About Our Liturgy

The Introit and Chanting in the Divine Service

Introit (pronounced in-tro-it) comes from the Latin word introitus, which means “entrance.” The Introit is the Psalm sung at the beginning of the Service of the Word as we enter into God’s presence. This entrance is signified by the pastor’s movement as he walks up the steps of the chancel and approaches the altar for the first time in the Divine Service.

The Introit contains three parts: the antiphon, Psalm verse(s), and the Gloria Patri. The antiphon is a Bible verse or liturgical text that announces the theme of the Scripture readings for the day, specifically pointing to the Gospel reading. The Psalm verses that follow the antiphon expand and reflect on this theme. The Gloria Patri (Latin for “Glory be to the Father…”) points us again to the name of the Triune God given to us in Baptism and proclaims that everything done in the Divine Service is done to the glory of God. The antiphon is repeated at the end to reiterate the theme we are about to hear in the readings.

The Introit has its roots in the Old Testament. Synagogue worship began with the singing of the Psalms, and the priests and Jewish pilgrims sang the Psalms of Ascent as they traveled to Jerusalem and ascended the steps of the Temple for festivals. Likewise, in the Early Church, the people gathered before the Divine Service and sang Psalms as they waited for the service to begin. When the pastor arrived, he led the people into the nave while chanting a Psalm. Specific Psalms were appointed for certain days of the Church year by the 5th century.

The practice of chanting the Psalms and the liturgy (as opposed to speaking) has been part of worship since the Old Testament. Chanting was retained in the Early Church and by Martin Luther in his reforms of the liturgy. Chanting marks worship as being holy; the Divine Service is not an ordinary or casual thing but it is set apart from the secular world. The practice of chanting the liturgy confesses that something is happening here which commands our reverence and full attention. Chanting also assists in proclaiming God’s Word. Chant is elevated speech which causes us to sing and listen more deliberately to the text. Chanting, like other forms of music, aids in learning and memory. Psalm tones and antiphons are simple and repetitive so that they are easy to learn and help us call to mind the Psalms throughout the week. Likewise, many parts of the liturgy are sung to allow for participation across all ages as we join our voices together as one body of Christ.

Confession and Absolution

 “Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven” (Small Catechism, LSB p. 326).

Confession and Absolution is a rite of preparation for the Divine Service. The Greek word for confession is homologeo, which means, “to say the same.” When we confess our sins, we are simply speaking back to God what He has already spoken to and about us in His Word. God has declared in His Law that we inherit the original sin of Adam and that we ourselves daily commit sins of thought, word, and deed (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3). We acknowledge and accept His righteous judgment for sin, that we deserve “present and eternal punishment” (LSB p. 151). When we confess our sins, we recognize that we cannot approach God on our own and expect to live. Confession points us to our need for Christ as we turn to Him in repentance and plead for mercy. By using the rite of Confession and Absolution in preparation for the Divine Service, we acknowledge that everything that happens in the Divine Service is by virtue of God’s grace toward us, not by any merit or worthiness in ourselves.

The absolution pronounced by the pastor is more than a mere reminder that we are forgiven. Forgiveness is declared “in the stead and by the command” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave the power of the keys to the Church, which has entrusted it to the pastor (John 20:19-23). When the pastor speaks in this manner, he is declaring on behalf of God Himself that we are forgiven on account of Christ. The peace and reconciliation that Christ won for the whole world by His life, death, and resurrection is given to us in the words here spoken through the pastor, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit” (LSB p. 151). The absolution sets the tone for the Divine Service where the Gospel is delivered through the liturgy, preaching, and Lord’s Supper.

As in the invocation, the congregation may make the sign of the cross at the words of absolution as a reminder that in our Baptism we were crucified and raised with Christ. Being covered with Christ’s robe of righteousness in Baptism and having received the absolution, we poor sinners can stand in God’s presence to receive the gifts which He so freely bestows upon us in His Word and Sacraments.

The Prelude and the Invocation

The purpose of the prelude is to set the stage and to assist the congregation in preparing their hearts and minds for the service. Preludes are often based on hymns, which call to mind a particular text and offer further opportunity for meditation on God’s Word, and they reflect the character and mood of the day or season.

Most services formally begin with the Invocation: “In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In the beginning, all three persons of the Trinity were present and active in creating the world (Genesis 1:1-3). So also all three persons of the Trinity are active in creating new life in the waters of Holy Baptism as God speaks the words of Christ through the pastor, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). In Baptism, the name of God is given to us, and we are brought into His family.

Scripture also tells us that where God’s name is, there He is present: “In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you,” (Exodus 20:24) and, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). God’s name does not indicate an abstract presence, but that He is present and actively working to bless His people in that place. God is present everywhere, but in the Divine Service He is present in a sacramental way to bless us with His gifts.

Beginning the Divine Service with the Invocation reminds us that we are gathered together as baptized Christians and members of one family as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is also a proclamation that God is present and active in our midst working through the liturgy to deliver to us the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. It is not we who call God down to earth, but God who gathers us together to continue the work He began in our Baptism as He serves us in the Divine Service.

The Lutheran Service Book includes the rubric, “The sign of the cross + may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism” (p. 151). The sign of the cross was first traced on us in our Baptism: “Receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your + forehead and upon your + heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified” (p. 268). Making the sign of the cross at the Invocation and at other times during the liturgy is an ancient practice that reminds us that we enter into God’s presence having been clothed with Christ’s righteousness in our Baptism to receive His holy gifts as fellow heirs with Christ.