1 Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 5:13-14

Here are five planning practices that can prevent worship from falling into dullness and routine:

1. Find the focal point. I prefer to center worship on a theme. Sometimes the theme is supplied by the season: Advent or Lent or Easter or Thanksgiving. Other times a special emphasis like Missions Month or Family Sunday suggests a worship theme. The sermon topic is a natural focal point. If the topic happens to be God's faithfulness, or the love of God, or God's sovereignty, it is not difficult to blend the hymns, anthem, and spoken word with the sermon.
2. List resources. After determining the focal point, I list resources for that theme. First, I turn to four or five hymnbooks by my desk and check the topical index and Scripture reference index. Then I list appropriate worship choruses. Next, I read the Scripture text in several translations. A topical Bible and concordance help me locate related passages that can be used in prayer or during transitions in worship. Finally, I review the means we have of presenting these items: the spoken word, people who can read interpretively, various musical expressions, and the congregation.