Advent Day 9 – Peace – Prison Ministry

Waiting with Hope in the Groaning 
Romans 8:22-25
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

In this season of waiting, Romans 8 speaks directly to the tension of this painful yet hopeful wait. Paul describes the groaning of all creation, laboring like a mother in childbirth, yearning for renewal and redemption. This passage acknowledges the pain and brokenness of the present that yearns for the hope we have of God’s ultimate promise of freedom and new life.  
For those who wait while incarcerated, this groaning is palpable. Incarceration often magnifies the struggles of waiting: waiting for justice, reconciliation, or simply the next moment of connection. Yet it is also in this space of deep groaning that the Spirit's presence becomes tangible.

Members of Central have partnered with Craggy Correctional Institution for decades but since the COVID-19 pandemic and now with the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, our partnership and care for our incarcerated neighbors has changed.

“This season has been turned upside down...” said Stewart Humphrey, a prison chaplain and Central member. In years past, there have been many opportunities to connect with and care for our incarcerated neighbors, especially during the holiday season, but the flood has diverted the already limited resources. “Our guys had to be transported away for potable water!” The residents at Craggy are set to return in early December but staffing will continue to be an issue. Prisons have been understaffed for years which does not allow for extracurricular activities such as what was Central’s former weekly Disciple Bible study and other opportunities for connections.  

Until then, we’ll have to be more creative in finding our moments of deep connection. One creative ministry that is flourishing is based out of West Asheville. Our friends at Deep Time AVL are “celebrating, employing, and creating spiritual community with people impacted by incarceration.” By employing and empowering formerly incarcerated people, Deep Time is committed to decreasing recidivism by 50% in the next ten years. How? By cultivating spiritual community that honors people’s stories and walking alongside them. And they do this through coffee! Deep Time is a ministry and social enterprise that prepares delicious coffee flavors at individual and wholesale levels. They employ formerly incarcerated people to build them up and set them up for success so that they have more opportunities to break the cycle that would otherwise put them back behind bars.

“The myth that incarceration tells is that Hard Time is rehabilitative. We believe that Deep Time is rehabilitative. Deep Time is the language Christian mystics use to describe Kairos moments: moments to where a radical encounter with the Incarnation makes hours seem like seconds and seconds seem like hours, moments of creating beloved community.” (Deep Time AVL)

Deep Time seeks to encounter the Incarnation through worship weekly at the Buncombe County Jail, monthly with the Faith and Recovery Gathering, and Weekly through the school year via the Wednesday Warmup; and they have visions of a weekly healing arts gathering, a stripped-down liturgical worship gathering, and worship at the local prisons. Deep Time offers celebration through their Curator of Community in Residency program, and the Sojourner program with visions of their Sojourner Program growing into a wrap around 18-month journey for justice impacted individuals that offers housing, employment, access to medical care, and intentional spiritual formation.

The arrival of Jesus Christ in our lives is a radical thing every time we encounter him. This arrival invites us to go deeper into contemplation and action in a way that is not rooted in shame and punishment but in freedom and liberation. Our friends who are incarcerated and those who are transitioning out must tap into a patience only found through Jesus Christ. They are our guides and living testimony to the power of Christ’s inbreaking and reconciliation.  

Prayer: God of hope and redemption, you hear the groans of all creation, and you hear the cries of those behind bars. We thank you for your promise of a new life and for the ways your Spirit moves, even in the darkest places. Bless those involved in prison ministry,
and strengthen them to bring your light and love to those in need. Grant courage and peace to the incarcerated and remind them that they are never forgotten. In this season of Advent, help us to wait with patience and trust. Teach us to hold onto hope, even when it feels distant, knowing that your promises will be fulfilled. Through Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, we pray. Amen.

Action: G.A., Deep Time’s Minister of Social Enterprise says, “I'm looking forward to that transition and that transformation... from this place to that place. The three values I see in Deep Time is commitment, investment, and quality.” This Advent season, let us use these values as a guide for our lives. Commit to living arm-in-arm with people affected by incarceration and invest in their flourishing with high quality care. Support Deep Time AVL’s work by buying coffee and merchandise for delivery or local pickup.