Week 2—Liturgy: Introduction, Invocation, Confession & Absolution
Introduction
The high and holy worship of God is faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Such faith is created and sustained by God’s Service to us. In the Divine Service, the Lord comes to us in His Word and Sacrament to bless and enliven us with His gifts. This Service is not something we do for God, but His service to us to be received in faith. The “liturgy†is God’s work. He gives and we receive.
Invocation
From God’s Word, we know that wherever God puts His Name, He is there to bless. In the Old Testament, the Temple was the place where God graciously caused His Name to be present.
God has put His Name—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—on you in Holy Baptism. The Divine Service begins “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.†Every Divine Service is for the hallowing of the Lord’s Name, which the Small Catechism reminds us is done “When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity and we as the children of God, also lead a holy life according to it.â€
Confession and Absolution
It is only through the forgiveness of sins that we enter into the life of heaven. To confess your sins is to speak the truth about your life. This truth you learn from the Word of God and He, through the Holy Spirit, teaches you to say what He says. God seeks that truth in the heart and on the lips. To confess your sin is to speak “Amen†to God’s just verdict that you have sinned against Him and so deserve only death and hell.
The truth of your sinfulness is answered by the truth of God’s forgiveness for the sake of the suffering and death of His Son. From the lips of a man “called and ordained†as a servant of the Word, your ears hear God Himself speaking absolution, that is, the forgiveness of sins. To that forgiveness, faith says “Amen,†to this verdict of God, “Amen†is the great word of worship; it indicates that the gift has been received.
Join us for Adult Catechumenate classes following each Wednesday Divine Service. This is offered for those that would like a refresher course on their catechetical instruction and especially for those desiring to join us and confess the Lutheran faith.