The Dialogical Nature of Worship: A Call to Worship

Introduction: Subconsciously, we tend to think that the most important parts of worship are the singing and the preaching of the Word of God.

• However, we must understand that if our worship is dialogical, every part of the worship service is significant, including the Call to Worship.

Elements of Worship

Note: The Regulative Principle of Worship does not mean that all elements of our worship must be explicitly commanded in the Scriptures.

[1689 LBCF 1.6] - “Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.”

Components of a Worship Service [Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship]

 1. Calls (scriptural, pastoral, choral, unison, responsive, songs and hymns, etc.)

 2. Prayers (pastoral, unison, responsive, corporate, elder-led, congregant-offered, personal, silent, collect, scriptural, extemporaneous, ancient or contemporary form, hymn)

 3. Scripture Readings (pastoral, unison, individual, choral, antiphonal, responsive)

 4. Music (hymns, psalms, solos, choral anthems, choral-congregational responses)

 5. Offerings and Collections

 6. Creeds and Affirmations (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian, catechisms, historical and contemporary writings)

 7. Benedictions and Charges (scriptural, historical, extemporaneous)

 8. Rubrics (i.e., explanations and transitions between worship aspects) 

 9. Sermon

 10. Sacraments

 11. Expressions of Fellowship

 12. Testimonies and Ministry Reports

 13. Oaths and Vows

 14. Ordinations and Commissionings

 15. Church Discipline

 16. Fasting

[Bryan Chapell] - “In order for people’s hearts and souls actually to enter into the adoration that is appropriate to begin their worship, they really have to consider why they are called to worship. This is far more likely if the Call to Worship is kept from being mere habit by occasionally being offered through a Choral Anthem, a Hymn of Praise, a special reading, or some other appropriate worship component. Jesus condemned “vain repetitions” in worship (Matt. 6:7 KJV). We should take care that our routines do not become ruts that inadvertently transgress his instructions. If the Doxology follows the Offering because of some law of the Medes and the Persians rather than because the ancient words sincerely reflect a congregation’s praise for God’s provision, something ought to change.”

Key Passage: Psalm 100

Note: The psalmist’s joyful call to worship illustrates the essence of a Call to Worship.

• Historically, Christian churches have used brief Scripture passages, delivered by a minister or worship leader, to open services.
• In modern practice, Calls to Worship can take various forms—spoken, sung, or read responsively—but their purpose remains the same: to direct worshippers’ hearts toward God.

God Calls Us to Worship

Note: God’s Word exhorts his people, “Shout for joy to the Lord,” and, “Worship the Lord with gladness.”

• The psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaks on God’s behalf, calling the people to worship.
• This serves as a reminder that a contemporary worship leader who uses Scripture also speaks for God.
• God is the host of worship, inviting His people to come before Him, setting aside distractions to join in recognizing, praising, and serving His glory.

[Bryan Chapell] - “Because the Call to Worship is from God, we are reminded that he always initiates; we respond. This is a profound truth, not only for our salvation, but also for our worship of the One who saves us. The Call to Worship is not simply a perfunctory greeting of human cordiality but is at once a weighty responsibility and a joyful privilege. ”

• A scriptural Call to Worship is God’s invitation through His Word to join the eternal worship of angels and the ages.
• It is not a casual gathering or performance but an invitation into the presence of the King of the Universe, where all creation will bow and heaven sings His praise.
• Through the Call to Worship, believers are drawn into the wondrous, eternal praise of heaven, and this privilege should be conveyed with joy and enthusiasm by the worship leader.
• Typically, it transitions into a corporate or choral Hymn of Praise as a response to the blessings of worship.

God Calls Us to Respond to His Revelation

Note: When a Call to Worship uses Scripture, it urges God’s people to respond to His revelation of His nature and purposes.

• This sets the tone for the entire worship service, reminding us that we approach God on His terms, not our own.

[Bryan Chapell] - “When he speaks, it is our obligation and privilege to respond appropriately in praise, prayer, repentance, testimony, encouragement of others, and service to what he declares about himself. This corporate dialogue in which we as God’s people respond to God’s revelation is the sacred rhythm of covenant worship that begins with the Call to Worship.”

• Psalm 100 reveals God as Lord and Creator, prompting the psalmist to call for thanksgiving and praise.
• This demonstrates that a Call to Worship carries an imperative quality.
• It is not merely a recital of God’s attributes or a way to create a sacred atmosphere but a command to respond in worship and exaltation.

Applications:

• Worship leaders must remember that a Call to Worship is an exhortation for God’s people to respond to His revealed nature and blessings.
• The chosen text should prompt actions like shouting, singing, praising, or bowing in worship.
• If the text lacks this imperative quality, the leader should add a phrase to guide the congregation’s response, such as, “In light of what God has told us about His love, let us worship Him.”

God Calls Us to Respond to His Redemption

Note: God’s invitation to worship assures us that our praise pleases Him, revealing that we are precious to Him.

• The psalmist reminds us that God not only made us but claims us as His own—His people, the sheep of His pasture.
• Despite our weakness, frailty, and sin, God’s invitation is an act of grace, enabling us to respond to Him.
• This grace inspires the psalmist’s climax of thanksgiving and praise: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise,” grounded in the enduring truths of God’s goodness, love, and faithfulness.
• A scriptural Call to Worship reveals that God welcomes us into His presence and invites us to partake in His purposes.
• Despite our weakness and iniquities, He remains inviting and delights in our praise

[Bryan Chapell] - “In the Call to Worship, God calls us to give him praise, but the command is not onerous. It is an invitation to respond to God’s revelation of himself and his grace. In offering this invitation God is both host and honoree, and God’s people are both invited and compelled by his mercy to give him glory. God gives us the privilege of welcome into his presence that we might reciprocate with the gift of worship. Right perception of this gift exchange encourages the worship leader to speak the Call to Worship with the warmth of heart and openness of gesture that such an occasion of mutual blessing deserves.”