I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19
Occasionally in my Sacred Stories class in the jail, which is what we call our Circle of the Word program there, I get asked, “Do you do this on the outside?” Until last month, the answer was a regretful, “No, but I’d like to.” In January we launched a monthly Circle on the “outside” (meaning not in a jail or prison) at Grace United Methodist Church in Dayton. Its purpose is twofold:
- To provide “aftercare” for women who has participated in a Circle of the Word in the jail or a nearby women’s prison, so that they will be able to continue engagement with biblical stories in the same way, supporting their reentry into the community;
- To make available a spiritual formation/Bible study opportunity for members of the congregation.
This year the selection of stories is inspired by a book about how to be joyful in the face of life’s troubles: The Book of Joy by his holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams (a Buddhist, a Christian, and a Jew—not a joke). Copies of “joy practices” from the book are distributed as totally voluntary homework.
For an introduction to the theme of joy in the midst of troubles, in January we spent time with the resurrection story of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples behind locked doors (John 10:19-23). In February we will pick a story that relates to the first “pillar of joy”: perspective. I haven’t figured that out yet. Your suggestions are welcome!
There were eight of us for our first COW at Grace, just the right number. And it went even better than I anticipated. It is amazing what meaningful spiritual insights people can have in a peace-filled setting when they spend quality time with a biblical story. The restorative justice practice of a “peacemaking circle” really works to create a safe, non-judgmental, egalitarian, covenant group where deep thinking and deep sharing are encouraged. All of us—those on the inside and those on the outside—can benefit from that.