Living Stones congregation belongs to you

By the Rev. Kent Shane, chair,
Southwestern Washington Synod Outreach Board

There is a congregation in our synod that has standing room only every week at worship. Has almost a dozen visitors every week, guaranteed. Is as racially diverse as any congregation in the Southwestern Washington Synod. Has worship that is almost entirely lay planned and led. Has communion at every worship time. Has a mix of believers, new converts, the inquisitive, and those with no knowledge of or experience in the faith. Has a full-time pastor who spends about half his time with the congregation and half his time in the community. And, does not collect an offering.

This is YOUR congregation! Living Stones Prison Congregation at the Washington Corrections Center at Shelton is a mission congregation of the Southwestern Washington Synod which makes it a part of your congregation and your congregation a part of Living Stones.

I was recently doing a study of Matthew 25 – the sheep and goats part – that has Jesus telling us about service in the world. I have so often concentrated on what defines a sheep and likewise a goat, that I commit the usual sin of objectifying and overlooking the ones who were served.

It’s an impressive litany: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. As I looked at the list, I noticed for the first time that there is almost a progression here in how peoples’ basic needs, when left unmet, escalate into greater and greater need and danger.

The hungry and thirsty are facing the absence of basic needs and when you are there, that’s all you can think about.

So you venture out into strange places to try to get fed, leaving your comfort zone being entirely at the mercy of those to whom you tell your story. You show up with nothing, naked before your hosts, willing to eat bland manna and drink water from a rock – what choice do you have? And when basic needs aren’t even met, there certainly isn’t anything left for extras – no clothes, no health care, so sickness is a serious matter.

And when all is gone, hunger, thirst, community, naked, sick ... desperation can set in and choices can get made that lead to prison.

Yet every step along the way is a potential point of ministry where the line between those serving and those being served is blurred in the gift of community. Living Stones is such a community. A community gathered by God to serve and be served.

As chair of the Outreach Board of the synod, I want to thank you all for your service with, for, and to Living Stones. This ministry exists because of gifts provided by people who will hopefully never be onsite members. However, in the spirit of that “thank you” I also want to let you know that because of financial constraints, Pastor Eric of Living Stones Prison congregation is looking at having to reduce to half-time.

But there are ways that we can help to ensure that this important ministry with, for and to us continues to be as strong as possible. First, please keep Pastor Eric and Living Stones in your prayers for strength in their ongoing ministry; second, prayerfully consider giving a financial gift to the the Southwestern Washington Synod for Living Stones; third, encourage your congregation to include Living Stones in its annual budget and/or send a monetary gift during the year; fourth, encourage your congregation to visit Living Stones and/or have Pastor Eric or a member of the Outside Prison Board come to your congregation for an information Sunday.

Together in service.

Peace be with you.