We began a new series of Circle of the Word at the prison on August 24. Fourteen women came, though not all at the same time. There was more coming and going than I’ve ever experienced, largely because the Chaplain was getting them there. It was disruptive, but I decided to just go with the flow and that worked fine. Another distinctive thing about that session was that four women told the story to the whole group. I don’t think I’ve EVER had someone volunteer to do that at the prison.

The theme for this Fall, all the way up to January is “Forgiveness: Stories from the Gospels and Acts.” We’ll be starting the same theme at the jail this Wednesday. We’ll do a few more stories at the jail, because we go there every week, while at the prison we can only go twice a month. Space is a major issue at the prison and twice a month was all I could get.

The idea for this theme came after a Circle of the Word at my church. We have a monthly COW for anybody (don’t have to be a returning citizen though that was one of the motivations for starting it). In that COW, which started in January this year, our stories have been inspired by The Book of Joy. I pick a story that relates to one of the eight “pillars of joy” identified in the book. The pillar for July was forgiveness.

I found a book on my bookshelf entitled Seventy Times Seven, which was very helpful in planning that outside COW. Then I found another entitled simply Forgiveness. I read it and was profoundly impacted by it. As I read it I thought, this would be good for anyone, but especially for people who are incarcerated.

So I asked the prison chaplain what she thought of the idea of “Forgiveness” for a COW theme. She thought it was a very good idea, because many women have such difficulty forgiving themselves (their wrong-doing being always “in their face”) and also because so many of them have been abused and need help forgiving their abusers so they can gain some peace.

I wanted to know more about the author, Robin Casarjian. A search led me to Lionheart Foundation, which among other things promotes her book “Houses of Healing.” This is a more recent book than Forgiveness and was written specifically for people who are incarcerated! There is a whole curriculum which I would like to try. We’ll see if that is possible. In the meantime, it’s informing my planning for COW at the prison and jail.

I close each Circle of the Word standing in a circle with a simple song of blessing: “Go Now in Peace,” composed by Natalie Sleeth in 1975. I teach a few American Sign Language signs to accompany it. After demonstrating the words and their signs, we sing it twice–once slowly so the group can get the hang of it, then with increased tempo and volume for energy. Often we join hands and conclude with prayer.

I have been somewhat surprised how readily both men and women learn and enjoy this prayer song with the signs. After a few sessions at a state prison where I led Circles five years ago, the men told me with pleasure how they would sing it during the day going various places, like to the showers. We all had a good laugh at that.

Recently a man who was in that group, and has since returned to the community, came to my house for lunch after church. As we were finishing our meal, he asked about that song which we then sang. We laughed again, remembering how it was enjoyed back then and there.

Last Christmas I led a “Blue Christmas” service for women in one of the pods at the local jail. It was not a Circle of the Word; there were too many for that. I did tell the story of Jesus’ birth from the Gospel of Luke. We concluded the service by forming a big circle and singing, with signs, “Go Now in Peace.”

After we sang it through, one of the other worship leaders, a high school music teacher from my church, asked, “Shall we try it as a round?” We agreed to try, so she led us in a 2-part round quite successfully. Then she asked, “Shall we try it as a 4-part round?” With new-found confidence in our musical abilities we answered, “Sure!” And we did. It was beautiful and extraordinary. The spirit of Christmas was present and active among us.

Click on my picture to learn the signs.

Learn signs for “Go Now in Peace”

Visit hymnary.org for info on the lyrics, tune, and hymnals where it is included (there are 17).

For more about closing activities for Circle of the Word, visit the Winding Up page of this site.

Go now in peace,
Amelia

Before our summer break, I asked the women in Sacred Stories (what we call Circle of the Word in jail) to complete a survey form for feedback on the class. This was in mid-April, at the conclusion of our Lenten-Easter series, “Journey to Resurrection: Stories from Mark 14-16.” The following are anonymous responses by the 12 women in class that day…

Here is what I would tell others about this class:

• A very beautiful class that helps teach us more about the Word of God.
• We break down parts of stories of the Bible to understand them better.
• The ladies are very serious and they know how to help you learn and remember the stories.
• What I tell others is: “Nothing but good”
• It’s very nice and easy-flowing. I like how it makes it simpler to understand.”
• It’s a great class; others need to come.
• Definitely would go. It’s a good class.
• To really just participate and listen. There is many resources and things to learn Amelia is a wonderful Lady and I appreciate her and this class.
• The story, the love and care Amelia has for us girls. The love she shows and how she reminds me, myself, to Keep moving, be positive, be positive, God is with us Always!
• It’s a good class. It teaches a lot about God. You take it step-by-step and I like that you break it down to understand.”
• It opens your mind and heart to Jesus.
• I truly appreciate you coming and spending time with us today.

