NEWS
Discovering the good in simple things Christ asks us to do!
‘While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.’ Mark 14:22-23
Both in church and in prison recently I’ve thought to myself how easy it is as a minister from a Free Churches tradition to miss out on the simple meal of remembrance Jesus called us to. But two things strike me here; firstly how simple is this meal really, and secondly just how much we really do miss out? The Eucharist, Lord’s Supper, Communion or Breaking Bread together service naturally draws us towards the symbolism, perhaps the sacrementalism, the very act of remembrance, and the presence of the Trinity in this meal. When I share communion in prison I am drawn time and again to the willingness with which Jesus shared this event with one who has been so often vilified over the years, his betrayer Judas.
Over the years many theologians have discussed the fellowship gathered together to meet with their Lord in a special act of remembrance. Arguments have flown about the nature of the elements and their meaning during the service, who can and cannot administer which parts of the service, the effects on the participants of not taking Jesus’ call to recognise him seriously and so on. However recently I’ve been drawn to think several times about Jesus calling us to do this simply because it is another thing that is good for us, drawing us closer to him, to his Father, and to the Spirit.
Bread and wine – simple, yet hugely complex elements. My brother-in-law has recently taken up the hobby of wine-making, and anyone looking at the spreadsheets he has created to help him monitor the progression of his creations would conclude that this is anything but simple. And anyone who has watched Paul Hollywood dissect a piece of bread on bakeoff would again know that there is more to this flour and yeast combination than meets the eye! Collaboration with the natural processes of fermentation to my untrained eye certainly has something of the mysterious about it.
The transformation of hurting people too has something of the mysterious about it. Why is it that some whom we work with seem to ‘take’, and some seem to need more time to develop? Why do journeys of faith, seemingly so secure as they approach the prison gate suddenly seem so fragile in the hours following release? And how does God take what some may see as a hopeless soul and change this into a glorious life lived fully. In prison chaplaincy we do see all of these, and every time the outworkings are in my mind mysterious. Both good news and bad news stories seem to me to have the mysterious element about them; the same element that takes the ‘normal’ elements of fermented grape and baked wheat to give us a way to meet Jesus together.
As we meet around the elements of the bread and wine, we meet together the Trinity in relationship. The Father sending his son, Jesus’ obedience in leaving the glory of heaven and submitting himself to death on the cross, and the ongoing work of the Spirit in the power of the resurrection. In the substance of the bread and the wine, the right ingredients, taken through the right process and eaten in the right mindset bring us closer to our creator, and in this mystery we are changed.
The Institute of the Study of Happiness in Copenhagen (yes, there is such a place!) has recently concluded that eating together is one of the most common and universal elements which leads people to a better sense of wellbeing. It does us good. How much more potential does eating together in the conscious presence of the triune God have? As I say, maybe this is simply another thing that Jesus calls us to because he knows it does us good.
Let us not miss out on those things that do us good. No wonder Jesus broke bread and gave thanks.
Bob Wilson
Secretary for Prison Chaplaincy and Free Church Faith Advisor
Prisons Week 2017, 8-14 October 2017
"Press On"
Prisons Week Runs from 8-14 October 2017. Prayer leaflets are freely available for churches and individuals to join in prayer across the UK. You can order the leaflet via Prisons Week website here or email: info@prisonsweek.org or download here.
Watch Prisons Week 2017 video here. "Press On", written and performed by Kenny Baraka, for Prisons Week 2017
Full Script below ...
To our Mother, ‘art in heaven,
beg you listen, will be done,
’til the system is that,
we birds of a feather ‘ere we PRESS ON!
To our Father, ‘art in heaven,
beg you listen, kingdom come,
from the beginning ’til we get there, altogether, pray we PRESS ON!
Pled to the larceny, conspiracy, possession with intent but man they swear down it was those grievously bodied that I was shipped for.
When really though, was no impulse control [I] should’ve been charged with plus the mash at my nan’s, ‘nother 7 years on the re-up,
but then just 6 years later,
release me for good behavior,
in the hopes that I would slowly transition [right] back into the fold.
It’s like trying to breathe underwater but when going back’s not option
I’m learning to walk on water God’s son forever. PRESS ON!
And we let you know you aren’t alone,
we family go though it with you,
feel your pain down in our bones.
Funny how you rarely hear about the ones they left at home though in the wake of all that happened,
left a lot of broken homes.
A double shift just trying to make it better for you when you [get] home.
Or how our house is not a home since you been gone, things been different.
But we visiting just the same,
not going through this on your own.
So, when your strength start to weaken here’s a shoulder for you to PRESS ON!
Answer the phone when duty calling
but living a life both in and outside of them prison walls.
Seeing both things for how they could and too often they really are,
could drive anyone [of] us insane,
I hear ya man.
Keep ya head up.
whether helping better themselves ‘til their sentence is done,
or helping them stay safe, a hero’s work’s never done though.
Try and tell them in the end,
when all’s been said you done seen that their mind is the only prison,
hope they listen,
may you PRESS ON!
And as a servant of the court,
you swore an oath: uphold the law over all the things you believe in.
But when the bailiff’s underpaid,
the caseworker’s understaffed,
and the clerks so overworked they postponing every arraignment.
Then the justice system isn’t,
even half [of] what you was taught.
But keep your promise that like stenographer’s keys
that you PRESS ON!
But y’all don’t hear me,
what I’m saying is if we all this ship together, effects ripple the pond
So, whatever part of that prison life you isn’t or are,
Whatever postcode,
Borough,
Or estates that you from.
From all the innocent victims,
not falling a victim to it.
Whose getting back on their horses.
It’s just it wasn’t your fault, PRESS ON!
To mothers scared to let their kids out,
Shopkeepers keeping the kids out.
To you kids who keep pulling your knives out,
snake keep eating its tail.
It’s a vicious cycle,
vultures circle, man, woman and child.
So, regardless of your religion,
it’s only when all of us God’s children,
all finally come together that her will will be done.
When all us shoulder to shoulder,
all soldiers in God’s army all making it out the valley,
that his kingdom has come.
So in essence this call to prayer,
is really a call to arms that we PRESS ON!
In Christ’s name we pray, can I get an amen?!
To our Mother, ‘art in heaven,
beg you listen, will be done,
’til the system is the,
we birds of a feather’s ‘ere we PRESS ON!
To our Father, ‘art in heaven,
beg you listen, kingdom come,
from the beginning ’til we get there, altogether, pray we PRESS ON!
Prisons Week 2017
8th - 14th October 2017
A week of prayer
"Press On"
‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my
goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took
hold of me.’ Philippians 3:12 (NIV)
Prisons Week aims to encourage prayer and awareness of the needs of prisoners and their families, victims of offenders, prisons staff and all those who care, reflected in the Prisons Week Prayer offered throughout the week:
Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison. Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist. Support with your love prisoners and their families and friends, prison staff and all who care. Heal those who have been wounded by the activities of others, especially the victims of crime. Help us to forgive one another. To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly together with Christ in His strength and in His Spirit, now and every day. Amen.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby writes:
The Apostle Paul here speaks as someone who knows the pain of endurance and hopelessness. Tortured and beaten, in prison many times for his faith, he nonetheless spoke to fellow prisoners about the hope he had found in Jesus. He had started as offender, hurting and maiming others, but found forgiveness and new life in Jesus. Yet life did not magically grow easier; instead he had to learn to live with his past, and face an uncertain present of false accusations and persecution for his faith. He was someone kept alive by hope, who endured and persevered in the face of desperate circumstances.
What better inspiration for all those connected to the criminal justice system, than Paul’s words? For the victims who struggle day by day to live with memories and scars, and hope for a better tomorrow; for the staff, who patiently come alongside broken men and women, and walk with them the slow road towards change; for prisoners themselves, trying to make sense of their lives, fighting against the scars and choices of the past and fear of the future; and for the families and friends of those in prison, faithfully visiting and supporting. Paul encourages all not to give up hope, but keep their eyes on the goal, keep going. Yet this isn’t about making efforts and working harder. It is about recognising that in Jesus, God has already ‘taken hold’ of us. That victims, prisoners, staff and families, are not walking this road alone, but God, who loves them, is ready to walk with them. In Prison Week, we stand in prayer with all who carry on in hope, that they would know they are loved by God and have the faith and courage to press on towards new life.
The Most Rev. and the Rt Hon. the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
Each day of the week, a new prayer brings into focus a different group affected by prison or criminal justice. Churches and individuals are also asked to reflect on what they might do or offer as part of their response, through the range of Christian agencies and charities involved in supporting Prisons Week.
Download the Prayer Leaflets here and more information please visit here.
Hope for Prisons in 2017
What are we hoping to achieve in 2017? Read Bob Wilson's thoughts, here in his latest article...
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” Hebrews 11:6
What are we hoping to achieve in 2017? Have the events, all of which seem to feature a newly elected leader, cause us to have or lose hope? Do we hope that we will experience peace through, despite of, or beyond our pain? Do we hope to see loved ones, long separated from us again? Do we hope to get our children into the right school? All of these seem worthy hopes … hopes that we may even pray about, but what part does hope play as we seek to live out our lives in faith? 2017 is a year when as the Free Churches Group we are supporting the initiative Prison Hope. Last Sunday I was preaching in a prison on the subject of Hope, with hope being the stuff that faith is made of (Heb 11:1) … but what do we picture when you hear the word hope?
