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SUNDAY WORSHIP FOR PRISONS WEEK<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

听鈥業 AM NOT THE SAME鈥�

Theme of Prisons Week 鈥楾aking the Path of Life鈥櫶�

Psalm 16: 11

Please note:

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

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Radio 4 Opening Announcement:

大象传媒 Radio 4. [TIME CHECK] and time for Sunday Worship, which this morning comes from Bedford at the start of Prisons Week.听 It鈥檚 led by the Co-ordinating chaplain of Bedford Prison, the Reverend Sharon Grenham-Toze.

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Opening sentences:听

SHARON

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

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MIKE

I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

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JENNIE

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.听 听

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Choir:听 God has chosen me Bernadette Farrell vv 1,3听

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SHARON
Good morning, and welcome to the Church of St Peter de Merton and St Cuthbert in Bedford. For well over one thousand years Christians have worshipped on this site.

Today St Peter鈥檚 stands on a busy corner of this bustling market town. Just outside the church, looking down the High Street, there鈥檚 a statue of one of Bedford鈥檚 most famous residents: the nonconformist minister, and author of 鈥楾he Pilgrim鈥檚 Progress鈥� -听 John Bunyan. This solid depiction of the man cuts a commanding figure, and stands in stark contrast to the leaves now falling from the surrounding trees, something lasting amid the ephemeral changes of the seasons.

Bunyan was himself a bold and uncompromising preacher and was imprisoned in Bedford Gaol in 1660, for 12 years, and then again in 1675. 听It鈥檚 believed he conceived and wrote the Pilgrim鈥檚 Progress during his time in custody. The words of our first hymn are taken from that great work. We sing "He who would valiant be.鈥�

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Hymn听 听He who would valiant be

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SHARON

鈥業鈥檒l labour night and day to be a pilgrim.鈥� 听A stirring avowal of determination, whatever the opposition. 听Someone who lived up to those sentiments in no small measure was one of Bedford鈥檚 other famous residents: the great prison reformer, John Howard. 听听He was appointed High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773 and was so shocked at the conditions in the old Bedford County gaol that he resolved to embark upon a campaign of prison reform. Speaking as the Chaplain of the present Bedford Prison, I can confirm that conditions have improved considerably since then!

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Bedford Prison actually stands within the parish of St Peter鈥檚, and today keeps around 500 men in custody.

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Our service this morning marks the beginning of the annual Prisons Week, when churches of many traditions are encouraged to consider, and pray for, all those connected with our country鈥檚 prisons. Fittingly enough, the theme for this year鈥檚 Prisons Week is 鈥楾aking the path of

life鈥� 鈥� an image that recalls Bunyan鈥檚 ideas of pilgrimage if ever there was one.

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For all of us, the first step to walking that path to life has to be an acknowledgement of how far we have each fallen short of the glory of God. 听Sidney, an Official Prison Visitor here in Bedford, takes us into a time of confession, with words from Psalm 51:

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SIDNEY 听听听 听听听听听听听听听 Reading听听
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Choir:听听 Requests听听 by Bedford composer Paul Edwards, with words by Dolben

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SHARON听听听听听听听听听听听 Prayer of Confession/Absolution听
We confess to You, Lord, what we are.
We are not the people
We like others to think we are.
We are afraid to admit even to ourselves
What lies in the depths of our souls.
But we do not want to hide our true selves from You.
We believe that You know us as we are,
And yet You love us.
Help us not to shrink from self-knowledge;
Teach us to respect ourselves and others for Your sake.
Give us the courage
To put our trust in Your guiding power.
Raise us up from the paralysis of guilt
And lead us to the freedom and energy of people,
Whose faults are forgiven.
For those who through long habit of sinfulness
Find forgiveness hard to accept,
We ask you to break their bondage and set them free.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

ALL: 听听听听听听 May God forgive us.

听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听 May Christ renew us.

听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听 May the Holy Spirit enable us to grow in love. 听
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Amen.听

Hymn听 听听听听听听 Amazing Grace

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SHARON
John Howard鈥檚 reforming campaign eventually became what we know today as the Howard League. Over its 140-year history, the Howard League has had a significant impact on the development of policy and also successfully campaigned for the introduction of the victims鈥� compensation scheme. Underpinning the League鈥檚 aims is the belief that, treated with humanity and decency, someone in custody can be given the chance to lead a different life. This is also central to the Prison Service鈥檚 statement that it exists to protect the public, treat offenders with humanity, and help them to lead useful, law-abiding lives.

Most people taking part in this service are here in the church, but the voices of prisoners you hear were recorded recently in the prison chapel听 鈥� and for reasons of security their names have been changed.

