The most important step you can take in including scripture in your worship sets is to build the worship experience around a selection of scripture. Using scripture that is relevant to a theme used in the service or that the spoken message will be based on will help create a solid foundation of biblical truth for your worship experience. My devotional life revolves around the curriculum that my church and pastor are using and this helps me be really genuine in leading worship; I actually go through the spiritual, scriptural things in my own life that I will then lead people through in worship.
When it comes to the actual worship service, there are several different ways you can integrate scripture. Here are a few ideas for you to experiment with in your setting.
- Using scripture to introduce a song. Obviously, many songs use words and phrases directly from a passage of scripture. Reading the setting and story of that passage can give greater meaning and depth to that phrase.
- Spoken or graphical scriptural during an instrumental. Sometimes instrumental sections of songs can seem disengaging for your congregation. One way to make room for those instrumentals while keeping the congregation engaged in worship is to have scripture on the screens or read by a vocalist. If reading the scripture aloud, it should not only match the theme of the song, but should be read with appropriate energy and emphasis for the music.
- Make scripture tangible. Giving your congregation scripture cards, wrist bands or other tangible items that represent or contain scripture can make its effect and relevance last well into the week and perhaps longer.
- Responsive reading or reading in unison. Taking a passage from the Psalms or looking through hymn and litany books can also provide some great, readable material that can act as a "Call to Worship" or serve as a catalyst for binding the congregation together around a common cause or idea found in scripture.
- Quote relevant scriptural promises throughout a song, even though it may not be directly in the lyric. Finding and memorizing short passages of scripture that you can claim within a song can add new depth to the song. Claim the promise of Jesus that He will "never leave, nor forsake you" before you start the bridge of "You Never Let Go."
