PROPHETS OF HOPE

A Ministry of Presence

September, 2023

Prophets of Hope meets the 4th Thursday of the month @6 pm in the Fireside Lounge.

Next Meeting:

September 28, 2023

Prophet News

Thank you to all who are participating in our jail ministry. We have a couple of new folks joining us plus a couple who had taken a 'pause' from the ministry. We will continue providing faith services two Tuesdays a month in the women's jail and once a month at juvenile hall. This month we will begin serving the women in Blaine Street. A reminder to volunteers: there is a googledoc calendar so please add your name to the dates you are available. Patty and I are the 'experienced' leaders and will accompany those with less experience.

There is also a googledoc to sign up for the jail lobby Sundays. Jane Heyse will monitor the calendar along with Raneta Pomeroy.

If you haven't received a google doc and want to, please let me, RevBev, know.

Carol Decarvalo joined us at our August meeting. Carol is involved with NAMI and is instrumental in supporting families whose loved ones are in Santa Clara County Jail. Carol provided us with information and creative ideas on how we can expand our ministry and support inmates and their families. She did suggest we m send a POH member to attend the Mental Health Advisory Board here in Santa Cruz. I advised that the MHAB have a couple of new members including Celeste Gutierrez, who is Supervisor Hernandez' analyst. Their next meeting is: Thursday, September 21st from 3 to 5 at Bldg. K, 1400 Emeline, Room 206/207.

I mentioned to Carol we are interested in being able to hand out the NAMI Jail 101 booklet to families on our lobby ministry Sundays. Carol will follow-up with Hugh and me about what is needed for the updates. (Phone and Correspondence mainly)

POH received a generous donation from the UCC NCNC Santa Clara Association. Combined with a generous donor from Peace, POH is looking good for the upcoming holiday festivities. These funds also support our Women's Jail Packet project and the Jail Lobby Ministry. Thank you notes have gone out!

Patty and Natalie noted they would be interested in helping put together the jail bags for indigent women. Kathy suggested we determine the cost of one bag so we can make an easy 'ask' of folks. We determined it is approximately $25 a bag. We discussed creating a POH worship service again. A number of volunteers came to us after a POH worship experience. I shared that I recently saw the mother and daughter who spoke at our church and they are both doing well. The daughter's baby is now 9.

Barbara suggested that we share POH news with folks on the Peace newsletter list. Jane explained that we would just need to let the office know to include a link to the newsletter. Will do it this month. Thanks Barbara and Jane.

In other ways we are serving: one POH member has a family member who is in prison. The family member is up for parole for the first time and her aunt is writing a letter on her niece's behalf. We support this effort and pray for a positive outcome.

Another POH member has a grandchild who is in prison. POH supports the grandparents in their journey as well as the grandchild when they are released.

As is often the case, the connections we have to those who are incarcerated are very close. POH walks these journeys with the individual, families and friends alike.

RevBev Notes

In Cynthia Bourgeault’s 2013 book, The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three: Discovering the Radical Truth at the Heart of Christianity, she outlines her blueprint for conscious evolution. It comes down to one core concept: The Law of Three.

Simply, Bourgeault’s Law of Three states, that three unique energies are needed in order to create new life. These three energies, Affirming, Denying and Reconciling, must be in dynamic exchange with each other in order to move into what she calls a ‘fourth, or new dimension.’

She provides this example: A seed, as Jesus said, “unless it falls into the ground, remains a single seed.” If this seed does fall into the ground it enters a sacred transformative process. A seed, the first or affirming force, meets ground, the second or denying force. But even in this encounter, nothing will happen until sunlight, the third or reconciling force enters the equation. Then together the three generate a sprout, which is the actualization of the possibility in the seed and a whole new field of possibility emerges.

If we adopt the Law of Three as our fundamental spiritual practice, we can use it to go beyond our binary thinking (either/or) and instead move our attention toward the creative third force. By paying greater attention to the third or reconciling force we strengthen its presence in our lives. As the third force enters our field of awareness, it changes the story, and new life is possible.

Prophets of Hope invites us to see and be the creative third force. We discover new ways to belong: faith services in the jail, supporting families of incarcerated loved ones, jail lobby ministry, release bags for indigent women, holiday gifts and gifts bags, Christmas Eve tamale dinner and more. We are, therefore, invited to nourish opportunities and to recognize the third creative forces in our midst, being open to the new ideas they make possible. If we are open enough, curious enough and inviting enough, the third creative forces will lead us to a fourth dimension of new opportunities.

PRAYERS

Prayers for Jazper who was released last week after having served five years. He is 20 and needs prayers for patience during this critical time of transition.

Prayers for Diego as he prepares to be released from custody and to begin a culinary program.

Prayers for Kevin.

Prayers for all who are struggling with addiction. May they find support in their journey to sobriety.

Continued prayers for Mary as she looks to her future.

Prayers of clarity for Liz as she struggles to deal with her demons.

Prayers for the young man who took his life in our county jail; 24 hours after being released from Telecare.

Prayers for the Sheriff and those whose only job is to care for those in custody. May they recognize all those in custody as children of God.

Prayers for Michelle for patience and wisdom in her effort to create a healthy and safe life for herself.

We often quote Julian of Norwich: 'All will be well, all will be well, and all manner of things will be well.'

Julian's description of the meaning of that line is about the power of love flowing through the universe that holds us fast and will never let us go. Wow!

Why don't we quote that? That's the line that sticks with me because 'all will be well.' We will be well.

The quote doesn't make sense until you know that you can rely on the power of Love that flows through the universe, holds us fast, and will never let us go - no matter what.

All will be well.

~RevBev