Come Now Is The Time To Worship Lyrics And Chords

The Basics of Playing Come Now Is The Time To Worship

Come Now Is The Time To Worship is a well-known contemporary Christian hymn originally written by Malcolm Main. It sits in 4/4 time and typically uses a straightforward chord progression that most beginners can pick up within an afternoon. The standard key is G major, though many worship leaders transpose it depending on vocal range. Here is how the chords break down in the original key: Verse: G - D/F- Em - C - G - D
Chorus: C - G - D - C - G - D
Bridge: Em - C - G - D (repeated twice, second time ending on C)

These are all open chords. No barre chords required unless you transpose up to A or B. Strumming pattern tends to be a simple down-down-up-up-down-up, but feel free to simplify to straight downstrokes if your congregation is still learning to sing along. I have played this for years and sometimes just go plain downstrokes during high-energy services when the band needs to lock in tightly.

Lyrics and Structure

The song opens with the verse: "Come now is the time to worship, come now is the time to bow. Come now is the time to kneeling before the King of Kings." Then the chorus kicks in: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, holy, holy is He. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, holy, holy is He." After the chorus comes a second verse with similar structure, then the bridge which builds intensity before returning to the final chorus. Some churches add a second instrumental break between the bridge and last chorus. I usually let the drummer build into a crescendo there rather than playing a separate chord change, keeps it simpler on stage.

Practical Tips I Have Learned Over Years of Playing This

One issue I ran into repeatedly: when playing at faster tempos, the G to D/Fbass movement can get muddy if your left hand isn't precise. The workaround I found is to let the keyboardist or acoustic guitar hold a sustained G while the bass plays the F#, or if you are solo playing, just arpeggiate the Em instead of strumming the full D/Fchord. It sounds cleaner and doesn't disrupt the flow. Another thing nobody mentions: this song works surprisingly well in D major if your singer struggles with the higher register in G. It just shifts every chord up two frets and the melody feels more relaxed for tenor voices. Transposition is standard practice and I do it often. The chord shapes stay the same, only the capo position changes.

Where to Find Reliable Lyrics and Chords

For Come Now Is The Time To Worship Lyrics And Chords, I typically reference the official sheet music published by Integrity Music or the lyrics available through CCLI licensed resources. Those are the most accurate since they reflect Malcolm Main's original arrangement. You can also find reliable chord charts on sites like Songsterr or WorshipChords, but verify them against the original recording to avoid common errors like missing the slash chords or incorrect bridge progressions. If you want a direct download, the official PDF from Integrity Music's website is freely available for personal use. I print those out rather than reading from a screen because screens flicker badly under stage lights and I have ruined more performances than I care to admit over bad lighting conditions. The song generally runs about three to four minutes depending on how many times you repeat the chorus. Most churches do two full verses, one bridge, and three choruses. Tempo sits around 72 to 76 BPM in the original recording, but live performances often stretch it slightly depending on the worship leader's feel.