Reflections on the Prison Concerts

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

A story is written in his face, that man in prison blues who just entered through the guarded doorway across the room.  For a moment you imagine you could get to know that guy.  Or maybe not.  Maybe your eyes meet his and suddenly a chasm opens between you.  In that glimpse you wonder what he sees written on your face.  These first moments are unexpectedly awkward, personal.

————/      /————

The prisoners’ faces are difficult to read, and we are told that this is a necessity of prison life, that too much information in a facial expression, especially an expression that conveys softness, will have undesirable consequences.  “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” we have been thinking wryly, from the moment the bus rolled past the glinting razor wire and the security procedure reminded us that prison is also about not letting anyone IN.

As we set up in the prison gymnasium, we sense that the noise of microphone checks, instruments tuning, and vocal warmups, familiar and even calming to us, is surely a curiosity to the prisoners filtering into the bleachers.  We fend off a wave of self-consciousness when we gather around for our final prayer of preparation.  We ask for help to focus on the mission, to bring into this place our truest worship expressed to the utmost of our abilities, to God’s honor alone.

“This is not about us,” we chasten ourselves.  “This is not even about these prisoners,” the Spirit within us whispers.  This is about the King, the sinless Savior, who imprisoned Himself in our flesh to be like us, to die in our stead, to conquer even death and bring us to glory beyond imagining.

What happens next is harder to describe.  Everything we think we know about our program slips out of our hands and into His.  Within these stark prison walls we witness with our inner eyes the sun of righteousness rise, the healing radiance of the Lord God.  His light breaks through to our SEEING EYES!   We see one tiny flicker, then another, then more, each becoming more recognizable in those faces whose stories we could not read before.  When we think we can hardly bear any more, we see our BROTHERS looking back at us!

Time is suspended, physical place becomes an illusion, and we hear ourselves proclaiming freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.  We sing and play and dance the Song of the Redeemed because we ARE the Redeemed!

Sylvia Wolfe, KnoxCAM choir member

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  1. Cathy Root
    April 4, 2010 at 5:45 pm

    We were at Southeastern this past Friday. The men are still talking about the performances you all have done there. Each of you is loved by many at the prison. It was so good and refreshing to talk to them again about Cedar Springs. God has used each of you in His way to touch the hearts of these men. Just a handshake means a lot to men in prison. Once again I thank you all; it is such a wonderful ministry for prisoners, especially, who live in a dark world which is beyond our understanding. It is the Light of the World that gives them hope. They received this hope at your presence, sacrifice and love.

    Cathy Root
    Philadelphians

  2. Russell Free;s
    April 4, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    Words cannot seem to adequately express our feelings of thankfulness. We are all so overwhelmed by your kindness and sincere love. Throughout the year, we have many volunteers that faithfully come here to teach and to preach. We enjoy great fellowship with them. Yet what you have given us is so much more. You are all so very talented and have obviously worked very hard to present such a heart-warming program. If the program was all we experienced, it would have been the highlight of our year. However, your program was just the garnish of the evening. The evening’s main course was the genuine warmth and support that each individual shared. Many of us are just babes in our Christian walk. We don’t understand all of the depths of theology, but we do recognize love when we see it. In a day when everyone seems to have a “word from the God,” it is refreshing to meet those who so beautifully understand the simplicity of God’s plan for the church: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” –John 13:35. We thank our Lord Jesus for your faithfulness to Him.

    Russell Freels
    NE Correctional Facility

  3. Jerry Carpenter
    April 4, 2010 at 6:00 pm

    On behalf of all the men here at Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City, I would like to thank you for the wonderful service you all put on here. It was the first time many of us was exposed to the worship aspect of drama and dance. The choir simply blew us away. The harmony and direction was great. We will never know the effects of that night on this side of eternity. This I do know: you all touched the heart of every man there. The next day many of the men commented that “those folks really loved us to come up in bad weather to minister to us.” And I know the news-flash in heaven went something like this: “Servants of the Lord from Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church traveled through winter weather to break into a stronghold of lost and hopeless men sharing the gospel and bringing light to the dark.”

    We are also grateful to the Philadelphians for helping to bring you all in. They are the only true light many of us have here. I have been incarcerated 25 years and I have seen prison ministries come and go, however, Cathy Root and the Philadelphians have stood the test of time and we are thankful to them for sharing your love with us.

    Jerry Carpenter
    NE Correctional Facility

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