Peter's Promise
A very helpful book for those responding to God’s call to minister with the incarcerated and newly released

Dr. Patricia N. Marks is currently writing Peter's Promise and is seeking a publisher. 

Please see the Table of Contents and partial Introduction below.
 

We often chide Peter for his lack of courage and his brashness at making the promise to follow Jesus to prison and to death.   In focusing on Peter’s promise to give his life, we often overlook the other part of Peter’s promise, his vow to go to prison. 

When I first became involved in prison ministry I started the day by meeting with a group of church women and then concluded the day by going into the prison to meet with female inmates.  At first I was relieved that the women who were incarcerated were wearing uniforms so that I could recall which of the ladies were from the church and which were from the prison. As they shared their stories and their faith the walls between them started to dissolve.  When asked later by a friend about my initial experience, I summed it up by saying, “I met a bunch of whores, thieves, cheaters, liars, and murderers.  Then we went into the prison.”  Yes, it was the sins and shortcomings of the church ladies that made it possible for them to minister to their sisters.

While I have chosen to look at each of the scriptures that mentions imprisonment separately, it is important to look at the overall themes.  Three messages come through most clearly:  1) God stated he would set the captives free; 2) God does not consider the incarcerated particularly guilty or deserving of shame; and 3) God calls for us to interact positively with the incarcerated.

My goal in sharing my experiences through writing the book is to reduce the level of both ignorance and arrogance.  Many people, especially those sitting in pews, are ignorant about the criminal justice system and incarceration.  By recounting a variety of experiences which are based on interactions with hundreds of inmates in several facilities, I hope to provide the reader with a window into the prison.My desire to write this book was confirmed by the scripture Jeremiah 30:2-3.  “Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying, “Write a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. ‘For behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the LORD, ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’”

Being involved in prison ministry has taught me to view things in a new way.  Things are not always as they appear. Things that seem innocent, a plastic bag, the metal in eyeglass frames, bed sheets, are notorious killers of inmates who see suicide as an option. Other items such as wire coat hangers become lethal weapons.  Sometimes these dangerous weapons arrive inadvertently.  One Palm Sunday I was given the task of peeling palm leaves and diligently did so until all that remained was the stem.  Had I placed the stem in the trash it would have been recycled as a sharp stiletto type dagger.  It is not only in the negative that things are not what they appear.  Some items have been transformed to bring forth light and love. Pictures from magazines become greeting cards and Kleenex combined with color markers creates bouquets. Joseph the prisoner becomes Joseph the prime minister.   
      
I hope to reduce the level of arrogance which makes false distinctions between parishioners in the pews and persons in the prison. I do not purport to have simplistic answers to complex problems nor do I have a set political agenda nor do I propose certain courses of political action.  Ultimately, my goal is to go beyond bemoaning the problems, ringing my hands, and crying pox upon you and offer encouragement and support for persons interested in taking action, political or otherwise.
After Peter’s repentance and an infusion of courage from the Holy Spirit, Peter made good on both his promises and went with Jesus to prison and to death.  Peter was not the only prisoner called by God.  God’s word contains more than one hundred and thirty references to prisons and prisoners.  Within these references, there are several stories of the incarcerated, some of whom are former jailers.  Prisoners of note in the Hebrew Scriptures include Joseph, Samson, and Jeremiah. Several of the psalms specifically mention the pain of imprisonment.  Both the apostles Peter and Paul were incarcerated.  The book of Revelation notes that Satan takes persons prisoner and is also freed from imprisonment.

I have chosen not to chronicle all the crimes in the Bible including the well-known roadside assault recounted in Luke 10:25, nor have I chosen to equate incarceration with crime or with sin.  This book does not address questions or concerns regarding the guilt or innocence of the incarcerated, their jailers, or society for all are guilty of falling short of God’s desires. 

The first section of the book offers insights into prison ministry.  To readers who are engaged in prison and after care ministry I offer encouragement and thanks.  To those readers who are not yet engaged in prison and re-entry ministry I hope to persuade them into well considered action with the realization that the calling into prison ministry takes perseverance.  I equally hope to discourage those who would become involved for the novelty or thrill.  The second section of the book focuses on life lessons learned by reading scripture about imprisonment. The third section contains the scriptures written by or about Paul who was imprisoned so frequently that some scholars have speculated that he spent more of his time in ministry in prison than freely moving about. The final section is the one nearest and dearest to my heart for it shows God’s interactions with the incarcerated and newly released. God’s hands, ears, eyes are upon the incarcerated and newly released.

I am oft reminded that we go to prison, not to bring God with us, but to visit Him there.  God is not confined to the chapel; He is on the tiers, in the chow hall, and in “the hole.” God is ever present. God’s interactions with the incarcerated indicate His infinite patience and love.  While the Hebrew Scriptures are replete with references to God’s wrath and judgment, God never singles out the imprisoned as guilty or deserving of punishment.  God’s interactions with the incarcerated indicate His infinite patience and love.  While the scriptures cited in this book single out those who are or those who have been imprisoned as being cared for and loved by God, the Bible, God’s love letter, is written to us all.   

Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Matheson Frontispiece
Note to Readers
Introduction


Guidance for Prison and After-Care Ministry

  1. Visit Him there                                                             Matthew 25:36-44
  2. Promote education                                                     Jeremiah 37:4, 15-16, 18, 21
  3. Recognize and reward responsible residents            Genesis 39:20-23
  4. Rebuild the city                                                           Isaiah 14:16-17
  5. Respect returnees                                                      Genesis 40:12-15 Genesis 41:9-14 also                                                                                Ecclesiastes  4:14
  6. Reduce the prison population                                     Genesis 42:16-19
  7. Coordinate community care                                       Jeremiah 29:26
  8. Focus on financial freedom                                        Matthew 18:23- 30 and Luke 12:58   
  9. Reduce the risk of disease                                         2 Chronicles 18:26
  10. Keep prisons in good repair                                        Nehemiah 3:25, 12:39
  11. Care after confinement                                               2 Kings 25:27-29
  12. Offer alternatives                                                        Ezra 7:26
  13. Continue communicating                                            Jeremiah  33:1
  14. Grieve the losses                                                        Jeremiah 52:11
  15. Attend and listen                                                         Isaiah 42:22

 Wisdom

  1. Do what you say you will do                                       Luke 22:33
  2. Demonstrate positive leadership                                2 Kings 17:4-6
  3. Activate anger appropriately                                       2 Chronicles 16:10
  4. Stand up for the truth even when it is lonely               1 Kings 22:27 
  5. Let others lift you out of the mire                                Jeremiah 38:6-13.
  6. Plan optimistically for the future                                  Jeremiah 32:, 8, 12   
  7. Know that Jesus cares in all circumstances                         Matthew 11:2-
  8. Settle disputes peacefully                                           Matthew 5:25
  9. Learn from past mistakes                                           Judges 16:21and Judges 16:25
  10. Groan to God                                                              Psalm 79:11
  11. Praise God                                                                  Psalm 142:7
  12. Pray fervently: It opens locked doors              Acts 12:4-17
  13. Do not fear: Trials and tribulations are temporary      Revelation 2:10
  14. Follow freely                                                                Mark 15:6-7

The Paul pieces

Prison ministry pieces
  1. Do not be ashamed                                                    2 Timothy 1:16-17
  2. Be chained to them                                                     Hebrews 13:3
  3. Don’t delay justice                                                       Acts 25:14-15
  4. Abolish disparities in sentencing                                Acts 23:31-35
  5. Appeal for the children                                                Philemon 1, 9-11
  6. Make the charges clear                                              Acts 25:27
  7. Consider Community Confinement                            Acts 28:16-17
Life lessons
  1. Put the past behind you                                              Acts 8:3, Acts 22:4, Acts 26:9-10
  2. Influence those around you                                         Acts 16:22-34
  3. Boast only about your weaknesses                            2 Corinthians 11:23-33
  4. Rejoice in the spreading of the good news                Philippians 1:12-14
  5. Rely on God                                                                2 Timothy 1:8 and Eph 3:1
  6. Demonstrate faith                                                       Hebrews 11:36-40 
  7. Stay in good company                                                Col 4:10, Philemon 23
  8. Display marks of ministry                                           2 Corn 6:4-6
  9. Warn others about ambushes                                    Acts 23:18
  10. Be worthy of your calling                                             Ephesians 4:1

 God’s Intentions and God’s interactions

  1. God does not approve                                                Laminations 3:34-36
  2. God grants rest to the weary                                      Job 3:17-18 
  3. God restores and sustains                                         Psalm 68:6
  4. God does not despise                                                 Psalm 69: 33
  5. God watches and listens                                            Psalm 102:19-20
  6. God lifts up                                                                  Psalm 107:10-16
  7. God transforms                                                           Psalm 146:7 
  8. God stretches out His hand                                        Isaiah 10:4
  9. God opens the eyes of the blind                                 Isaiah 42:7
  10. God anoints and proclaims liberty                              Isaiah 61:1 also Luke 4:18
  11. God restores doubly                                                   Zechariah 9:11
  12. God silently suffers                                                     Isaiah 53:8
  13. God suffers so we may be saved                               1 Peter 3: 18-20
  14. God gathers the guilty                                                 Isaiah 24:22
  15. God has the authority but not the desire                     Job 12:14
  16. God reigns                                                                  Rev. 20:7
Conclusion
  1. Peter makes good on his promise                             Acts 5:17-26 
  2. We are God’s promise                                               Isaiah 49:8-10

 
Acknowledgements

First and foremost I thank God for the opportunity to share His love, His words, and His wisdom.  I have been truly blessed by the opportunity to write and to reflect all that I have learned doing prison ministry.  I am most appreciative of the time I have spent getting to know the men and women who are incarcerated—some would say in the care of the state but I full well know they are in the care of God. All inadvertent omissions and technical errors are due to my humanity; all inspiration and wisdom are due to His divinity. 

