Worship Meditation
Readings: Hebrews 13: 1- 8
Genesis 45:1-18
Suggestions for Hymns:
HO&N 183 God's Spirit is in my heart
CH4 710 'I have a dream' a man once said
HO&N 712 /MP 857 I the Lord of sea and sky
CH4 237 Look forward in faith
CH4 528 / HO&N 342 / MP 456 Make me a channel of your peace
CH4 187 / MP683 There's a wideness in God's mercy
CH4 559 / MP673 There is a Redeemer
CH4 622 We sing a love that sets all people free
CH4 = Church Hymnary 4th Edition, Canterbury Press (2005)
HO&N = Hymns Old & New, Kevin Mayhew Ltd (1989)
MP = Mission Praise, Marshall Pickering (1999)
Dreams for our Children
New parents talking about their child: "What will she be like when she grows up?" "What will he do with his life?" "Maybe she'll be musical like her grandfather?" "Do you think he'll be good with sums like his Mum?" Of all the good things people might dream about for their children, many would simply want that they were able to be all they could be and have a happy life.
Who would dream of prison for their children? Which parent would want to see their child sent to jail, or anyone else's child? Maybe we consider that we live in a progressive society, yet there's still a stigma attached to a term inside. Being deprived of liberty doesn't feature on anyone's wish list, and it's not easy getting back into ordinary life when the time's been done.
No-one dreams of being made a victim of crime either, with the uninvited changes of altered circumstances and the psychological and sometimes physical impact upon one's life. And that touches a person's relationships and family too, their outlook on life and their sense of self.
It's said that the families of prisoners are being punished too, and it's certainly true that it is not an easy thing for a family to have a loved one in prison. Not to mention the experience of the prisoner who is also a Mum or a Dad and who wants to stay in touch with the children for whom they have dreams. There are consequences and there are those who are made victims, both hidden and obvious, by offending behaviour in our communities.
"Dreams for our Children," the theme for Prisoners' Week Scotland 2009, invites us to consider what we would wish for all the children of our communities, to share our dreams of a better tomorrow, and act to make good things possible today. It is inspired by a phrase from a lecture by Dr. Pierre Allard, founder of the International Prison Chaplains' Association and a Restorative Justice practitioner, who reminds us that 'the parents of prisoners have dreams for their children too.' We are asked to consider that though prisoners are often portrayed otherwise by the media, from films to newspapers, they are as you and I are, somebody's children, children of our communities and children of God.
Prison conditions in Scotland have improved enormously over the last ten years. Much of the Prisons' Estate has been virtually rebuilt. However the experience of imprisonment is still isolating and alienating. It is not easy to come to terms with self-inflicted loss, rejection and guilt. Contrary to public perception most prisoners - 83% - serve sentences of fewer than 6 months. There are dangerous people in prison, of course, from whom communities need protection, but they are by far the minority. Half of Scotland's prisoners come from its most deprived areas, two thirds arrive in prison from unemployment, and three quarters leave with no job to go to; 70% of offenders have been in care, half struggle with literacy and most have mental health issues. Overwhelmed and disadvantaged by many challenges - circumstances not working out, broken relationships, bad choices , unexpected events that change so much, getting in to things from which it's hard to break away, substance abuse and addiction, pressures from others, crippling debts, and the list could go on - it's not too difficult to understand how people might become caught up in offending behaviour. And perhaps as we ask of ourselves how we might handle similar circumstances, and wonder, we begin to find ourselves following the Biblical injunction to 'remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them'(Hebrews 13: 3 NRSV).
'The kingdom of God is at hand '- Jesus invites his followers to dream dreams for all God's children. Dreams of a new creation in which the old ways of conflict, hurt and grief are overcome with goodness, healing and peace. These are the kind of dreams that inspire real change, for they are grounded in very human realities. Take, for example, Joseph's story. For all that Joseph the Dreamer must have been an
irksome brother, his story is a remarkable journey from offences to relationships restored, and in which out of terrible trouble good was able to triumph.
No-one likes favouritism and within a family it can lead to devastating effects. The boy Joseph, so handsomely doted upon by his father with the kind of splendid colourful coat that made him stand out from all the rest, was less than tactful as he shared his dreams with his brothers. He offered the kind of interpretation that was the stuff of their worst nightmares and it would not be them who would bow the knee to their father's favourite. So the brothers hatched a plot - it was to have been fratricide, but instead they settled for selling Joseph into slavery and offering years of grief to their father Jacob to whom they returned a bloodstained coat with a story of a fatal attack from wild animals. Joseph meanwhile was traded in Egypt and at first served Potiphar, the captain of the guard. There were false allegations, and a prison term, but his reputation for dreams and their interpretation continued, and to cut an exciting but long story short Joseph was able to forewarn Pharaoh of seven years of famine and was put in charge of the forward planning throughout the entire country by being made Prime Minister. And when the famine came, there were travellers seeking grain from neighbouring nations, and some from his former homeland of Canaan, and amongst them his long lost brothers. Through various turns of plot the story winds towards that moment when Joseph makes himself known to his brothers. And as they are reunited Joseph is able to trace the hand and purpose of God through the events of their lives - "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me [here] ahead of you". (Genesis 45: 5) And they are reconciled. They embrace one another and preparations are made for them to escape destitution by moving their entire household, together with their now elderly father, to Egypt where they can survive the famine. The story reads like a practical outworking of Paul's words when he says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). Here are some 'Dreams for our Children': better ways of relating and providing for all, the transformation of offences and breakdown by positive good.
We all have dreams, and some of the best have changed not only individual's lives but the world. Remember the words of the American Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King? 'I have a dream'. The inauguration of Barack Obama, earlier this year as the first African American US President has represented hope for many people.
From Joseph to John's revelation of a 'new heaven and a new earth', characters in the Bible dream dreams. The Bible's story offers hope and light, even in the midst of sadness and regret. It's a dream of healing, of reconciliation, where destructiveness has been given up and tear-worn eyes are dried, where evil is overcome by good, the wounds of the broken-hearted are bound up and captives find real freedom. It's a dream about a new quality of life for all people and in Jesus, his followers declare, the dream has begun, the dream of life in all its fullness has become reality, Christ the new humanity is among us.
Last July "Scotland's Choice" was published. It is the report of the Scottish Government's Prisons Commission which seeks to tackle overcrowding in Scotland's prisons by recommending an end to sentences of less than six months with a strengthening of community sentences and services. "Scotland's Choice" invites us to become a more forgiving society, offering better prospects to those who have paid back for the crimes they have committed, in the knowledge that this is also likely to make for fewer victims of crime. Social Work and Resettlement services would be provided with additional funding. The report, however, is clear that "making support available to ex-prisoners is not just the job of social workers; it is in society's interests that all public services - education, employment, health, housing and so on - play an active part in helping ex-offenders to lead a law-abiding life in the community. Communities also need to play their part in giving people who have served their sentence a fair chance for a fresh start." (p43)
"Dreams for our Children" is about all the children in our communities. It's about the world of tomorrow that begins today. It's about you and I saying we want to tend the hurting and create opportunities for all to achieve their potential.
So may we find ways to engage with others in our community about these very hopes and dreams. Churches are well placed to act as a catalyst to local discussions about how we make our communities better for all. We do so, not because it is our duty, but because it is the gift of Christ our Lord.
(by Rev.Bill Taylor)
