When I was a Prison Chaplain, it always struck me as impressive that, despite the high walls and security systems, cats always appeared able to tiptoe in and out of the prison unseen and as they pleased! Nothing seemed to be able to stop them.
I was recently listening to one of Langley’s clients, Pete – watch Pete’s video here – talking about of his journey of faith: from back in the 1980s when he first heard a whisper of the Lord, but didn’t pursue it, to years later, when he was locked in prison and started delving into the Bible, then, after release, living at Langley’s Ashdene service, when God’s word rung clearly and Pete says it ‘just changed me… not overnight… but bit by bit’.
Like those prison cats, the word of God is not constrained by prison walls or by the poor choices that we make, nothing can stop it… years later Pete speaks openly about the Lord, declaring ‘He must be patient. He died on a cross and He took my place’… as Pete says ‘Wow’!
The Bible verse for this week’s 50th anniversary of Prisons Week is 2 Timothy 2: 9 ‘God’s word is not chained’. Hearing Pete’s story reminded me of something we sometimes forget, that the word of God is living and active and certainly NOT chained.
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Through His word, the Lord reaches out to each of us, whether we cry out to him sitting on the scratchy sheets of a prison bed, or on Egyptian cotton in suburbia.
It brings hope to victims and survivors, whose futures have been devastated. It brings release to those bound in addictions. It offers the chance of a new life, even to those locked away inside the walls of a prison (as St. Paul himself testifies), to offenders, to people with conviction. Truly, God’s word is not chained. And it can bring freedom, not just to those in prison, but to me and you today.
This Prisons Week, will you join us in praying for the needs of all those affected by prisons? For prisoners and their families, victims of crime and their communities, those working in the criminal justice system, and the many people who are involved in caring for those affected by crime on the inside and outside of our prisons.
As we pray, let’s look forward to the unchained word of God bringing transformation to all.
You are Invited to pray with us
Thursday 16th October • 10am • Online
Join us online this Prisons Week - Thursday 16th at 10am – as we meet together to pray. Staff and volunteers across Langley meet each week via Microsoft Teams - this week we are inviting you to join us. Click the link below on Thursday.
Watch Client Stories
Michael shares about his experience of being sentenced and going to prison, how a seed of faith from childhood started to flourish, and how he uses his time now in service of others.
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Even if I can help one person in this world, I can be happy knowing I prevented one person from going down the road I went down in life
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The night before I met our chaplain I was going to throw a towel in with my life. I was done, and I had planned it…
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The staff are such lovely people and it just makes you feel comfortable… It's like a sort of sense of family…
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It’s that peace of mind, its that cleanliness from drugs, it’s that warm hug… it’s forgiveness.
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They’ve been there to talk to me, and listen to what my problem is… They’re very supportive in that way, which means a lot to me.
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I used to have a lot of trust issues from my childhood… so seeing all these people who want to help you was a bit like, ‘What's going on here?’
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This is what I believe, I don’t deserve a second chance, I don’t deserve to be happy… and Langley here, make you feel like you do.
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I’ve essentially been institutionalised my entire life with no real freedom or ability to make decisions for myself.
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