I bless the chaplains, especially Rev. Kenneth Napper at the Corrections Corporation of America Correctional Treatment Facility in Washington, DC, Rev. Lynn Litchfield at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Virginia, Bill Bolton and Rev. Etta Rossman at Goochland Correctional Center for Women in Virginia and the many chaplains who at professional meetings and personal correspondence have shared their joys, sorrows, and frustrations.  I thank Sister Pat Ash of the Baltimore Detention Facility for always seeing and expressing the joy even in the most adverse conditions and for Fr. Michael Bryant, former Chaplain of DC Jail who taught me the real meaning of forbearance and steadfastness.  While each facility is different and each chaplain has a unique style, I have learned about God’s gracious love and forgiveness from each of them.  I have seen each of them touch the hearts of inmates and heard them express how each has in turn been touched by the hand of God.

I extend a very heartfelt thank you to my sisters in the Kairos program who have encouraged me to keep writing even when I thought I had nothing to say or that no one would listen.  I especially thank Marsha Clements who introduced me to the program and who chuckled each time I took an unexpected (at least to me anyway) step in faith.  She provided strong guidance and yet like a loving “big sister” let me learn from my own mistakes.  I most appreciate that she never took the many openings I provided for her to say “I told you so”.  I thank Rev. Louann Moore for her constant prayers and gentle prodding.  Her questions about the progress of the book gave me hope that at least one other person believed in the project even when my faith (in myself, not God) waned.  I thank Barbara Ericson for reminding me of the importance of creativity and reminders that God is the ultimate Creator.  Polly Rosenstein, Kairos sister and “Wednesday goals partner” encouraged me to keep writing and staying in forward motion.  She taught me to recognize God in the smallest things and most unexpected places.  Jeannette Herbert inspired me with her gift of the “Freedom” collage which hangs on the wall in my study.  Through it she taught me that eggs, like chains, must be broken for us to be free and that we can trade security for serenity.  Gloria Kasey taught me to look beyond my own nose and to look at things from a different perspective. Sandy Young deserves a special thanks for loving the best in everyone especially when they are at their worst. She and my other Kairos sisters cheered me on through their prayers and presence. 

While my Kairos sisters have been instrumental on the personal level, the folks at CURE and Open Society Institute have instructed me about policies and politics.   

I’d like to thank my many friends with whom I shared my experiences and who encouraged me to dig deeper and aim higher by reading, reflecting and ultimately writing.  Thanks go to my sister-in-law TOP (The Other Patricia) and brother Dennis for their assistance in all things technical and for teaching me that academia need not be dull and dry.   My deep appreciation goes to the incarcerated men and women who taught me that sorrows and stories are best when shared. All the compassion, love, and laughter in the book were contributed by Tishara, Lisa, Sol, and Ben.  It is only when thinking about them that my words fail me.  

This book was conceived at Wesley Theological Seminary which fostered my faith and helped me to clarify my call.  Faculty member Dr. David Hopkins had the most profound effect upon me and subsequently this book by teaching me to probe the “minor characters” of the Bible and to learn more about God’s actions in their lives and my own.  I thank Dr. Denise Dombkowski Hopkins for not taking this project lightly and seriously questioning and editing parts of an early draft. She reminded me that careful exegesis must precede reflection lest our own words assume more meaning than the Word of God.  I thank her for forcing me to focus on sources and The Source.  I thank Dean Bruce Birch for responding to my cries and complaints that the seminary did not have any courses on prison and after care ministries and allowing me to co-teach such an offering.  I thank Walter Ridley for co-teaching the course and allowing me to benefit from his many years of experience.  Without my study buddies—Rev. Leah DeLong, Rev. Lori Buck, and Rev. Valerie Ritter I’d still be stuck on Genesis trying to figure out the first line.  Okay, so I’m still working on the first line—how did God create the wind out of nothing?  They and many other Wesley students poked, prodded, and pushed and subsequently made me think and speak more clearly.
I thank Mr. Timothy Staveteig Publisher of The Pilgrim Press who very justifiably questioned me about my beliefs about evil and the idea that anything positive can be learned or gleaned from imprisonment.  His questions helped me to keep the reader always in mind. 

I owe my writing skills to two former bosses Ruth Crone of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and Dr. Cheryl Hayes of the National Academy of Sciences who taught me the importance of clarity in writing and thinking. I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend Dr. David Banks for teaching me about clarity in all things spiritual.

I am very grateful for the many times that my friend Angeila gave me a hale and hearty “you go girl” at just the right moment and the many reminders since our meeting in the fourth grade that  Denise Prose said, “its about time”.  The book would still be in a million unfinished pieces if it were not for the patience and persistence of Nefretete Raheed. She coached by both coaxing and challenging me.  Friends too numerous to mention covered me in prayer during the writing, served as “so great a cloud of witnesses”, and contributed key ideas and insights which are incorporated into the book. Their faith has encouraged and reinforced my own. 

While my son, Drew, does not share my faith he shares my passion for pursuing a dream.  I hope this book spurs him on to larger dreams and greater successes.