Sorrow and Suffering

He was a Man of Sorrows

and familiar with suffering.  

(Isaiah 53:3)

The Son of Sorrow

Staring Down Forever

With an Aching View

The Lord's Supper in Prison

Here are a few sentences from the document "Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry."  These words reminded me of the importance of the Lord's Supper in the prison setting.

Solidarity in the eucharistic communion of the body of Christ and responsible care of Christians for one another and the world find specific expression in the liturgies: in the mutual forgiveness of sins; the sign of peace; intercession for all; the eating and drinking together; the taking of the elements to the sick and those in prison or the celebration of the eucharist with them. All these manifestations of love in the eucharist are directly related to Christ’s own testimony as a servant, in whose servanthood Christians themselves participate. As God in Christ has entered into the human situation, so eucharistic liturgy is near to the concrete and particular situations of men and women. In the early Church the ministry of deacons and deaconesses gave expression in a special way to this aspect of the eucharist. The place of such ministry between the table and the needy properly testifies to the re-deeming presence of Christ in the world.

Troubling Stats

Here are some troubling stats from Prison Fellowship:

•  2.3 million Americans are behind bars
•  92% will be released from prison
•  2 out of 3 will reoffend within three years

Like Prison Fellowship, New Life is determined to break the cycle of crime and incarceration by the power of the Spirit.  Nothing is impossible for God.

What I'm Reading

Here is one of the books I'm reading.  I actually have 2 or 3 books that I'm juggling but this one here is a gem.  It's Ken Sande's take on Resolving Everyday Conflict.  Sande claims that conflict is not an abnormal thing - it is an expected part of our reality in this fallen world.  What differs is our response to conflict.  We have a certain fallback position that comes naturally to us: typically, it's either fight or flight.  Sande uses the words attack & escape but the idea remains the same.  Whatever you choose to call it, a person will either respond with force (physical, verbal, etc.) or seek to avoid conflict.  Sande says that the Gospel of Jesus Christ promotes a third way: The Way of the Peacemaker.  Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matt. 5:9)  Sande gives four G's to help resolve conflict in a practical manner.  G1: Glorify God.  G2: Get the Log Out.  G3: Gently Restore.  G4: Go and Be Reconciled.  I've found that conflict in the prison ministry setting can be messy.  It's tough to tell the truth without the other person becoming defensive.  Many inmates have fight as their fallback position.  However, they've learned to suppress that urge because they realize fighting will get them in trouble - then they'll end up in "the hole" (solitary confinement).  Instead, they exit the room and choose flight.  That may be better but it is not ideal.  God calls us to Peacemaking not avoidance or peace-faking.  It's not an easy path but it is preferable.  Of course, prayer is absolutely key so that the Spirit will shape us into people who speak the truth in love.

Read Philippians 4:13 - Christ gives you Strength!

Philippians 4:13

RAGBRAI 2011 Reflections by Gary Verhoef

I asked Gary to write some reflections on this year's ride across Iowa

What a great cycling year again.  Although I’ve done many RAGBRAIs, this one had an added dimension….Pastor Rick was part of our Pella team.  The added dimension is what he termed “Pedal for Prisoners”.  I subtitled it “Pedal with Purpose”.  You see, Rick challenged us to use this opportunity to build financial support for his ministry.  In this way, we could be a catalyst in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In practical terms, that meant raising funds to enable the New Life to present the gospel to those behind bars in Iowa.

So the miles that we rode had a deeper sense of urgency than ever before.  And getting through the challenges of the ride took on new meaning.  The oppressive heat of the week long ride was the greatest challenge.  It would be easy to succumb to the easy way out, and go back home to air conditioning.  But our team stayed the course.  The relentless hills on some days were a second challenge.  I kept thinking of how those hills represented precisely the challenges of ministry.  Again, it’s easy to give up and retreat to easy street.  In ministry, God doesn’t promise things will always be easy.  He does promise that His plan is not only right, it’s for the furtherance of his kingdom and also for our personal spiritual wellbeing.

Finally, there is always a goal; an end.  For RAGBRAI, that goal was dipping our bike tires in the Mississippi, after starting  a week earlier at the Missouri River.  And that sense of accomplishment, that reward, is something that God puts in us to help us along the way of life, as well as in ministry.

Corinne and I are pleased to be a part of Rick’s ministry in this way.  I challenge you to become part of New Life, too.  Maybe you can Pedal with Purpose next year and at the same time Pedal for Prisoners.  God be praised!  

by Gary & Corinne Verhoef

Salt for the Kingdom

I heard this song at my nephew's baptism this past Sunday.  
I forgot how much I loved these lyrics.  
They inspire me!

Bring Forth The Kingdom 

by Marty Haugen

Verse 1 
You are salt for the earth, O people,
salt for the city of God!
Share the flavor of life, O people:
life in the kingdom of God!

Verse 2 
You are a light on the hill, O people,
light for the city of God!
Shine so holy and bright, O people:
shine for the kingdom of God!

Verse 3 
You are a seed of the word, O people,
bring forth the kingdom of God!
Seeds of mercy and seeds of justice,
grow in the kingdom of God!

Verse 4 
We are the blessed and a pilgrim people,
bound for the kingdom of God!
Love our journey and love our homeland:
love is the kingdom of God! 

Refrain 
Bring forth the kingdom of mercy,
bring forth the kingdom of peace.
Bring forth the kingdom of justice,
bring forth the kingdom of God!