Lee is a prisoner who attends prison chapel services. In July this year I was delighted to baptize him in front of his fellow prisoners. Lee has set out on a new pathway, a hopeful pilgrim with his new-found faith.听

Insert 1听听听听听听 LEE TALK

In:听 听听 听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐os I had no brothers and sisters鈥�.鈥�

Out:听听 听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾�� so,听 Keep the faith.鈥�

Dur:听 听听听听听听听听听 1鈥�30

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Hymn听听听 Brother Sister let me serve you

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SHARON听

It鈥檚 a great pleasure to have the Royal School of Church Music millennium Youth choir leading the singing here this morning.听 Jack is one of its members.听 His life so far has been along a very different route to those in the nearby prison. 听He comes from the Bedford area and has described himself as 鈥榩rivileged鈥� in comparison to many. 听So when he visited the prison for the first time, this was going to be a very new experience.听

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JACK听

Everything seemed grey when I went in.听 No green space I could see.听 So this was Bedford Prison with almost 500 men living there. This life, I realised, is a world away from anything I鈥檝e ever known.

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Some of the prisoners I met described how isolated they felt - one of them hadn鈥檛 been in contact with family or friends for almost a year. And one phrase stood out for me.听 One prisoner told me the best way to get on was to be 鈥榝riendly to everyone and friends to no-one.鈥櫶� I thought, that must be so hard to carry on day by day. Others described prison as being just like they were plucked from life and put in a box - as if everything had been put on hold.听 But they also came across as really positive 鈥� this difficult time in their lives was also a chance to stop, and think, and reflect on the road that had led them here. With the help of some of the staff in the prison, they felt they were now going in a different direction.

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I met up with some of the prison officers and I was surprised to find out the whole range of roles they play, and how much they really do want to help. It鈥檚 very different to the image of the stern guard in a uniform that you usually see in films or television dramas.听

I was shocked to hear that about 70% of prisoners have some sort of mental health problem, and that the average level of educational ability is about 11 years old. This was for me a very dark side of prison life and made me wonder about the sad and desperate situations that some of these men must have been in, in order to end up in prison.

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JACK

But there was some hope too! There were several places around the prison which seemed to act as almost sanctuaries away from the bravado of the main wings 鈥� places like the Chapel, the library and the classrooms. Many of the prisoners I met talked about how the chaplaincy provided a haven - away from the harsh and grim reality of prison life 鈥� a safe space to think, to find support and advice, and maybe start to do things differently.

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So my visit presented me with a mix of sadness and hope, and a world that I鈥檇 never really thought about before. I know I鈥檒l never forget it鈥�.听

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SHARON

Jack joins the choir now to sing Phillip Wilby鈥檚 鈥榁ox Christi鈥� based on the Great Commission at the end of Matthew鈥檚 gospel 鈥� the commission to baptise all people in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 听

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Anthem听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Vox Christi

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SHARON
Much like the obstacles that met Bunyan鈥檚 Pilgrim along the way, life presents us with opportunities to choose which way to go, even though in all of life God is with us. Of course, those serving prison sentences are being held accountable for their actions and choices, but in fact, the Christian faith expects each of us to examine our behaviour, as St Paul makes clear in our next reading.听 The Priest-in-Charge of St Peter鈥檚, the Revd Mike Fudger, reads from the letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 13-24.

MIKE听听听听听听听听 Reading听
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, 鈥淵ou shall love your neighbour as yourself.鈥� If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.

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I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.听

This is the word of the Lord 听听
Thanks be to God

SHARON听
My conversations with prisoners make it painfully obvious how easy it is to get into a downward spiral of behaviour. Many of the men I meet on a daily basis have problems with addiction and substance abuse, mental health issues, and a history of violence and poor impulse control. Often feeling alienated and angry from an early age, they鈥檝e grown up learning to 鈥榖ite and devour one another鈥� as St Paul puts it.

For some, coming into prison is just part of the ups and downs of life, and changing their attitude is enormously challenging. But for a great many more, time in custody comes as a shock. It鈥檚 often the lowest point in someone鈥檚 life, when they have to come to terms with the damage they鈥檝e caused to their victim, to their family, to society, and, of course, to themselves. 听

The fallout from loss of freedom often hits in the most unexpected ways as a prisoner must contend with having little control over his (or her) day-to-day life, lack of contact with loved ones and the issues with housing and employment that a criminal record inevitably brings.

But as St Paul reminds us, those of us who retain our freedom do well to reflect on how, and how well, we use that privilege. We may not realise just how much we take for granted 鈥� falling into self-indulgence as Paul describes it. And whilst the majority of us may never fall foul of the law of the land, how many times do we break the law of God to love our neighbour as ourselves?

God sets for us the highest standard 鈥� to put aside the easy, almost natural ways we鈥檝e developed, which lead to division and resentment, selfishness and scorn, and instead pray for the strength and humility to live life by the Spirit. Living by the Spirit produces the recognisable fruit that he describes 鈥� love, joy, peace, humility and so on. Living by the Spirit may also bring us to recognise that each of us is still travelling the difficult road that leads to the kingdom. Some of us may be further along than others, but we鈥檙e all still in transit just the same. Maybe this can help us to see the residents of our local HM prison in a slightly different light.

