by Hugh Brown “The Announcement” Luke 2:(1-7),8-20 “He’s here!”, announced the angel of the Lord. This great proclamation made to a unique and unsuspecting audience. Shepherds. The true embodiment of the Savior of the world. David, a shepherd before he…
I can’t begin to tell you of the pain and misery I suffered during my early years of incarceration as the Christmas Season approached…
I was left with a decision to make: which Christmas did I really want to recognize and celebrate? …
Dehumanization is the unwritten mission statement of all prisons in America. The dispensers of this evil toward the incarcerated always seem to be professors of the faith. But Christ has a word for those who live comfortably.…
As I lined up with other prisoners in a brick passageway, six Attica guards huddled in a group, wearing blue latex gloves and gripping wooden clubs. They stared at us as we waIked in pairs through the sepulchral corridor without speaking, like Franciscan monks on their way to vespers. …
by LA Luke 16:1-13 When I read Luke 16:1-13, I am forced to think about the state of American politics today, where we find certain political families who have never once planted a crop, offered a legitimate service, traded a…
Even though Nuremberg taught us that “I was just following orders” is not an acceptable excuse… that lesson is largely ignored by most of the staff of our nation’s prisons today. …
“What would the apostle Paul do if he heard about the mistreatment of brothers and sisters who return to our congregations and communities after being released from prison? I think we know exactly what Paul would do. Paul would write a letter!”…
“Right Place, Right People, Right Time” by CM Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:1-3, 8-19 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 There is a particular location where one’s gift fits perfectly. There are particular people among whom your genius will be most appreciated. And there…
Proper 13C / Ordinary 18C / Pentecost +11 What is the point of prison? by Matthew B. Harper Hosea 11:1-11 or Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Psalm 107:1-9, 43 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21 With over two million men and women incarcerated in…
by Matthew B. Harper Amos 8:1-12 Psalm 52 or 82 Colossians 1:15-28 Luke 10:38-42 Amos is one of the most relevant books of the Minor Prophets, and one of the least known. Sequestered at the tail end of our Old…
Prison Lectionary 