Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' (Matthew 25:34-40 NRSV)
On August 4, members of seven different congregations came together for a Prayer of the Lamb retreat day in which we explored the spiritual foundation for outreach ministry, that is, how the meditation practice not only gives spiritual support and guidance for outreach ministry, but is also itself a form of outreach ministry.
This fall Prayer of the Lamb meditation as outreach will take flesh in a new program starting within prison walls. We are excited to announce that the Community of the Lamb has been approved for giving instruction in meditation at the Monroe Correctional Facility. I will be leading a six month pilot group starting this next month, instructing up to twelve inmates in the Prayer of the Lamb and leading them in meditation, reflection on practice and Bible study.
No one is more surprised than I that we are doing this. It seems very much like a Spirit-led blossoming of opportunity to meet an expressed need. Meditation in prison settings is becoming more widely recognized as an effective spiritual tool for stress reduction, personal spiritual growth and maturity, and modification in behavior among inmates. The purpose for teaching meditation in this setting is to bring greater faith, peace, order and social integration to inmate life, in this case specifically through a Christian context. I have heard that in prisons where meditation is taught and practiced, the positive effect is not just for those participating, but also there is an auxiliary effect on the whole prison.
The Board of Directors and I have laid the ground work for this first meditation course, which will be a pilot program. We will evaluate how it goes, make modifications where necessary and plan for more Prayer of the Lamb groups in the future if all develops as we hope. Already others have been asking me if they can also be involved in this outreach ministry. Jane York, President of the Board, has had previous experience in prison ministry and has been trained as a Prayer of the Lamb group facilitator, and I have asked her to participate with me in expanding this program.
How you can help – First, please keep this project in your prayers. Offer the Prayer of the Lamb for those participating in the pilot group, for the prison staff, and for me as I seek to be open to Yeshua’s Spirit as I lead these sessions. Second, I already have enough prayer beads for the size group I will lead this first time. But if you want to make malas for future groups or for seminars and retreats, let me know and I will get some supplies to you. Making prayer bead malas for others is good motivation for your own practice. Each bracelet or mala has at least one hour of meditation with the Prayer of the Lamb offered on it when it is made.
Third, financial support would be especially appreciated. Since this is an outreach program being offered to prison inmates, we will not be receiving the usual donations such as have funded all our seminars, retreats and groups to this point. Expenses for this ministry are not great, but we do have the cost of materials, office space, mileage, and hopefully an honorarium. If you are interested or excited about this ministry, donations would be a tremendous support.
Meanwhile meditation itself is a form of outreach ministry, especially when we are using the Prayer of the Lamb. Whether during sitting meditation or in the midst of the day’s events, this heart prayer offered into God’s mercy is without the encumbrance of our own agenda about what God should be doing. The Prayer is offered in simple innocence as an expression of faith in this tremendous mercy, and as such we are available for awakening in God’s will.
I live in an active part of the city, just a few blocks from a fire station, a police station and a hospital. I hear lots of sirens. My practice has been that each time I hear a siren I offer the Prayer for those responding and for the situation they are going to. All day long and sometimes at night if I am awakened by sirens, I offer this intercession. Where I live I do a lot of this kind of outreach ministry. Sometimes I would like to be out in the woods, in some quiet place where all one would hear would be bird sounds. But if I were out in the woods enjoying the fresh air away from the sound of traffic, I might forget to offer this ministry of intercession. So I give thanks for the opportunity for service that has been made available to me.
Where in your life are those opportunities for offering the outreach ministry of intercession? Where in your daily activities are you reminded of the needs, suffering, want, strife, anxiety, fear, alienation, and grief of the world? Increase your outreach ministry – Yeshua, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Hierarchy of Godly Service
During the summer retreat I presented a list that described levels of generosity in giving or offering service to others. As we move from self-motivated service to others through progressively more selfless ways of offering service, we can reflect on our own generosity of heart and what makes a difference for healing, reconciling and empowering others in a world of need. Others have asked that I share this list more broadly. Admittedly I cannot give a citation or reference for this list, as I do not recall its exact source. So if anyone else knows where this comes from, let me know. This list may not fully be in the correct order, but I know that it begins and ends correctly.
You do an act of kindness, generosity, service for another.
Level 1: You know for whom you are doing this,
and they know who has given to them.
Level 2: You know to whom you are giving,
but they do not know who has given to them.
(ex. an anonymous gift)
Level 3: You do not know to whom you are giving,
but they do know who has given to them.
(ex. a benefactor giving through a charity)
Level 4: You know to whom you are giving,
but they do not know that they have been the recipients of a gift,
so masterfully has the gift been given.
(a good teacher does this)
Level 5: You do not know to whom you are giving,
and they do not know from whom they have received.
(ex. an unrestricted gift to the Episcopal Relief and Development fund)
Level 6: You do not know that you have given,
but others know they have received from you.
Level 7: You do not know that you have given,
and others do not know that they have received from you.
Nevertheless you have given and others have benefited.
This last level, I would propose to you, is the kind of ministry offered through meditation with the Prayer of the Lamb. We offered the intercession in faith and will not see the results directly. Nevertheless there has been intervention for the world. No one may know that healing and reconciliation have been taking place. Nevertheless peace and wholeness, love and mercy are being poured out.