As you can tell from this feedback, Sacred Stories, and those of us who lead it, are very much appreciated. Not only do we receive heartfelt appreciation, but also the gift of their insights, perspectives, and faith.

Lydia Grace, eight days old, on her patio in Tucson with Grandma

I’ve been out of commission since mid-April, attending to the birth of my youngest daughter’s first child. The newborn was eight days old when I held her in the courtyard of her Tucson home.

Her name is Lydia Grace. Her moms named her “Lydia” for one of the first Gentile Christians. Lydia was a strong, independent, Greek business woman, “a dealer in purple cloth.” They named her “Grace” because Grace is a family name on both sides. Besides, in Christian tradition, grace is a gift of God’s love, and this precious infant is most definitely a divine gift in all our lives.

I’m relearning the story of the ancient Lydia to tell to my little Lydia Grace the next time I travel to Tucson. I hope for her, as for all her generation, a world more reflective of Jesus’ way of peace. That is a primary reason I learn, tell, and teach the stories of God.

One of the hardest realities for incarcerated women is separation from their children. They bear this grief as best they can (sometimes, I think, by toughening their hearts) but it is ever-present. When I look at this photo I yearn to hold Lydia Grace again before she grows another day older. I feel sadness that holding her right now is not possible. She lives in Arizona and I live in Ohio. We’re three time zones apart.

So for all of us who are separated from beloved children—whether by bars, razor wire, distance, or immigration policy—a prayer:

Creator God, who blesses the world with new life and new possibility every time a child is born, grant us comfort and understanding while we are separated from them.

Holy Spirit, who is present with each child born, inspire us with your wisdom to gently support the adults caring for them.

Rabbi Jesus, who embraced little children and recognized their value, teach us to tell your stories to our children: over the phone, on a video call, during a visit, or when re-united.

Amen and amen.

I have taught the resurrection story from Mark quite a few times, but until this Lent/Easter season I have never had anyone choose “a big stone” for the word or phrase that especially got their attention when listening to the story. I have always liked that part of the story because I can always hear someone I love telling about that big stone with energetic delight. So I took special notice when the Circle participant name it.

Round #2 of the “Word I Heard” story-listening activity gives Circle members the opportunity to tell why they picked the word or phrase they picked in round #1. The woman who claimed “a big stone” as her phrase gave a beautiful testimony about how the stone was like the burdens we bear. The grieving women wondered how they would handle it. How will we move the burdens off our lives? But when they reached the tomb, they found that it was already rolled away! That’s what Jesus can do for us: roll away our burdens.

Storyboard for “The Sentence” Mark 15:6-15

This mixed media storyboard for “The Sentence” is pretty amazing, if for no other reason than that it was created in so little time. The four episodes are depicted in contemporary criminal justice jargon.

After the creator told the story using a dynamic equivalent translation of contemporary criminal justice jargon, she wrote the key words out for me to share below the story, which is on the other side of the storyboard doc as shown in the graphic below.

F2=Felony of the 2nd degree, which includes attempted murder (Jesus was in prison with those who committed murder during the insurrection)

Testify CI=Criminal Informant, which is someone who testifies against you (the chief priests accused Jesus of many things)

OR=Own Recognizance, when we are released (Barabbas was released)

Innocent=when we are wrongly accused (as was the case with Jesus and Pilate knew it but sentenced him to death anyway).

Contraband: “Goods that have been imported or exported illegally; trade in smuggled goods” (Oxford English Dictionary).

I hadn’t heard the word used for years, until I started hanging around prisons. “Contraband” is in common use there, referring to any of a wide range of prohibited items brought in without permission. Guns, drugs, and explosives (duh), but also cameras, cigarettes, and cell phones.

We were reminded about the cell phone prohibition the hard way when one of us inadvertently forgot she had her cell phone in her pocket. That resulted in an “incident report” being filed by a zealous corrections officer.

