Bishop’s Note – The Invitatory

Bishop Eric Menees

As we continue our examination of the 2019 BCP Service of Morning prayer we examine “The Invitatory.” The invitatory is composed of two parts – the call to worship and an invitatory psalm, either the Venite – Psalm 95 or the Jubilate – Psalm 100. The invitatory has been a part of the daily offices for centuries, and therefore endured the test of time.

Having cleansed our hearts by sincerely and contritely confessing our sins, and having received the cool balm of the words of absolution washing over us, we have sufficiently entered into the presence of the Lord.

In the call to worship we invite God Himself to open our lips that we may proclaim His praise. We invite the Lord to assist us because we need the Lord’s assistance with all things… up to and including praising His Holy Name!

Invitatory

Officiant O Lord, open our lips;

People And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Officiant O God, make speed to save us;

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Officiant Praise the Lord.

People The Lord’s Name be praised.

Immediately following the invitatory, we pray Psalm 95 – The Venite – or Psalm 100 – the Jubilate. These psalms take their names from the first words of the psalm. O Come is derived from the Latin - Venite, exultemus Domino - “O come Let us sing unto the Lord.” King David in this psalm lifts his heart to the Lord and so too do we as we pray this psalm!

Psalm 100 – The Jubilate is also derived from the Latin - Jubilate Deo - “O Be joyful in the Lord.” Again, King David extols himself and all of us to “Be joyful in the Lord!” Indeed we can be joyful in the Lord because His Grace surrounds us and impels us forward in Him as we worship Him in the Morning Office!

Venite

O Come

O come, let us sing unto the Lord; *

     let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *

     and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God *

     and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the depths of the earth *

     and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, *

     and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, *

     and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God, *

     and we are the people of his pasture,

     and the sheep of his hand.

The following verses may be omitted, except in Lent.

Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts *

     as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in

     the wilderness,

When your fathers tested me, *

     and put me to the proof, though they had seen my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said,

     “It is a people that err in their hearts,

     for they have not known my ways,”

Of whom I swore in my wrath *

     that they should not enter into my rest.

Psalm 95:1-7, 8-11

or this

Jubilate

Be Joyful

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *

     serve the Lord with gladness,

     and come before his presence with a song.

Be assured that the Lord, he is God; *

     it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves;

     we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,

and into his courts with praise; *

     be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, *

     and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm 100