O Lord, open our lips;
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Opening Sentance
All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign — a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). . . . . Isaiah 7:14.
Our Sovereign and Saviour draws near:
O come, let us worship.
Psalm 96
- O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth. - Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day. - Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous works among all the peoples. - For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods. - For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens. - Honour and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. - Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. - Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts. - Worship the Lord in holy splendour;
tremble before him, all the earth. - Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.’ - Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it; - let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy - before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
Special Collect
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
so that when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.