The Divine Service tells the story of salvation. That story begins with our Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is God the Father who created us (Gen. 1). It is God the Son (the pre-incarnate Christ) through whom the Father created all things (John 1). It’s the Holy Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation (Gen. 1:2). That same Triune God is present and active in the water and word of Holy Baptism (Mat. 28:19), where a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) took place, where you were washed clean of your sin (Titus 3:5) and given a clear conscience before God (1 Pet. 3:21), buried with Christ Jesus in His death and raised with Him in His resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).

God chose you, not the other way around (John 15:16). From the beginning we are reminded of whose we are, to whom we belong, whose name was put upon us at the font. In worship, we are gathered there not by ourselves for ourselves, but by God for His doing His loving work among us, in us and through us. He has His way with us, which, by the way, is a good way. Where He puts His name, there is life. Where He puts His name there is blessing into eternity.

As the Divine Service begins, we recognize right away that we are not gathered to merely to speak to God, but for Him to speak to us, to continue to work His name on us as His people, to continue the work begun in our baptism. The beginning looks back to our baptism and ahead to what the Lord continues to work in us, what He will do even then through Word and Sacrament. According to our Baptism, the Lord is always with us. We know with certainty that in worship, where He comes among us with His gifts, He is with us to bless us life and salvation.

Some Christians make the sign of the cross during the Invocation. This is a matter of personal piety and Christian freedom. It is not merely “Catholic” as in Roman Catholic. It is “catholic” (small c), that is, “universal.” Making the sign of the cross calls to mind our baptism, just as the Invocation does. When you were baptized, the pastor made the sign of the cross on your forehead and on your heart, to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. The cross of our Lord is at the core of your identity as one who belongs to God. Martin Luther believed that making the sign of the cross was a helpful practice for the Christian, so he included it in the Small Catechism as a suggested daily practice. Again, it is a matter of Christian freedom, not something you “must” do.

So the story begins. The Lord is present in worship to bless His people. He has made us part of His story in Christ, by incorporating us into Christ’s death and resurrection. What comes after in the Divine Service flows from that blessed truth. Next month we well explore the Confession and Absolution.

In Christ,

Pastor Fritsche