Pattern of worship
A basic flow to the dialogic pattern of worship.
The following chart outlines a historic pattern of Christian worship. Virtually any element on this chart may be sung as well as spoken. Most often, additional sung responses are added to this list, such as one or more songs of praise after the call to worship, or a doxology after the offering. There may be no single church that uses the exact wording found in this chart, but thousands of churches on many continents use a version of this pattern.
Notice that there's a basic logic or flow to this order. God's words are first, inviting us to worship, and we respond with worship and adoration. God's word calls us to repent, and we respond by confessing sin and turning toward God for redemption. God's word of assurance leads naturally to thanksgiving. And so on.
Also notice how this pattern reflects the dialogic nature of worship--a sense in which worship is a conversation between God and the gathered community. (Arrows indicate directions in which the conversation flows: from God to the people, from the people to God, and among the people.)
