Beyond the Pulpit 10.25.26
Pastor Christy is out this week but, in her absence, our Church Council Chair, Doug Gaskell shares some thoughts on GOD’s call.
Last week, I was able to join a remarkable group of men as a part of Kairos in Buckingham Correctional Center in Dilwyn, Virginia. Simply put, it was amazing. What is Kairos? Kairos is a four-day Christ centered experience for incarcerated men and women. Conducted at 16 different Virginia prisons, Kairos seeks to show the love of Jesus Christ as well as build and equip “the church” inside each prison.
We all are called to serve, but why a prison? Most of us think of prison as a dark place. A place we never want to go. A place full of people we don’t want to meet. A place devoid of GOD, and yet GOD is there, transforming lives, doing amazing things! Make no mistake. We are called to be there.
Over the week, I sat with six residents as well as two team members and watched GOD at work. In the midst of our busy lives, it’s easy to lose sight of GOD, to wonder where HE is, or how HE fits in the world. Not so in prison. Prison is one of those places where it’s impossible to miss seeing GOD at work and the most exciting part is that we can be a part of it!
It’s exhilarating. It’s rewarding. It’s transforming. Most of us think of that transformation as being focused on the prisoner, but every volunteer is transformed as well. It changed my life. It’s powerful stuff!
You don’t need to make it a lifelong commitment. Try it once. It’s safe. It’s secure. It’s lifechanging. You don’t need to be a hypereducated Bible scholar, a big brained theologian, or a grand evangelist. What you need is a heart for GOD and a desire to serve.
Each of us are called. The question is, how do we respond?