Psalms in Worship—Psalm 98 A Litany of Hope and Joy

Published November 10, 2025

Updated November 10, 2025

trees by streams of water
By Joyce Borger

If your congregation follows the arc of the Christian year, you recognize that we are in its  final weeks. Soon will come Advent, the start of the new cycle, but on this penultimate Sunday of the year the church does well to pause and contemplate the end of the Biblical story as we know it. There will come a day of judgement. For those who do not follow Christ, this day will be a day of great fear, but for those who are united with Christ, this day will be a day of rejoicing, for justice will come. 

In a world where injustice and chaos seem to grow unabated, the church needs to be reminded of this reality. In the face of difficulties let us not lose heart; let us not grow weary of fighting for justice; let us not stop working to build God’s kingdom; let us not lose hope. It is hope that gives us the resilience we need, the strength to continue the work God has called us to do, and the joy to testify to God’s goodness and sing God’s praises despite being in the midst of difficult times. 

A great psalm to turn to as an act of resistance to the fear growing around us is Psalm 98. Below you will find the psalm adapted from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, and divided between a number of speakers as part of a conversation. It is scripted for two individual readers and two groups of people. Group 1 and Group 2 could be composed of members of the choir or another group of your design— for example, you could divide the congregation into higher and lower voices, or right and left sides of the sanctuary. If the group divisions present challenges, you can merge those parts into one portion that the congregation reads together.

Reader 1: 

Sing! 

Reader 2:

Sing what? 

Reader 1:

Sing to the Lord a new song,

Reader 2:

Well, why would I do that? 

Reader 1:

Because God has done marvelous things.

Reader 2:

What marvelous things? I’m not seeing marvelous things. 
[Insert headlines from that week’s news.]

I’d hardly call that marvelous. 
So tell me, what has God done that is so good?

Reader 1:

God’s right hand and his holy arm
    have gotten him victory.

The Lord has made known his victory;
    he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

Reader 2:

Victory? What victory? I’m just not seeing it. 

Reader 1:

God has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.

Reader 2:

Is that victory? 
Steadfast love and faithfulness are not what come to mind 
when I hear the word, “victory”. 
But yes, God does love us and has been faithful.

God has… 

[Insert ways that your community has seen God at work.]

Reader 1:

Even better than all of that, God sent Jesus, 
to be born here on earth, to live as a human, and to die, 
so that we might all be saved. 

Reader 2:

It is true that God has been good to us. 
God hasn’t left us and we can trust that God will continue to bless us. 

Indeed, 

all the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.

Reader 1+2

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

Group 1

Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody.

Group 2

With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Reader 1+2

At the presence of the Lord, 

Group 1

Let the sea roar and all that fills it,
    the world and those who live in it.

Group 2

Let the floods clap their hands;
    let the hills sing together for joy

Reader 1+2

for God is coming
    to judge the earth.

Group 1

God will judge the world with righteousness

Group 2

 and the peoples with equity.

Reader 1: 

Sing! 

Reader 2:

Yes, let us sing! For God is steadfast in love and faithful! 
Song of Response

“Joy to the World” Watts