Invocation

This is church, not a doughnut shop.
On any given Sunday, the doughnut shop may be filled with Christians, but that doesn't mean that bakery is a church. 

The Invocation distinguishes this gathering of God's people from all other human gatherings. To be gathered "in the name'' of the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is to be identified as one of His own. 

Indeed, the very words are a reminder of our baptism, where we were baptized into this triune name. As Christ's holy people gather "in the name," it is no mere gathering of like-minded individuals or special-interest group. Rather, all our differences, our individualities, and even our separations, while not ignored or denied, are nevertheless superseded by our identity in Christ.