Therefore we do not lost heart
even if our outer self is being destroyed
our inner self is being renewed
day after day.
For our momentary, slight affliction
is producing for us
beyond measure and proportion
an eternal weight of glory
we are not focussing on what is seen
but what is not seen
for the things that are seen are temporary
but the things that are not seen are eternal.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

Now we have this treasure
in jars of clay,
so that the surpassing quality of the power
may be God’s and not from us.
In every way afflicted
but not crushed
perplexed
but not despairing
persecuted
but not abandoned
knocked down
but not perishing.
Always carrying about
the deadness of Christ
in the body,
so that the life of Jesus
in our body
might be displayed.
For always
we who are living
are being handed over to death
because of Jesus
so that the life of Jesus
might be displayed
in our mortal body.
That is death is at work in us
but life in you.
But having the same spirit of faith
according to what was written:
‘I believed,
therefore I spoke’
we also believed
therefore we speak.
knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us with Jesus
and he will present (us) with you
For all these things (are) for you
so grace
extending
through many
with thanksgiving
might abound
to the glory of God.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

And even if our gospel is veiled
it is veiled to those who are perishing
among whom
the god of this age has blinded
the minds of the ‘rejecting-faith’ ones,
so that they cannot see the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ
who is the image of God.

For we do not proclaim ourselves
but Jesus Christ as Lord
and ourselves your slaves on account of Jesus
For God, who said
‘From darkness light will shine’
has shone in our hearts
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.

Eternal God and Father,
you create us by your power,
and redeem us by your love,
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves in love and service
to one another and to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Therefore,
having this ministry
inasmuch as we have been shown mercy,
we do not lose heart,
but
we have renounced
secret, shameful ways,
neither walking in deceit
nor distorting the word of God,
but by an open display of the truth
commending ourselves
to everyone’s conscience,
before God.

O Lord, in whom is our hope,
remove far from us, we pray thee,
empty hopes and presumptuous confidence.
Make our hearts so right with thy most holy and loving heart,
that hoping in thee we may do good;
until that day when faith and hope
shall be abolished by sight and possession,
and love shall be all in all.

Christina Rossetti (1830-94)

(…but whenever someone turns to the Lord
the veil is removed.)
And the Lord is the Spirit.
And where the Spirit of the Lord is – freedom!
And we all
having unveiled faces,
beholding the glory of the Lord
are being transformed into the same image,
from glory to (even more)glory
appropriately by the Lord
the Spirit.

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after thee,
and in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
that when thou comest,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious King, for ever and ever.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

So having such a hope
we act with great boldness
and not as Moses
putting a veil
over his face
in order that the Children of Israel
did not gaze
to the end of what was fading away
but their minds were hardened,
for until this day
at the reading of the old covenant
the same veil
remains
not lifted because it is (only) set aside in Christ
but until this day
whenever Moses is read
a veil lies over their heart
but whenever someone turns to the Lord
the veil is removed.

Lord God,
you feed us with the living bread from heaven;
you renew our faith,
increase our hope,
and strengthen our love.

Teach us to hunger
for Christ who is the true and living bread,
and to live by every word
that comes from your mouth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

But if the ministry of death
carved in letters of stone
was with glory,
so that the children of Israel were not able to
look intently at the face of Moses
because of the glory of his face,
(which was fading away)
how will the ministry of the Spirit
not be more glorious?
For if the ministry
of condemnation
(had) glory,
the ministry of righteousness
will abound with much more glory.
Indeed
what has been glorified (i.e. the ministry of death)
has not been glorified –
in this matter
by the surpassing glory.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.

Alcuin

Such is the confidence
we have
through Christ
before God.
Not that we are qualified in ourselves
to reckon anything as ( coming) from ourselves
but our qualification is from God
who also has qualified us
to be servants of a new covenant
not of the letter
but of the Spirit –
for the letter kills
but the Spirit gives life.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?
(or)
we don’t need
(as some people do)
letters of recommendation
to you or
from you, do we?
(or)
you are our letter,
written on our hearts
recognised and read by everyone
showing that you are a letter (written by) Christ ,
delivered by us,
written not with ink
but the Spirit of the Living God,
not on stone tablets
but on tablets of human hearts.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength we may seek thy face
and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alcuin (735-804)

But to God
–thanks be
who always leads us in a victory procession
in Christ
and
who spreads the aroma, the knowledge of him
through us
in every place.
Because we are
(ascending) to God
the fragrance of Christ
among those being saved
and among those perishing.
To some we are the aroma
from death to death
but to others
an aroma
from life to life,
– and who is adequate for these things?
For we are not
as many are
peddling / adulterate the word of God
but people of sincerity
indeed as from God,
– before God
in Christ

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert