This past weekend, August 17-20, I served as a table pastor at Kairos #13 at Ross Correctional Institute in Chilicothe, Ohio. I am trying to put into words what the experience was like, but I don’t know where to start. I guess I will begin with a description of Kairos…
Kairos is a short-course on Christianity like the “Walk to Emmaus” or Cursillo for the residents of correctional institutions.
The Mission of Kairos, is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families, and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen[i].
Kairos Prison Ministry is a ministry rather than a movement. Kairos is a ministry of the church ... a ministry of the apostles whom Jesus, the Christ, has called into community and sent forth into the environment of the correctional institution. Kairos has been called the best example of the early church in existence today[ii]. I chose to get involved with Kairos for 2 reasons: 1) I have felt the Holy Spirit encouraging me to get involved in prison ministry because of Mtt. 25:36, 2) the testimony of other volunteers (including my wife, Stephanie), and 3) Kairos seeks to help create a community of believers within the institution…
In a hymn about the Holy Spirit, Charles Wesley wrote, “O come and dwell in me, Spirit of power within, and bring the glorious liberty from sorrow, fear, and sin.”[iii] In John 8:36 Jesus says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” That is Glorious Liberty. That is True freedom. Without the Holy Spirit dwelling in us individually and corporately, we are unable to escape our inclination to sin, but when we surrender to Christ Jesus as Lord we are free to be all that God created us to be. That is what Jesus is talking about in these verses from John 8. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (vss. 34-35). The Good News is that because of God’s overwhelming love we do not have to continue as slaves to sin. Look at Isaiah 61:1-3 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. This is the text that Jesus quoted in His home town synagogue when He said, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.[iv]" This is Good News! And at RCI Kairos #13, I saw why. Every resident who comes to the retreat is given a prayer book called a Freedom Guide, which we used throughout the weekend so that they could learn to use it in their personal devotions, in Kairos reunion and Prayer & Share meetings, and in their small groups. As I was driving back to RCI this past Thursday (August 24, 2006) I was reflecting on the previous weekend and all I learned and witnessed. I was thinking about the Freedom Guide. I realized that Freedom Guide is good name for followers of Jesus Christ. On the final morning of the retreat I gave a devotion entitled “Sending Us Forth.” I reminded everyone of the grace, love, and power that we all experienced, and I challenged us all to continue in the journey of Christian faith. I gave a challenge to use the mountaintop experience of a Kairos weekend to propel them through the valleys that will come. I gave a challenge to live a life that points others to Jesus—I gave a challenge to be Freedom Guides. I want to share some of the experience of the Kairos Weekend with you now and issue you the same challenge to be Freedom Guides.
Over the course of a weekend I witnessed the transformative power of the presence of God. I experienced being used by God to convey His Good News—a message of unconditional love and true freedom. I was confronted by a sinful prejudice that I have been holding onto for way too long, and I learned an important lesson about the ministry to which Jesus Christ calls His Church.
· I witnessed the transformative power of the presence of God. For 8 weeks prior to the weekend, those of us who were going to be volunteering inside met on Friday evenings in order to prepare. We had a time of devotion, we were given security briefings by a couple of corrections officers from Ross, we previewed the talks some were going to give, and we prayed for and with each other. Being a rookie, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and the veterans did a decent job of answering most of my questions before I even thought to ask. Many people told me how incredible it is to bear witness to Spirit of God working in the lives of people in prison—people who have lost all hope, but it truly is an experience beyond description because we are talking about the very work of God! This is what it is all about, folks. Presenting the God’s story of freedom and reconciling love in such a way that people who have not even acknowledged their need of God find they are loved and that God’s story of True Freedom can be their story. Many of the men I met on Thursday evening were not the same by the closing service on Sunday afternoon. I met guys who wanted me to be frightened of them. I met men who made it obvious that were not going to “open up” they were just there for the great food & cookies. I sensed an air of distrust in just about every resident I met. Some of the guys came hoping to meet God and their hope was answered! But many came in at least wanting us to believe that they had no interest in God or religion. What the residents didn’t know was, people all over Ohio, the nation, and around the world were praying for RCI Kairos #13 and the presence of God was tangible. That chapel building at RCI became what the ancient Celts would have called a “thin” place meaning a place where the spiritual and physical are very close. Before the retreat began I prayed that God would use me to speak His love and acceptance to these men who feel so unloved and unaccepted. I prayed that I could get out of God’s way. My prayers were answered and…
