Psalms in Worship—Psalm 98 for Christmas

Come let us worship, 

We come as a people of hope. 
As the psalmist says, 

O sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
    have gotten him victory.

We have hope for God has done marvelous things,
the Christ-child is born. 

[The first candle is lit]
 

We come as a people of love, for God loved us first. 

The Lord has made known his victory;
    he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the victory of our God.

We light the candle of love. 

[The second candle is lit.]
 

We come as a people of joy. 

Make a joyful noise to the Lord , all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Let us celebrate with joy the gift of a child-king. 

[The third candle is lit.]
 

We come worshiping the bringer of peace, 
a peace that arises from righteousness and justice. 

Let the sea roar and all that fills it,
    the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
    let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
    and the peoples with equity.
—Psalm 98

The King of Peace has come, 
and brings justice and peace. 

[The fourth candle is lit.]
 

We come to worship Christ, our Lord,  

“In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God.  
He was in the beginning with God.  

All things came into being through him, 
and without him not one thing came into being. 
What has come into being  in him was life, 
and the life was the light of all people. 
The light shines in the darkness, 
and the darkness did not overtake it… 

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, 
and we have seen his glory, 
the glory as of a father’s only son, 
full of grace and truth.
—John 1:1–5, 14

[Christ candle is lit.] 
 

The journey to Bethlehem is over, 
Christ has come. 
O Come, let us adore him!