CALLS TO WORSHIP

CALLS TO WORSHIP

Virgil Warren, PhD

         Call to worship is a slot often used at the beginning of services designed to inspire awe, reverence, humility before God. Such services are more contemplative than celebrative, more vertically than horizontally oriented. The call to worship is a shorter scripture portion intended to focus attention of all participants and to prepare for a prayer of invocation. Other scripture readings may be longer in keeping with their purpose to inform, inspired, comfort and the like. The following texts are suggestions; there are may others that may be used for this purpose. The Book so Psalms is particularly useful as a resource for calls to worship. The texts below appear in vertical format so that notations can be made about subject matter, occasions when used, and the like.

Genesis 28:16-17

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

     12:5

     33:27

Joshua 3:9

2 Samuel 23:3-4

1 Chronicles 16:29

2 Chronicles 7:14

     16:28-29

Job 5:8-10

     22:21 + 25-26

Psalms 1:1-3

     2:1-2

     4:5

     5:3, 7

     8:1, 3-5(-9)

     9:1-2

     (19:1-3, 14)

     22:3-5

     24:1

          3-5

          7-8(-10)

     26:8

          7-12

          12

     27:1-5

          8

          13-14

     28:6-8

     29:1-2

     30:4

     31:23-24

     33:12

          20-22

     34:1-3

          8

          (11)

     36:5-7

     37:4-5

     42:8

     46:10

     48:1-2

     51:15

     55:6-7

          22

     57:7-9(11)

     62:8

     63:1-2(-4)

     65:1-2

          4

          11

          13

     66:1-2(-4)

          8

     67:3-7

     68:4

     69:34-35

     71:1-5

          23

     72:18-19

     73:25

     75:9

     77:11-15 (Memorial Day)

     78:1

          3-4

     81:1

     84:1-2

          4

          10

     85:8-9(-12)

     86:9

     89:1-2

          15-17

     90:2

     91:1-2

     92:1-2

     93:2

     95:1-2

          6-7a

     96:1-4a

          6-9 or 9 + 6

          (11-)12-13

     97:1-2

     98:1(-3)

          4(-6)

     99:1-9

     100 (all or parts)

     102:12

           24-27

     103:1-2(-5)

           17-18

           21-22

     104:31-34(-35)

     105:1(-3)

     106:1

     107:1(-2)

           31-32

           43

     111:1-4

     113:1-2(-4)

     116:1

           12-14

     117

     118:8-9

           15

           19-20

           24

           26(-27)

           29

     119:1-2(-4)

           18

           27

           33-34

           105

     121:1-2

           6-8

     126:(1-)3

     128:1-2

     133:1

           3

     134:1-3

     135:1-3

           14

     136:1-3

     139:7-10

     141:1-2

     144:12-15

     145:1-3

     146:1-2

           10

     147:1

           5

           7-8

           11-12

     148:1-2

           11-12

           13

     149:1

     150:1-2

           6

Proverbs 3:5-6

     16:3

          22a

     22:6

     22:17-18

     23:12

          23

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Isaiah 1:18 (forgiveness of sins)

     6:3

     9:2

       6 (Christmas)

     11:10 + 1-2

     12:4-5

     25:1

          4-9

     26:3-4

     30:15

     34:16

          46

     35:1-2

     40:3(-5) [= Lk. 3:4-6]

          8

          31

     41:1a

          10

     49:13

     52:7 (Christmas)

     53:5

     55:6-7(-9)

         (8-)10-11

     57:15

     66:12a + 13

Jeremiah 6:4b

     9:23-24

     13:15-16

Lamentations 3:22-24

Amos 5:14-15

Micah 6:8

Habakkuk 2:20

Zechariah 2:10

     14:7

Malachi 2:10

Matthew 5:4-6

     5:13-14 + 16

     6:33

     11:18-20

          [28 (-29-)]30

     18:1-6

          20

Luke 2:10-11 (Christmas)

     2:13-14 (Christmas)

     3:4-6 [= Is. 40:3-5] Christmas

     (4:18)

John 3:8

     3:16

     4:10 (parts)

       24 + 23b

     8:12

       31-32

     11:25-26 (Easter)

     12:35-36

     14:23

     15:4 + 8

Acts (1:8)

     13:38-39

     14:17

     17:24a + 26-28

Romans 1:16-17

     5:8

     6:4

     8:38-39

     11:33-36

     12:1-2

          4-5

          10

1 Corinthians 8:5-6

     10:16-17

2 Corinthians 4:6

     6:17-18

Galatians 5:25

     6:7-8

Ephesians 2:(5-)10(-11)

     3:17-19

     4:4-6

     5:8

     6:10-18

Philippians 2:5-11

1 Timothy 1:17

     6:15-16

2 Timothy 1:12b

Hebrews 1:1-4

     4:(14-)15-16

     10:22-24

     12:1-2

James 1:5-7

     4:8 + 10 (modified)

1 Peter 2:9-10

     4:5 + 7

1 John 1:5 + 7(-9)

     3:1-3

     4:7

     4:9-10

       12-13

Revelation 2:7

     4:8b

     4:11

     5:12

     14:7

     15:3-4

          12 (the cross)

     19:6b

     22:14 + 17

         Sometimes texts can be adjusted to serve better as calls to worship. The sequence of verses may be reversed to make better thought connections. Verses or parts of verses may be omitted to avoid digressions relative to present needs. Introductory words (conjunctions) may be omitted. Verb tenses may be shifted to present tense to identify the message with the current setting.