That鈥檚 not to ignore the consequences of crime, of course, and the victims, nor to remove the need for each of us to take a long hard look at our lives and relationships. God has made it clear that mercy is shot through with justice, and we鈥檙e all accountable for our actions. 鈥業 am warning you鈥� says St Paul, 鈥榓s I have warned you before, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.鈥�

But, thankfully, God鈥檚 mercy is everlasting, and given speedily to those who have the humility to ask for it.

Sean and Miliong are two regulars in the prison chapel. They鈥檝e both been through a time of real soul-searching during their time in custody, and have come to see the impact their actions have had on others and on their own lives. Through their strengthening faith and their encounter with God鈥檚 justice and mercy, they realise that life from now on has to be very different, and there鈥檚 a lot of rebuilding to do. They鈥檝e made a start amongst their fellow prisoners by forming a choir which sings for all the chapel services 鈥� it鈥檚 also grown into a peer support group, with lively discussions about faith and life a regular feature.

Sean wrote this next song, which they recorded together in the prison chapel, to express how much the two of them had changed, and I know it鈥檚 a sentiment that others in their group would echo. It鈥檚 called 鈥業 am not the same.鈥�

INSERT 2听 鈥� PRISONER鈥橲 SONG

I am not the same

2鈥�35鈥�

SHARON
I am not the same, by Sean and Miliong, who also offer this short prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

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INSERT 3 - PRISONERS鈥� PRAYER

In:听 听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淟ord Jesus, we thank 鈥�

Out: 听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾��eternal life through you.听 Amen鈥�

Dur:听 听听听听听听听听听 44鈥�

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SHARON

Our prayers continue, led by Dave, a former prisoner at Bedford Prison, now working as a 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��.. in 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��.. and Jennie, a regular worshipper at St Peter鈥檚, who鈥檚 also a member of the Independent Monitoring Board, which keeps an eye on conditions and practices within the jail.

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JENNIE 听听听 Prayers

Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison. Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist. Support with your love prisoners and their families and friends, prison staff and all who care. Heal those who have been wounded by the actions of others, especially the victims of crime.

Lord in your mercy听听

hear our prayer

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DAVE

Dear God our Father, we pray for people who struggle, or are in pain and suffering, people who need you most and need a helping hand. We pray for people in prisons across the world, that they learn from their mistakes in the crimes they have committed, and believe that they can be a better person. We pray for everyone who has no one, no family, no friends, for they may be finding it hard to cope and we pray that you will guide them in a direction where they will feel loved and comforted. 听听We pray for families who have been torn apart through imprisonment and need your love and guidance to survive.

We pray for everyone, that we may all have a brighter future and love everyone as we want to be loved.

Lord, in your mercy听

hear our prayer.

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JENNIE

Righteous God, we pray for all who administer justice and those who oversee the running of prisons. Grant them wisdom, integrity, compassion and energy. We pray Lord that you will be present and active in all situations of judgement and sentencing, in all decisions for release, and in the day to day relationships between prisoners and those who work with them.

Lord in your mercy听听

hear our prayer

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DAVE

You never give up on us听 Lord, despite our sin and loss of innocence.. We pray for those who are rebuilding their lives, for those who are struggling to forgive, and those who support them. Help us as we all walk the pathway to life.

Lord in your mercy听

hear our prayer

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And now we pray as Jesus taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom

The power and the glory

For ever and ever.

Amen.听

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SHARON听

As each of us walks the pilgrim path, we have the reassurance that Jesus is right beside us as our companion and guide. The path may be narrow, and the road steep, but he lights our way, and holds us when we stumble. And so Lord Jesus Christ, the way by which we travel, show us yourself, the truth that we must walk in. And be in us the life that lifts us up to God, our journey鈥檚 end. Amen.

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And now we sing our final hymn 听鈥楪o forth for God鈥�

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Hymn听听听 Go forth for God (Woodlands)

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SHARON 听听听听听听听听听听 Blessing

God be your comfort, your strength,

God be your hope and support,

God be your light and your way;

And the Blessing of God Almighty

Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life

Remain with you now and for ever.听 Amen.

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Organ Voluntary: 听Nun danket alle Gott, Karg-Elert

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Closing announcement from Continuity:

Sunday Worship came live from the Church of St Peter de Merton and St Cuthbert.听 The service was led by the Reverend Sharon Grenham-Toze, Co-ordinating chaplain of Bedford Prison.听 The Royal School of Church Music Millennium Youth choir was directed by David Ogden and the organist was Daniel Moult.听 The producer was Clair Jaquiss.

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Next week, Sunday Worship comes from St Salvator鈥檚 Chapel in the University of St Andrews.

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