Is it a picture of a child standing on the stairs waiting eagerly for his dad to walk past the bottom, then shouting “Dad catch me” a fraction of a second before hurling himself into mid air … in hope? Or is it a picture of a drought-devastated villager praying for rain in the sun with waterproofs to hand … in hope? Can we trust that our dad is powerful enough to catch us if we jump? Can we trust that the character of the God of the universe is good enough to bring rain?
We all hope that the Father will always catch the son, and that after the drought will come the rain. In doing so our faith rises and we are equipped to climb the stairs or walk out into the heat again … and again … and again!
That’s what we know faith to be - putting our belief and trust in something or somebody outside of ourselves, and then acting on that belief. Thinking about the examples given in Hebrews 11:1-40, for instance, Abraham, venturing from his home to the unfamiliar, trusting a promise that wouldn’t materialize for decades. How about that same patriarch, placing his beloved son, Isaac, on the altar, trusting that somehow God would either provide an alternate sacrifice or raise his son from the dead? Or think about Moses, choosing to leave behind the pleasures and power of the pharaoh’s palace to shepherd a group of grumblers out of slavery into the Promised Land. Step by step and day-by-day Moses acted on his faith in a promise that wouldn’t even completely materialize until after his death. The writer of Hebrews recounts these and many other examples of trust in this chapter.
Of course, acting on faith isn’t always easy. It calls us to step away from what is comfortable and safe and, like a child halfway up the stairs, look into unknown and unfamiliar circumstances. We are living through disturbing times in the Prison Service. Increasingly we are seeing violence, self-destruction, unrest and we wait on the Lord for answer to prayer. And as we wait, we act in faith! The questions we face are as simple as the question in the child’s heart when he’s on those stairs. Can we trust that our Father is powerful enough? And do we trust that He is good? The answer to both questions if we understand and believe the teaching of God’s Word, is a resounding “Yes!” Our all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God can handle every situation we face; He is not surprised to see the horror of a prison in riot or another brother who has felt that hope has totally deserted him and that he cannot cope anymore, and because He is the very essence and definition of what is good, not only does he weep, but he acts; and he often acts through us. He will always do what is right and we can trust Him to ultimately not let us fall or fail. When those without hope or faith around us are in darkness or pain, we hope and we continue to have faith. And He acts. And we act.
What I like best is that Hebrews 11:6 tells us that hope and faith trigger a response of pleasure in God’s heart. As we demonstrate our trust in Him, He is not apathetic or indifferent, but actually delights in our belief in Him. In fact, as His children, the writer says, we cannot please Him without faith! It is impossible.
I don’t know what “step” you are standing on today. But I do know the character of the Father who is calling you to act on your faith in Him. I invite you to the pleasure of trusting Him today.
Bob Wilson
Prisons Week 2016
Free Churches Moderator, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, share his thoughts on at the start of Prisons Week.
As I write, initiatives are in hand all around the country to inspire the nation’s churches to pray for all involved in the Criminal Justice Service. We are being urged to engage more effectively with prisons and prisoners, chaplains and officials, law-makers and law-enforcers, victims and rehabilitators. It is one week in the year when our focus can shift to effect the fifty-one weeks that follow.
This Prisons Week it was my privilege to speak at the launch in Pentonville Prison. Taking this year’s theme of ‘Lord, have mercy’ I was able to speak on the significance of Pauls’ words in Ephesians 3:15 ‘He [Christ] has broken down the middle wall of separation’, underscoring the importance of showing mercy without condescension – even-handedly, sacrificially and securing equality of access.
Those of us present were aware that the walls of separation that can exist in our minds, ensuring that many never give Prisons and the Criminal Justice System a thought, can be greater than the 15ft walls of Pentonville prison that surrounded us. Paul’s words to the Ephesians are certainly still relevant!
Interestingly, there was ample evidence at the service of how other walls can be broken down. The co-operation between the institutions and the Churches was remarkable. Not only were many of our Free Church denominations and chaplains represented, with contributions from myself and a Baptist magistrate, but the Governor and offenders took part, along with Pentonville’s Anglican Chaplain, the RC HQ Advisor, the Bishop of Rochester and Pastor Agu Irukwu of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Rarely do we get the chance to see our sermons illustrated so visibly!
Revd Dr Hugh Osgood
Moderator of the Free Churches Group
For more information to get involved in Prisons Week, please visit here