· I experienced being used by God to convey His Good News—a message of unconditional love and true freedom. Friday morning I read the morning devotion. I was unaware that I would be doing any talking to the entire group before Thursday. I was given 2 devotions to read because our team of volunteers had become smaller just a few days before the retreat. As I stood and the devotion Friday morning and looked out at the residents the Spirit of God washed over me and I began to see those men as God sees them—precious. These guys were hurting, lost, angry, confused, and sad. I saw myself in them. I saw them in me. I was struck by the realization that while everyday I walk in freedom, they barely have any say at all about their day to day lives. They are there because of some bad choices they made, but they are still men created in the image of God just like me. Both times I got the opportunity to stand in front of the entire group to read devotions I felt God working through me—it was awesome! One of the men at my table received salvation and has submitted a request to be baptized by me! At one point on Saturday evening I turned to another one of the men at my table (the Family of Mark) and out of the blue asked him when he was going to start preaching—surprised, he looked at me and said earlier that day another volunteer had asked him the same thing. Before I asked him that, the thought hadn’t even entered my mind because he had been very quiet the whole time. Also, several men asked to meet with me one on one for counsel and prayer. I was overwhelmed by this because there were 6 other clergy persons there all of whom have way more experience than I. The residents could request to speak with any of us and many chose me. They asked some tough questions and shared some tough experiences and I listened and prayed and God gave me the answers and the love they needed! Wow! Most of the experience during that Kairos weekend was positive, but there was something negative and unexpected…
· I was confronted by a sinful prejudice that I have been holding onto for way too long. I became aware of it Thursday as we were all going around the room introducing ourselves. I have been aware of this prejudice for quite some time, but I had done such a good job of suppressing it and denying it that I forgot it was in me until it reared its ugly head that 1st evening. I do not hold any racial prejudice. I am guilty of a sinful attitude that is much more insidious and universal than racism—classism. Growing up in the suburbs I was shielded from the desperate poverty that is a reality for many Americans and even more people outside the United States. Some of the guys I met were functionally illiterate, some were missing teeth, most had much less education than I do and for a moment I was repulsed! Fortunately, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the sinful attitude & I immediately repented. I bowed my head & prayed silently. I confessed this sinful attitude and asked God to love these men through me in spite of myself until God could love them through me with me. God answered! When we got back to the church where we were sleeping I confessed my sinful attitude to one of my teammates and then to Stephanie on the telephone. God worked a miracle in my heart that weekend—He stretched to love more people than I was willing to love before. Which leads me to my final point…
· I learned an important lesson about the ministry to which Jesus Christ calls His Church. At the top of the 1st page of the Freedom Guide are the words “Listen-Listen—Love-Love.” That is the ministry of the Church! The lost and hurting people of the world are all around us and they are crying out for someone who will listen to them and someone who will love them with no strings attached. That is what we tried to be for those 42 residents at RCI Kairos #13. I thought I knew what God’s “Agape” Love was all about. Now I know I have a lot to learn. The team I served with, including everyone who helped by giving cookies, making posters, praying, and giving financial gifts taught me how far the love of God can stretch us when we let it and let me tell you, the more you let God love others through you, the more love you get experience yourself. It’s like the song by Michael W. Smith that says “Love, isn’t love until you give it away.” Love. Why do we try and make things so difficult? Jesus gave us the answer when He was asked about the greatest commandment: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””[v] I learned “Listen-Listen—Love-Love” first hand when one of the residents from another table family was sharing the meaning of a poster they made in response to one of the talks. Every day, even at the closing, he wore a Kufi-the head covering worn by Muslim men. The poster had a cross, a crescent moon, a Star of David, one other religious symbol on it. He talked about many paths to one god and alarms started going off in my head. I stifled an urge to speak out against this heresy. I found myself feeling angry at the clergy person at his table for letting this heresy be proclaimed. Just then I realized that my face was betraying my feelings. Again I found myself disgusted by my own sinful attitude. I prayed and repented. I prayed for that young man—I pray for him all the time. At the next break I made myself go talk with him. No one judged him or told him he was wrong, which is what he expected. Everyone extended love to this man, and he is closer to the Kingdom of God because of it. While I disagree with him about the truth of God, I have no right to think of myself as better than he is because of my faith. I have studied in order to be ready to argue Muslims out of their faith. I learned at Kairos that it is better love people into the truth than to berate them for their inaccuracies. The Lord helped me to remove 2 huge planks from eyes last weekend in order to prepare me help others to remove the speck from their eyes.
The challenge for all of us is to “Listen-Listen—Love-Love.” As we live our lives God is calling us to be Freedom Guides for the people around us who are still imprisoned in sin. Amen.
[i] http://www.kairosprisonministry.org/
[ii] ibid.
[iii] Wesley, Charles. “O Come and Dwell in Me.” UM Hymnal #388
[iv] Luke 4:21
[v] Matthew 22:37-40
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