The Third Movement: Invocation

Inviting the presence of God is a pretty odd thing. We confess God to be omnipresent, so the idea of inviting Him into our sacred gathering seems somewhat out of place. Wasn't He already there? Do we really need to invite Him?

If the Invitation is a recognition that we're part of a larger community and the Proclamation the tie back to the Truth that unites us, the Invocation is an acceptance of grace.

One of my favorite Scriptural truths is found in Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also give us all things?" In Jesus, God has already given us Himself. He has turned His face toward us in Christ, so our Invocation of His presence is simply acknowledging that reality. The way I like to think of it is, "He's been in this place long before I've gotten here, and He'll be here long after I'm gone. But for now, I recognize that He's actually looking my way."

This is where we start to cross the paradox of the omnipotent, transcendent God and the personal, immanent God. In the Proclamation, we declare the truths of the Almighty, Triune God Who is over all and in all. In the Invocation, we declare that the very same God is somehow interested in us. 

How do we approach God? There are many words and many ways that we might suggest, but there is only once substance: through Jesus. How else could we approach God?

The importance of the Invocation is that we recognize that the God of the Universe is interested in our little, seemingly insignificant lives. He has turned His face toward us in Christ, and through the invocation, we recognize His turning. Without this recognition, we're left far away from a God Who is so completely "other" than us. However, through this recognition, we will ultimately be able to confess and engage the Almighty God at a level of intimacy that seems unfathomable.

Friends, His face is already turned toward you. You only need acknowledge Him.