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- Apr 25, 2006
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6 March 2008
A week of Lent Reflections taken from "Hope in Word, Hope in Action" - storiesofhope.org.uk
Word on the Web
Hope is... freedom from captivity
I , the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:6-7
My challenge in ministry
Chaplaincy is generally seen as a 'soft touch' ... but is it? Luther said, "The Christian is a lone voice on the roof-top". Introducing the gospel of hope, love and compassion to murderers, thieves and drug dealers is laughable to some, but scripturally it is where you find Jesus. Through Alpha, bible study and services, hopeless lives are miraculously transformed by the personal relationship found in Jesus Christ. When prisoners leave, it is 'faith-based' groups who continue to build on that initial work, making contact pre-release, picking up at the gate and continuing to monitor and maintain men in the community.
A reflection for Lent
As you spend today reflecting and reading, pray that God helps you realise the reality that 'prisons' aren't always made from iron and brick. Each of us faces our own prison, for Romans 3:23 says: 'It's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same boat with everyone else?' John 8:36 tells us: 'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed' Today, let God into those areas of your life. Let His soft but gracious touch free you... because He is the only one who can.
Father, I pray you open my eyes to the truth. Help each and every one of us put our hands in the hand of the One who can redeem us, release us and restore us. Amen
A week of Lent Reflections taken from "Hope in Word, Hope in Action" - storiesofhope.org.uk
Word on the Web
Hope is... freedom from captivity
I , the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:6-7
My challenge in ministry
Chaplaincy is generally seen as a 'soft touch' ... but is it? Luther said, "The Christian is a lone voice on the roof-top". Introducing the gospel of hope, love and compassion to murderers, thieves and drug dealers is laughable to some, but scripturally it is where you find Jesus. Through Alpha, bible study and services, hopeless lives are miraculously transformed by the personal relationship found in Jesus Christ. When prisoners leave, it is 'faith-based' groups who continue to build on that initial work, making contact pre-release, picking up at the gate and continuing to monitor and maintain men in the community.
A reflection for Lent
As you spend today reflecting and reading, pray that God helps you realise the reality that 'prisons' aren't always made from iron and brick. Each of us faces our own prison, for Romans 3:23 says: 'It's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same boat with everyone else?' John 8:36 tells us: 'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed' Today, let God into those areas of your life. Let His soft but gracious touch free you... because He is the only one who can.
Father, I pray you open my eyes to the truth. Help each and every one of us put our hands in the hand of the One who can redeem us, release us and restore us. Amen
