Into Liturgy, part 2
We continue to explore the components of our Sunday liturgical worship (the Divine Service) from start to finish in the order which they appear. This month, we examine the Invocation along with the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness.
Invocation
For Lutherans, the invocation is the opening prayerful act through which we humbly, yet confidently acknowledge God’s divine presence during worship. Baptized into his name – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we seek God’s blessing as we come to hear his Word and receive his grace. As we are gathered in God’s name, we remember that in baptism, we are sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Thus, it is proper to make the sign of the cross over your body, beginning at the forehead (Father), then moving to the abdomen (Son), then left to right across your heart (Holy Spirit).
Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness
(Absolution)
After the Invocation, the Brief Order for Confession and Absolution in divine service prepares us to enter the place where heaven and earth are united in God’s name. Sins are confessed, and through the office of the keys, are absolved by the one called under the authority of Christ himself to absolve (forgive) sins. The congregation receives absolution from the Pastor as from God himself. The Pastor’s act of absolving is God’s forgiveness conveyed upon repentant sinners. Here, the Office of the Keys, the special authority Christ has given to his church to loosen or bind sins (John 20:21-23) is used publicly by the Pastor as a called and ordained servant of God’s Word.