Consecration (continued week 3)

Topic: Consecration
November 11, 2004.

We continued on the theme of consecration. I don't think we used that word, but that's what the theme is. Sometimes using religious terms turns people off, so we use simpler terms. In this county jail the average education level is ninth grade.

Communication in this setting means using terms that are understood without much explanation.

We read Psalm 22. Each person around the discussion circle read a verse. Then we discussed difficult words and terms and shared our thoughts on what the Psalm says to us today. Recently we've been working on memorizing some Psalms (23 and 24 so far), which as turned out well.

Next, I took a risk.. I gave the other 2 volunteers a heads up about this before I did it (outside, before we went in to the jail). I told the inmates that I was pregnant. I left them think this for less than a minute, during which the conversation included talk about how a baby would limit our prison visits. Then, I admitted to the guys that I had lied, and that I wasn't pregnant. The point was, that saying something does make it true. Sooner or later (in this case, several months) the truth becomes known.

This is true in our lives, too. Sooner or later our "fruit" becomes obvious to others. Are we growing to be more loving or are we remaining grumpy old snappy people.

Scriptures:
Isaiah 58. (True Fasting)

John 15:5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Saying we are Christian does not mean it is so. Where is the fruit of the relationship with Jesus?