So far this year, I have been using this space to write about worship. I want to explore why we do what we do on Sunday mornings. My hope is that as we understand the meaning behind what we do, we will better appreciate it and be edified by it.
In January I started with a definition worship. It is important to understand what Christian worship is before we talk about how we worship. In short, worship is about receiving God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. In worship we receive God in our ears and in our mouths, and as we receive him, we receive all that he has done for us.
Last month we looked at preparation for worship. As we examine ourselves, we find ourselves to be sinful and unclean. Therefore, as we come to worship, we come reverently, seeking God’s mercy.
This month I want to look at the opening parts of the service, including the invocation, introit, and opening prayer.
The Invocation
We begin each service by invoking the name of God: “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is a confession of the Holy Trinity. This short phrase teaches that we worship the three in one. We worship three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), but they are only one God. Hence, the invocation speaks of only one Name. It is the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of these three persons share one divine nature and one name—the Lord. While Jesus gets the most attention in Christian worship, the Father and Holy Spirit are certainly not excluded.
The Introit
The word introit means “entrance” or “beginning.” The order of service in the Ambassador Hymnal calls it a “Call to Worship.” Often times it does call us to worship, but, historically, the concept is larger than that. It is a Scripture reading, typically from the Psalms, that gives us our first taste of the day’s theme. Sometimes it takes a little bit of thought to figure out the connection.
For example, on March 6 (Fourth Sunday in Lent), the Introit is Psalm 122: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! …” This Psalm speaks of the joy and anticipation of coming into God’s house.
The Gospel lesson is John 6:1-15—Jesus feeding the five thousand. The connection is not immediately clear, but the Introit helps us learn what Jesus’ miracle teaches us. Just as the Israelites were fed with manna in the wilderness, so that they could reach the Promised Land, so Jesus is the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35), which sustains us until we reach heaven. He feeds us with his own flesh and blood, so that he will raise us up on the last day (John 6:54) and bring us into our eternal home—the house of the Lord in heaven. The miracle in John 6 creates anticipation for the heavenly feast, just as Psalm 122 created anticipation for worship in the tabernacle and temple.
Opening Prayer
The opening prayer (page 2 in the hymnal) teaches us more about the Trinity. It addresses the three persons of the Trinity according to their work: Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter. And we call upon each of them as our “Lord.”
In this prayer we especially call upon the Holy Spirit, whose work it is to “open our hearts.” The Holy Spirit does this through the Word of God. The effect of this work is repentance and faith, so we ask God to do this. And then we also ask the Holy Spirit to grant the fruit of repentance—that we might “grow day by day in grace and holiness.”
This prayer recognizes the true nature of worship—repentance—and asks God to grant us this gift in our hearts. It is an excellent prayer because it is consistent with the will of God, and it focuses our attention on what is about to happen in in the service.
It has been good for me to review why we do these things and what they mean. I hope it brings fresh insight to you as well. I invite any questions or comments about our liturgy, because I am sure I have many things I can learn from all of you.
The peace of Christ be with you all,
Pastor Dan