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As the national prison ministry of the Orthodox Church, part of the OCPM’s mission is to train and inspire local church communities to support those in prison near them. This is why dozens of Orthodox clergy seek out our coaching services every year to learn how to best manage the various challenges of doing ministry in a nearby facility. While OCPM freely offers its decades-long expertise, we often walk away from these coaching sessions learning from the clergy, too, and one recent session with Fr. Nicholas is a great example of this.
Fr. Nicholas had some practical questions he needed to iron out with us like ensuring all the Orthodox people in the facility he visits are aware of the Liturgy he serves monthly and some other “red tape” he has encountered. But he didn’t seem too discouraged by his challenges. It is challenging for a parish priest to drive an hour and a half every month to provide men in prison with the Sacraments. We asked him if it was too taxing.
Fr. Nicholas beamed, “Of course not! If there was just one person there that I could serve, I would go.”
His immediate and joyful response brings to mind Christ’s words to His disciples in the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Trying to help His disciples understand the character of God, Christ says,
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. (Matthew 18:12-13)
We are amazed at how wide God has spread OCPM, currently serving 1,407 people in prison, not to mention the thousands of people affected by incarceration secondhand: the families and friends of someone in prison, the parishioners willing to get involved.
Above: “God’s Sheep” Infographic
But this Scripture is at the heart of prison ministry, too, just as Fr. Nicholas understands. In the Kingdom of God, Christ turns our ideas of success upside down. In the Kingdom of God, if just one of us is lost, if just one of us is alone and cast out, Christ leaves everything to find them.
If there were just one person in prison this ministry could serve, we would seek to find them. May we all be more like Our Lord, always striving for just one more person we can help!
