A Choral Reading of 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:1, 5-15

ONE: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

TWO: And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord

TWO & THREE (slightly repeating after each other, like an echo): as though reflected in a mirror,

TWO: are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory

THREE: to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

FOUR: Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 

THREE: For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 

TWO: For it is the God who said,

ALL: “Let light shine out of darkness,”

TWO: who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

FOUR: But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

ALL (quietly): And does not come from us.

ONE: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;

TWO: perplexed, but not driven to despair; 

THREE: persecuted, but not forsaken;

FOUR: struck down, but not destroyed; 

ONE & TWO: always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 

THREE & FOUR: for while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. 

ONE & THREE: So death is at work in us,

TWO & FOUR: but life in you. 

TWO: But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—

ALL: “I believed, and so I spoke”

TWO:—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus

TWO & THREE: will raise us also with Jesus,

ALL: and will bring us with you into his presence. 

THREE: Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends

THREE & FOUR: to more and more people,

THREE, FOUR & ONE: may increase thanksgiving,

ALL: to the glory of God. 

Note to readers: To allow the voices to sound like one voice, please don’t pause between lines when the sentence continues. Sometimes it helps to rehearse in unison at first, quoting the verses together.