PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Worship

In John 4:35, Jesus commands us, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” When wheat is ready for harvest, it looks almost white. But Jesus wasn’t speaking of fields of grain; He was speaking of a mission field that is “white for harvest.”

Never underestimate what He can do with humble hearts totally surrendered to His plans and purposes for the world.

It was like a prison from a Hollywood film set: thick limestone walls pocked with small windows; dark, oppressive cells; and narrow corridors full of musty, unmoving air …

As I passed through many layers of security and entered the cell block, I could feel the oppression of hopelessness surrounding me.

A couple weeks ago I got to teach at Christ United Methodist Church in Texas. It was a thrill! The church meets in a beautiful building with dazzling stained glass and a gleaming organ. The angel-voiced choir was dressed all in white – but then, these particular singers, who are members of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative values-based reentry program at the Carol Vance Unit, are always dressed in white; that’s the color of their prison uniforms.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. – Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

In Romans, Paul writes to a group of people who are sharing in Christ’s sufferings.