The River Church Community

On Wednesday December 17th, I gathered seven River members to go to the maximum-security wings of Juvenile Hall.  We arrived at 6:45 pm, were briefed and led through security.  It was probably the first time that any of us had been asked at a church gathering whether we were carrying any weapons.

We walked down a white hallway in a longish line.  Prisoners with hands behind their backs, face to the floor, drifted past us.  I recognized our destination (see blog #6).  The young men were seated and seemingly expectant when we entered.  I was thrown off by their organization.  It meant that we needed to get ready quick—for we had come to “put on” a Christmas celebration for these young men awaiting life sentences and long prison terms for crimes committed. 

The service began with songs.  Mike Valentine, Lawrence and Abe played guitar and sang and we followed their lead.  In such a context, the old hymns sounded rather odd.  What does it mean to sing of “Yule tide treasure?”  Or why use Latin (Gloria en excelsis deo) when Spanish might have been more helpful?  Though luckily they did smirk when we sang, “put on your gay apparel.”  The ice broke slightly.   

Despite all these cultural misses, it seemed to me that the Spirit of Life, our God, was there.  Brad assured these young men that in their darkness the light of God would come just as he did 2000 years ago.  And I had the pleasure of explaining to them a basic understanding of communion—that Jesus is present to us and willing to forgive us—and offer it to them.  I asked each young man to come up, one at a time.  I had the privilege of looking each struggling boy in the eye and saying to him, “the body of Jesus broken for you.”  It is a beautiful thing to offer the presence and forgiveness of Jesus to those who are obviously desperate for him.  It is a powerful thing to see the power of God come to earth.  And guess what?  He came in power to possible criminals awaiting trial in Juvenile Hall.  If that is not a Christmas message, I do not know what is.

Tony Traback, Pastor of Mission Mobilization