The wrong reading

On Sunday, the person reading the bible lesson did the wrong one. Right book, right verses, wrong chapter. Oops. As they read I could see members of the congregation look puzzled as it wasn't what the expected from the order of service. Following a quick consultation with my supervisor, it was decided to let them continue and then read the right one. I wanted to do the correct reading as it was long, though I knew exactly what tact I was taking with it, so could have skipped the bits that were not being referred to in the sermon at all. But my supervisor insisted on doing the reading to take the pressure off me.

It was something I recall coming up at my first candidates' conference and the consensus there was to do what I did. Also, I made the decision I did because I didn't want to get the reader in a tizz.It later transpired it wouldn't have bothered her and, when it has happened before, the reader has been stopped and the correct one read. I didn't know that at the time. Without that knowledge and knowledge of the person reading the lesson I feel I made the right decision. Knowing the congregation and the precedent which has already been set, I would have made a different decision.