Notes on Sunday Worship Service ProceduresCall to Worship |
For an unhurried, prayerful approach to the worship service, please arrive between 10:00 AM and 10:10 AM. This will give you plenty of time to adjust the microphone, rehearse your delivery, and feel comfortable and confident about your role in the worship service.
The Call to Worship reflects the ancient practice of summoning the congregation from all its separate places to come and worship together. This calling has been done by animal horn and by church bells.
The Call to Worship is a very important part of the service. The assembled congregation is “called” to attentiveness and to the high expectation of worship.
You can decide when to arrive at the lectern. You may be in place before the choir marches in, or you may come up after the choir is in place. When the opening song has ended, the church is quiet until you begin speaking.
In the Presbyterian tradition, the “Call to Worship” has two parts:
- A message, usually of a spiritual nature, or a scripture reading.
- A brief prayer of praise or hope, often signaled by the phrase “Let us Pray.”
In all, the Call to Worship indicates that the service has begun, and that our worship centers in God and not in ourselves. The people are invited to respond with “Amen”, thus affirming their participation in the prayer, and embracing it as their own.
The final pages of this message contain some examples of both parts of the Call to Worship. They may be used in their entirety, or as a guide for verses of your own choosing or a prayer of your own writing.
Note the variety of Calls to Worship that you have witnessed. Some have reflected on current or historical events, mortal weaknesses, the weather, etc., etc. There is no one right way. There are times when the Holy Spirit moves in us creatively and unexpectedly.
In preparation for the Old Testament Reading
The reading usually goes smoother if you have read the verses in advance. Note in the current bulletin where the Old Testament Lesson is placed. Usually it comes after words of welcome and the announcements, but we may change our worship format (especially during Lent), so always check.
- You may call the church office to receive your bible verses from Pastor Jo in advance of Sunday.
- Make sure that the bible is turned to the correct place, the light is on, and the Prayer of Illumination is available to you.
- Often Pastor Jo has a brief introduction for you to read before beginning the scriptures. If so, familiarize yourself with it.
- Make sure the microphone is on and in the correct position for you.
- Determine the path you will take to get from your seat in the congregation, to the lectern.
- Always use a final phrase or statement that indicates you have completed reading the scriptures. You may say something like: “This is the Word of God,” Thanks be to God,” May God bless the hearing of these words,” or simply “Amen.”
Always check to see if the Affirmation of Faith is written out in the bulletin, or if you need to instruct the congregation to turn to a page in the hymnal. This is a unison reading, but it requires a leader to begin it.
- Before the service, know where you will stand, and check to make sure the microphone is on and in position for you. This can be the most confusing part of the service for congregation participation. Visitors may not know what to do and will need enough time to figure it out.
- Note in the current bulletin where the Affirmation is Faith is placed. Don’t assume it is in the same place as always.
- Make sure the congregation knows which affirmation will be read (there are several on p. 14 of the hymnal).
- Give them plenty of time to find the place. Some may have to fumble through the bulletin, or figure out where is in the hymnal (which p. 14 to turn to).
- Speak loudly enough.
- Tell the congregation: “Please read along with me the Affirmation of Faith found in you bulletin (hymnal p. 14, etc,what ever is appropriate for that day) Wait several seconds for them to pick up their bulletin or hymnal and find it.
- When the reading is completed, you may take your seat.
