTS ~ Sacred Reading ~ Matthew 25:31-40 ~ 89%

Sacred Reading

Alisdair was "First" in Class 9704 - Sacred Reading, 12 and Under at the Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival yesterday.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch him as he competed, received his resulting adjudication, and was presented with his Certificate.  After all, someone had to stay home to do the newspaper route! So, it was Grandma and Grandpa in a pew at Third Avenue United Church, to see the performance.  I was, luckily, able to witness his effort later that afternoon in the poetry section. There were four competitors in his Class. 

As Alisdair was preparing, I joked that we could just switch the letters around in the word "Sacred" and he would be competing in "SCARED READING!"  Obviously, Alisdair had little to worry about as he took his turn in the pulpit.  Maybe he's a preacher in the making!

The passage Alisdair read was:

The Sheep and the Goats

 ³¹ "The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit on his throne in the glory of heaven. ³² All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.

 ³⁴ "Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, 'My Father has blessed you. Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the world was created. ³⁵ I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. And you invited me in. ³⁶ I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was sick. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.'
 
 ³⁷ "Then the people who have done what is right will answer him. 'Lord,' they will ask, 'when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
 
 ⁴⁰ "The King will reply, 'What I'm about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'   (New International Reader's Version)

The adjudicator's remarks [Phyllis Thomson] follow:

"Lower voice goats to the left.  This was well read Alisdair.  You spoke clearly, with authority and with knowledge.  You spaced the words well within each verse.  Perhaps take a little more pause between verses, particularly before Verse 37.  You asked the questions well in Verse 37.  It was a joy to hear you.  Thank you." 

First Place Certificate