I am part of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon a group of churches cooperating together to seek, among other things, justice in our criminal justice system. As part of this effort I was asked to help put together a “Criminal Justice Sabbath” which would try to raise awareness and gain support at the congregational level. I’ve been involved in various kinds of jail ministry for about seven years, so I’m grateful for this chance to reflect on that experience.
Prayer
Prayer is one of the central aspects of all three Abrahamic religions. When I went to the Holy Land in 2014 I spent my first few days in Nazareth, where I was awakened before dawn every morning by the call to prayer that emanated from the minaret not far from the monastery where our group was staying. Prayer is not a casual, when you have time or when you go to the mosque sort of ritual for followers of Islam; Muslims are called to prayer five times a day. At those times they stop what they’re doing, take out their prayer rugs, kneel facing Mecca and say their prayers. That same sort of praying of the hours has taken place in Christian monastic communities for centuries, and there are certainly many devout people living outside such communities who pause, even in this busy world in which we live, at specific times during the day to pray.
