Psalms in Worship—Psalm 78:1–7, Joshua 24 An Opening of Worship with Covenant Renewal

Published October 26, 2026

Updated October 26, 2026

trees by streams of water
By Joyce Borger

Psalms were not written in a vacuum; they emerged from specific historical contexts for distinct purposes. Psalm 78, classified as a wisdom psalm, encourages the intergenerational passing of faith. It does this by recounting God’s faithfulness and by teaching what it means to worship God, to be a faithful disciple, and to obey God’s commandments. Following the example of scripture, we must continually rehearse our faith and renew our covenant—not for God’s benefit, but for our own. Doing so helps us to remember who we are and to whom we belong. This same action serves as a testimony to those younger in the faith or curious about it. 

Drawing inspiration from Joshua 24, one of the most dramatic covenant renewals in scripture, this opening of worship collapses time. By weaving ancient scripture with newly written words, those gathered are invited into the biblical drama to experience a covenant renewal ceremony for our lives today. 

Readers Needed: 

Narrator: can be the pastor or worship leader

Joshua: best portrayed by an elderly man. If you opt to have Joshua place a stone somewhere on stage, this person needs to be strong enough to lift and move it, if you are using a real stone. 

Psalmist: try and find a contrasting voice to the narrator or Joshua. This is a great opportunity for middle schoolers or teens.  

Congregation: preferably spoken by those gathered but could be assigned to a smaller group. 

The congregation’s text is in bold font arranged in shorter lines to better enable unison reading. Note that for all the readings the scripture portions are in quotations and appear in brown font with the references to the right. The text in square brackets in the midst of scripture are additions or changes to the scripture. Any text not in quotes is newly written. All scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE).

To help the congregation enter into the drama do not project all the text. It may be easiest to insert blank or black, slides for the narrator, psalmist, and Joshua, then project only the congregation’s text when they need to speak. 

Props:

Bible: This needs to be easily identifiable as a Bible and large enough to be seen. 

Stone: This should be a substantial stone or rock that is visible to the congregation. If 
using a real stone, make sure that it isn’t too heavy for Joshua to move. You can find fake ones for sale that are made out of plastic or search online for how to make a fake rock and you will find many ideas for doing so with paper-mâché or cardboard and chicken wire. If using a lighter, fake stone, have Joshua act as if it is heavy. 

Call to Worship

Narrator:

“Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people,”
 

Joshua 24:1

Joshua:

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.”
 

Joshua 24:2–3

Congregation:

As God’s people, 
adopted children of Abraham, 
these are our ancestors— 
this is our story! 
The God of Abraham  is the same God
who gathers and calls us to worship. 

 

 

God’s Greeting

Indeed, not only did God save our spiritual ancestors, 
from slavery and wandering in the wilderness,
God has saved us from our own wilderness. 

As God’s gathered children, God greets us with these words: 

“Grace to you and peace 
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,  
who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, 
according to the will of our God and Father,  
to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." 
—Galatians 1:3–5 NRSVUE

Songs of Praise 

Choose your own song(s) of praise and thanksgiving or consider using one of the following. 

By the Savior’s Power Wilson, Vasquez, Cashwell 

God, We Sing Your Glorious Praises Polman        

Here I Am to Worship Hughes 

Oh, To Be Like You Baloche, Ryan, Wilson 

Praise to the Lord (Joyful, Joyful) Neander, Van Dyke, Barnard, Everett 

Praise the Father, Praise the Son Tomlin

We Will Extol You, God and King Scheer

Covenant Renewal

Joshua:

You have just praised God for his goodness and grace. 


“Now, therefore, revere the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away [other] gods…and serve the Lord.”

 

Ditch the god of ego—the mindset that says you are the center of the universe, sparking toxic comparisons and tearing down others. Walk away from the god of the hustle that says it is ok to step on others for money, status, or clout. Reject the selfish god that hoards success instead of lifting up the community, and the ruthless god demanding dominance at all cost. Don’t buy into the lie that it is ok to cheat and lie, to steal and destroy just to get ahead. 
 

 

 

Joshua 24:14

 

 

 

 
“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the god [of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, or sloth.]  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
 		 Joshua 24:15

Psalmist:

“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
things that we have heard and known,
    that our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their children;
    we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might
    and the wonders that he has done.”
 

Psalm 78:1–4

Congregation:

“Far be it from us 
that we should forsake the Lord
to serve other gods, 
for it is the Lord our God 
who brought us and our ancestors 
up from the land of Egypt, 
out of the house of slavery, 
and who did those great signs in our sight…”

It is our Lord, Jesus Christ, 
who saved us from our sins 
and promises us salvation— 
a new heaven and earth.

Joshua 24:16–17

 
“Therefore we also will serve the Lord, 
for he is our God.”
 		 Joshua 24:18

Psalmist:

“[The Lord] established a decree in Jacob
    and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and rise up and tell them to their children,
   so that they should set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
    but keep his commandments;”
 

Psalm 78:5–7

Narrator: 

And what is the greatest commandment? 
 
 

Congregation:

“‘You shall love the Lord your God 
     with all your heart 
     and with all your soul 
     and with all your mind.’ 
This is the greatest and first commandment. 

And a second is like it: 
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”  
 

Matthew 22:37

Joshua:

Do you really think you can do that? 

 
“You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” 
 		 Joshua 24:19–20

Congregation:

“No, we will serve the Lord!” 
 

Joshua 24:21

Joshua:

 “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” 
 

Joshua 24:22

Congregation:

“We are witnesses.” 
 

Joshua 24:22

Joshua:

“Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 
 

Joshua 24:23

Congregation:

“The Lord our God we will serve, 
and him we will obey.”  

Joshua 24:24

Narrator:

“So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, [lifts up a Bible] and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord.”

(Optional: Joshua moves a large stone underneath a cross or another visible place.)
 

Joshua 24:25–26

Joshua:

“See, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you if you deal falsely with your God.” 
 

Joshua 24:27

Congregation:

This is how we will live 
as we await the return of Christ, 
the Son of God.
 

 

Narrator:

“Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” 

Matthew 25:13
Song of Faith and Commitment

        
As For Me and My House Getty, Getty, Cochren, Fowler         

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death Boswell, Getty, Kauflin, Merker, Papa  

Open Your Ears, O Faithful People Jabusch 

People of the Lord Scheer 

Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers Laurenti, tr. Borthwick Findlater

View the Present Through the Promise Troeger

Revised Common Lectionary

Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 27 (32)