To be fair, the prison had had a rash of contraband issues involving cell phones and the C.O.’s responsible for entrance procedures were on notice to be extra rigorous enforcing the rules. Contraband is taken very seriously, not a laughing matter.

Although contraband is not ordinarily a humorous topic, the Word of God can lighten up the most dreary of topics. I think it was during a Circle in December that this happened at the prison.

We meet in the chapel. The woman sitting next to me in Circle had a cup of water with her, on the floor next to her chair. At some point she knocked it over and spilled the water, apologizing profusely. No big deal, except I had forgotten the tissues that day. I looked around for something to dab up the water, and there was a roll of toilet paper conveniently placed on a table near the pulpit (I assume to function as tissues for tears and runny noses). That did the job and we went on with our story-learning activities.

A while later the cup again got tipped over with the same result. Again I looked around for something to soak up the water. Where was that handy toilet paper? Then one of the women said, “Ms. Amelia, it’s in your bag.” Another woman teased, “Ms. Amelia, are you trying to sneak that toilet paper outta here?” “Now, how did that get in my bag?!” I said innocently.

My tune changed to one of gratitude. “Whew, thanks for telling me.” They had saved me from committing reverse contraband.

This is the flyer for the new Circle of the Word at Grace UMC. It is a re-purposed poster for the women’s prison Circle announcing the series: Journey to Resurrection, which starts with the story of Jesus being anointed by a woman (Mark 14:3-9). Cortney Haley created the image for GoTell some time ago. Everyone likes it.

We are also doing this series in the county jail where the program is called “Sacred Stories” (to distinguish it from Women’s Circle). The first time a woman comes I give her this flyer and invite her to attend when she gets out. So far it is just women from the congregation who have attended, but I hope over time some returning neighbors will take advantage of this “after care” option.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

At the jail, we started “Journey to Resurrection” yesterday. Which was Valentine’s Day. And also Ash Wednesday. And also my youngest child’s birthday. So lots of reasons to celebrate.

This is a storyboard for “The Anointing” story from Mark 14:3-9. After I told it, one of the women mentioned a story she had heard about a woman pouring oil on Jesus’ feet. Good listening. I told them how this must have been a favorite story since all four gospels have versions of it.

Another woman asked if she had a name. Nope, not in Mark’s version. She remains nameless to history, just like all of us no doubt will. But her act of love for Jesus is still told 2,000 years later. That’s the way we can be remembered, too.

Note the gold star at the top right of the storyboard. That means this woman told the story to the whole circle. What else do you notice about this storyboard?

At the prison, we started the “Journey to Resurrection” series of stories in late January. This theme will run more or less from Epiphany through Lent and into Easter Season. All but the last story are from Mark 14-16. So the first story was “The Anointing” at Bethany, and last Friday we engaged a piece of the Last Supper story: “Bread and Wine.”

The talking piece I brought for this story was a candle my youngest daughter gave me some 15 years ago. I think she was still in high school. It was such a special candle, I could not bring myself to light it. One time several years after she gave it to me she saw it and was quite distressed that I hadn’t burned it yet. Somehow that seemed a bit sacrilegious; on the other hand, that was it’s purpose, wasn’t it?

About the third time I led Circles focused on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus I remembered that candle. What a perfect talking piece for the story of the last supper (or any portion thereof). Now I knew its true purpose. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way one of the disciples lost his head. I have glued it back, but it just keeps falling off.

So I told the women about my daughter’s gift to me, and how she was distressed when she saw it hadn’t been burned, and how I now use it as a talking piece, and how one of the heads broke off. I pointed out the headless disciple. Then one of them said, “That’s Judas!” and we all had a very good laugh.

Funny, even silly, as that was, there actually was a serious narrative connection between my damaged candle and the story. It was an important thing to notice that Judas was among those to whom Jesus gave bread and wine. Judas was included in the “all” when Jesus gave the cup to his disciples and “they ALL drank from it.” Judas was included in the “many” when Jesus says, “This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for MANY.”

Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him. That’s been established already in the story of the last supper. And yet, Jesus offered grace to even this most terrible enemy—a close friend and student who would betray him.

It was good to have laughter during the learning of this story. It is a hard one to internalize–not because it’s hard to remember, but because it is loaded with difficult emotional connections. And the stories of Mark 14-16 only get harder from here on out, at least for the next few sessions.

SaveSave