How To Open A Worship Service With Scripture

What's the first part of your church'south worship services? Chances are, information technology's a call to worship—fifty-fifty if your church doesn't really refer to it every bit a call to worship.

What is a call to worship?

Merely put, a call to worship is the beginning of a worship service that "calls God's people into his presence" ^one with "a Scripture or anthem that focuses on God and helps us 'tune in.'" ²

While a pastor or worship leader may result the call to worship, information technology's really a call from God to his people, as Michael Goheen says in his course on pastoral ministry. He continues,

It'due south not something they have decided to do because it is a adept idea, it'due south because God has called them to assemble and to worship. . . . Information technology tin likewise be a call to the people of God to come into the presence of God to be nourished then that the very life that they are given is for the sake of the earth. ³

This time helps the congregation refocus on why they're gathered:

To worship the living God
To remember God's greatness, kindness, and power
To worship with others in the torso of Christ by the ability of the Spirit

The telephone call to worship is a powerful component of the worship service—and regardless of what your church calls it, it's a swell way to turn distracted eyes and hearts toward God.

sixteen phone call to worship Scriptures

Ane of the best ways to plan your church's call to worship is by turning to Scripture.

The volume of Psalms models the call to worship for us, as the psalmists often open (or interject) with calls to praise God amid trials, grief, victories, or remembering their history (Pss 27, 99, 105, 132, 135, to name a few).

You can open up the Psalms to detect calls to worship, or scroll through this list of 16 passages of calls to worship from Scripture:

Romans 11:33–36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and cognition of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
"For who has known the heed of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?"
"Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him exist celebrity forever. Amen.

Psalm 99:i–3 (CSB)

The LORD reigns! Let the peoples tremble.
He is enthroned between the cherubim.
Allow the earth quake.
The LORD is slap-up in Zion;
he is exalted above all the peoples.
Allow them praise your great
and awe-inspiring name.
He is holy.

Call to worship idea: Read the whole psalm together and invite the congregation to read a few lines of the psalm aloud in unison.

Philippians 2:five–11

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to exist grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And beingness found in human class, he humbled himself past becoming obedient to the indicate of death, fifty-fifty death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is in a higher place every name, then that at the name of Jesus every human knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the globe, and every natural language confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the celebrity of God the Father.

Psalm 136:1–3

Requite cheers to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thank you to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Requite thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Call to worship idea: Read the whole Psalm together. The worship leader or pastor can read the odd-numbered lines, and the congregation can echo the refrain, "for his steadfast honey endures forever."

John 15:four–5, nine–10 (CSB)

Remain in me, and I in you. But as a branch is unable to produce fruit past itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can y'all unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The ane who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you lot can do cipher without me. . . . Equally the Father has loved me, I take too loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you volition remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his dearest. I have told you these things and then that my joy may be in you and your joy may exist complete.

Psalm 63:one–4

O God, y'all are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for y'all,
equally in a dry and weary land where at that place is no h2o.
So I have looked upon y'all in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Considering your steadfast love is amend than life,
my lips will praise you.
And so I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will elevator up my easily.

Revelation 21:iii–vi

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them equally their God. He will wipe away every tear from their optics, and death shall be no more, neither shall in that location exist mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the sometime things have passed away."

And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "Information technology is washed! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the h2o of life without payment."

Psalm 138:1–3 (CSB)

I will give you thanks with all my heart;
I volition sing your praise earlier the heavenly beings.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and give cheers to your name
for your constant dearest and truth.
You have exalted your name
and your promise above everything else.
On the day I called, yous answered me;
you increased strength inside me.

Call to worship idea: Read the whole psalm together and invite the congregation to read a few lines of the psalm aloud.

Isaiah 55:i–3, 6–vii (NIV)

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come up to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and swallow!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without toll.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, heed to me, and eat what is proficient,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I volition brand an everlasting covenant with you lot,
my faithful dearest promised to David. . . .
Seek the LORD while he may be plant;
telephone call on him while he is well-nigh.
Let the wicked forsake their means
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he volition have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Free Bible Software. Priceless Insights. clickable image

Psalm 100

Brand a joyful noise to the LORD, all the world!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
Information technology is he who made us, and nosotros are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Requite thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast beloved endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–29 (CSB)

For y'all have not come to what could exist touched, to a blazing burn, to darkness, gloom, and tempest, to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. . . . Instead, you accept come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people fabricated perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the claret of Abel.

Run into to it that you practise not refuse the 1 who speaks. For if they did non escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if nosotros turn away from him who warns us from sky. His phonation shook the globe at that time, only now he has promised, "Still one time more I volition shake not simply the world but as well the heavens." This expression, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since nosotros are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, permit us be thankful. Past it, nosotros may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming burn.

Psalm 66:16–20 (NIV)

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has washed for me.
I cried out to him with my oral fissure;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my center,
the Lord would non take listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise exist to God,
who has non rejected my prayer
or withheld his beloved from me!

Exodus xv:ane–two, eleven–13

I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the equus caballus and his rider he has thrown into the bounding main.
The LORD is my forcefulness and my song,
and he has get my salvation;
this is my God, and I volition praise him,
my father's God, and I volition exalt him. . . .
Who is like yous, O LORD, amongst the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
Y'all stretched out your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
You have led in your steadfast dearest the people whom y'all have redeemed;
y'all have guided them by your strength to your holy home.

Psalm 96:1–four

Oh sing to the LORD a new vocal;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For peachy is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods. call to worship Scripture Psalm 96:2–3

Revelation 15:3–four

Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Omnipotent!
Simply and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you lot lone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.

Psalm 108:one–5

My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and brand tune with all my existence!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I volition awake the dawn!
I volition give thank you to you, O LORD, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is corking above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

***

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