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I was given the privilege of leading the closing prayer last night after Kairos #48 at Angola. I “earned” this privilege by my reputation for brevity in such matters. However, as is often the case when presented with golden opportunities, I blew it. My prayer was too long. I prayed “For forty-two changed lives, thank you Jesus.” “Forty-two” is one word, or is that considered two words? In any case it was 8 letters and a hyphen, too many. There were forty-two inmate participants and clearly those lives were all changed. But also changed were the lives of the team members, the correctional officers who observed and, in some cases participated at least in the singing. All of Camp C who because of a multitude of cookie bakers, were blessed with cookies and who had to be wondering what all the  noise in the visitor shed was about. At the closing I was distracted by the faces of the very large crowd of guests, many of whom had never been to a closing and many of whom could not stop weeping. More changed lives.  Much effort is expended in preparing the participants for what we refer to as the […]

I see God move during a Kairos weekend in ways I don’t see any other place in my life. But I also get carried away for Him on such weekends unlike any other time in my life. I sing (loud). I become vulnerable. I dance (okay sort of). I continuously raise my hands. I hug criminals I just met.  I get carried away for Jesus at Angola in a way I don’t at other times and places,  even in my own church at home. I greatly suspect that I am not the only one. What if I got carried away more often? What if I acted very Sunday morning like I do on Kairos weekends? Would I see God move on those occasions as I have this weekend.? OC reminds us: “If human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love. If love is always discreet, always wise, always sensible and calculating, never carried beyond itself, it is not love at all. It may be affection, it may be warmth of feeling, but it has not the true nature of love in it.” We love having “new people” in church or in ministry, because they […]

God tells us to do things less because the thing needs doing and more because we need to do it. In the Visitor Shed, Camp C, Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, Louisiana, God is meeting needs this weekend. Some men needed a good meal; needed to know that God loved them; needed to forgive and know they are forgiven; needed to know that someone outside of Angola knows they are alive and cares about them. Others needed to be needed; needed to be used by God; needed to see that God is alive and operating in the lives of men, needed to know that they are truly blessed in their lives and that others are loving God and doing His will in circumstances beyond their comprehension . God is meeting all those needs. OC reminds us today that “dreaming about a thing in order to do it properly is right; but dreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong.  When we are getting into contact with God in order to find out what He wants, dreaming is right; but when we are inclined to spend our time in dreaming over what we have been told to do, […]

On the first night of a Kairos, it’s kind of just a question of putting one foot in front of the other. It reminds me of my old days in the military. Everything was “hurry up and wait.” Everyone is eager to get started but not much really happens on the first night. It really is just getting things set up, introductions, and a couple of meditations and night prayer. It’s loading up cookies and food. Checking into the hotel. Lot’s of sitting around and waiting. Drudgery. But God takes even these basic things, these necessary non-dramatic steps. Even when we think nothing is happening yet. It is. “When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it.” Although last night we had really not done anything. There was an incredible sense of anticipation and excitement in the room. There was a oft repeated theme of “I’m here to see what God is going to do.” And a strong sense of certainty that He is going to do something good.  He already has. We have so many cookies that we are plotting to pass out cookies to the entire camp, not just the participants. There is tragedy […]

I was concerned that because of today’s topic, I would be suffering despair today for the first time in my life. After all my life seems to be a continuous example of whatever Oswald talks about on any given day.  However, after reading OC’s definition of “despair” I really should not have been concerned. For OC despair comes when we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity to do. Been there done that. I have had much opportunity to despair in my life. My missed opportunities are too numerous to mention. As an example, OC uses the disciples’ failure to stay awake and pray while Jesus was asking His Father to let the cup pass from Him. Certainly that was an opportunity for despair.  But I guess what has kept me from despair is the Lord’s wonderful response to Peter’s three fold denial of Him. He three times asked Peter if He loved and Him and instructed Him to feed His sheep. As many times as we miss opportunities, it seems God always provides new opportunities to proclaim and act out our love for Him. Depression may haunt me; but His endless love […]

Last night I was depressed. I know it’s not cool to admit that one gets depressed; but I do and not infrequently. Finally I gave into the “spiritual” urging to quit obsessing and to go take a bath.  It is my habit to read OC’s devotional for the next day before going to bed and so after the bath I did that. The title jumped off the page at me, “The Initiative against Depression.” Since I began doing the Nick’s Walk at the beginning of the year, it has been amazing how often the OC devotional has a direct relationship to my life. As is often the case OC had some helpful thoughts. “A human  being is capable of depression, otherwise there would be no capacity for exaltation.” There is consolation in knowing that depression is normal for a human. I have always been suspicious of those who deny depression. Now I know that such persons are either liars or they are incapable of exaltation. I’m not sure which would be worse. It is also comforting to know that my urging to take a bath was probably a word from God. As OC points out the angel told a […]

Do you ever listen to yourself? I was at the One Nation Under God meeting last night. The crowd was slim and we were commenting that there was lots of competition. Monday night is prayer night at Amana so some folks were there. It was also the night of the Mardi Gras Queen’s parade and maybe some folks were there. I commented, and this is what I am referring to which I ask if you ever listen to yourself, “I hide for Mardi Gras and Halloween.” I got some knowing nods. Today OC talks about spiritual initiative and “rising from the dead.” I don’t participate in Mardi Gras and Halloween because something in my spirit restrains me. But I haven’t really said anything to others. They seem to be so into it. It seems so important to them, such a large part of their lives, especially this year when the Mardi Gras celebration is an extension of the post Super Bowl party. They’re having so much fun. So I am silent and I hide. I feel an urging to “arise from the dead” on this issue so I listen to OC: “All initiative is not inspired. A man may […]

There is no question that we have some responsibility for others. In fact we often don’t comprehend the breath of our responsibility. We are clearly called to be witnesses. But we are not merely witnesses on those all too rare occasions when we discuss our walk with others. Every moment of our lives we are witnessing. Any slip on our part, every trip on our walk impacts others. OC describes this as a willingness to “spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ? That is the meaning of a witness in God’s sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth – what for? To be saved and sanctified? No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him?”  Knowing what a mess we were when He saved us, it is not surprising that we would obsess on “being better.” That is not the call. In fact, it is through our imperfect that He is seen. Through our brokenness that He shines through. Our song should not be, “Look at how […]