Category: Jail Ministry

Thanks, Maria. That Gives me an idea.

A couple years ago, around the first of November, Chaplain Julia of the Jail Ministry invited the women inmates worshiping together in the jail chapel to tell each other about some of their family traditions related to Halloween and All Saints Day. She especially encouraged Maria to explain to us what her friends and family…

Marian

November 3, 2015

Celebrations, Jail Ministry, Personal Retreats, Reflections

All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Aztec, Christian celebrations, Day of the Dead, departed loved ones, Dia de los Muertos, favorite foods, favorite meal, Halloween, jail, jail ministry, Memorial Day, Presbyterian Church
Remembering my “times” in Jail

The last couple weeks I’ve been spending a lot of my time working on a new booklet, “Stories from JAIL Ministry: Personal Reflections of a Volunteer.” I recently agreed to speak about the Jail Ministry at a potluck luncheon of the senior citizen club of our church, Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison. Since I like…

Marian

October 20, 2015

God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Reflections

Bread for the Journey, church music, Dane County Jail, Henri Nouwen, incarcerated women, inmates, jail, jail booklet, jail ministry, Madison Area Lutheran Council, MALC, Personal Reflections of a Volunteer, Stories from Jail Ministry, unlikely body of people
Observing Holy Week – Jail Style

Last Thursday I participated in the women’s worship service at the county jail. I’ll be doing the same thing again this Thursday, Maundy Thursday. Women inmates have the opportunity to go to worship once every other week. The women from half the cell blocks are given the opportunity one week, the other half the next…

Marian

March 31, 2015

God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Lent, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

Bread of Life, chaplain, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, communion, county jail, Cup of Blessing, Easter, first Last Supper, God’s love, gratitude jar, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Holy Communion, holy meal, Holy Week, inmates, jail chaplain, jail ministry, Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Lent, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, Lord’s Supper, love your neighbor, Maundy Thursday, Palm Sunday, Potter’s Crackers, reflections, released from jail, sharing bread and wine, singing a hymn, spirituality, This Little Light of Mine, when i survey the wondrous cross, women inmates, worship service
Joy in Unexpected Places

The highlight of my day last Thursday came at the end of the women’s worship service in the county jail. As usual, I had gone to the Dane County Jail in Madison to play the piano for the women’s worship service. But this service was a little different. Instead of a more typical opening hymn,…

Marian

August 12, 2014

God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

Be Not Afraid, Bob Dufford, Come We That Love the Lord, Dane County Jail, God’s love, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, highlight, jail chapel, jail ministry, Jesus loves me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, joyful moments, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Marching to Zion, reflections, spirituality, talking with God, unexpected joy, women’s worship service, worship service
Imagine you have just been arrested! Now what?

Imagine you have just been arrested – for a crime that you may or may not have committed. Your life has suddenly been put on hold – for who knows how long. You may have small children at home. Who will care for them? You may have a job. What will happen to that? Think…

Marian

June 3, 2014

Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

arrested, Backyard Mosaic, Backyard Mosaic Women’s Project, Chance Allies, change in my life, chapel, chaplain, concert, Dane County, Dane County Jail, David Allen, fundraiser, fundraising concerts, God’s love, humility, inmate stories, inmates, jail, jail chapel, jail ministry, Jazz for Jail, Jazz for the Jail, John Mix, Julia Weaver, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, Lucas Koehler, Lutheran Churches, Madison Area Lutheran Council, MALC, Maria’s story, Messiah Church, Messiah Lutheran Church, mistakes, pencil, silent auction, Tisha Brown, white collar crime
The Blessings of Awful Stories in the Bible

There are some pretty awful stories in the Bible – like the story of Tamar in Genesis. She was a young widow who disguised herself as a temple prostitute in order to entrap her father-in-law into having sex with her so that she would have a son. Have you ever wondered why that story is…

Marian

March 18, 2014

God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

awful Bible stories, awful stories, fairness, friends, God’s love, hard decisions, hymn sing, jail ministry, joy, kindness, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, love your neighbor, praying for each other, reflections, sharing our stories, sharing stories, singing together, spirituality, talking with God, Tamar, tough decisions, worship service
Top 10 Christmas Carols and my new favorite

What are your favorites – your top 10 Christmas carols? I made a list of mine. It was hard to stop at ten, but I did it. Then I went on the Internet to see if I could find a list of the most popular Christmas carols. Chris Wilson compiled a list of favorites for…

Marian

December 24, 2013

Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

accomplishments, Away in a manger, Before the Marvel of this night, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas caroling, Christmas Carols, favorite Christmas carols, God’s love, hymn sing, jail ministry, Jaroslav Vajda, listening for God, Merry Christmas, O Holy Night, reflections, Silent Night, Singing Christmas Tree, spirituality
Success! I finally memorized it!

“Jesus loves me, this I know … “That’s the first song I memorized as a child. That’s a song little children still memorize today. Sometimes when I’m practicing the piano or organ at church, a little child will timidly walk up to me to watch me play. I’ll stop what I’m playing and invite the…

Marian

December 17, 2013

God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

accomplishments, Adventures in Hospitality, Come Lord Jesus, daily devotions, Dan Korth, God’s love, Helen Hunt Jackson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, hospitality, Jesus loves me, Joan Chittister, John 3:16, kindness, life challenges, love your neighbor, memorization, memorizing Bible verses, memorizing poems, October’s Bright Blue Weather, Pledge of Allegiance, reflections, spirituality, The Monastic Way, to make life better for everyone, village blacksmith, women inmates
I Look Forward to “Church” in Jail

Last week I participated in one of the most inspiring worship services ever at the County Jail. As usual, I was there to play the piano, and the chaplain and inmates welcomed me into their circle of sharing. Last Thursday afternoon there were 13 women inmates plus Chaplain Julia and myself sitting on wooden chairs…

Marian

December 10, 2013

God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

Advent, friends, God’s love, group retreats, jail ministry, life challenges, love your neighbor, reflections, spirituality, whispering winds
Thinking too hard

Sometimes, I think, I think too much. I think too hard about choices as I try to determine what is best. For example, today I’m trying to decide whether to write my blog about what some inmates said the last time we shared a worship service in the jail chapel, or to write about some…

Marian

November 26, 2013

Celebrations, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Reflections

Abbey, Be still and know that I am God, choosing music, Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday, Delores Dufner, different kind of king, Dr. Edman, emperor of Ethiopia, God’s love, Haile Selassie, jail ministry, listening for God, O Christ what can it mean for us, postludes, preludes, Presence of the King, reflections, second chance, serving communion, spirituality, talking with God, thankful, thankful for jail, Thanksgiving, thinking, V. Raymond Edman, Wheaton College, worship experience, worship service