I’ve been meditating on Luke 8:22-35 for a while following an encounter with a beautiful 15th-century icon of Jesus and the disciples in the storm. It’s a story that we all know well and as I looked at the icon itself, it helped me think through two things that I hope will help you too.
First, it helped me insert myself into the story as one of the disciples. To think about my emotions as I get in the boat with Jesus with no idea what’s on its way. Hearing Jesus say, with the same authority that created the universe “Let’s go to the other side,” and obeying. Observing Jesus falling asleep as I’m left awake while a massive storm arises.
I’ve imagined myself in this violent, life-threatening squall and contemplated what may have been going on in the boat. Angry and reluctant sailors blaming each other: “You should have bought that new boat you were talking about. That would have got us across.” Matthew piping up: “Maybe we should have some faith?” only to be shot down by Thomas with the others and me joining in: “What do you know about this? You’re a tax collector.” Jesus remains asleep while arguments and self-destruction begin. I feel uncomfortable about the ‘self-and others’ destruction and blame/pity party in tough circumstances, but alas, I keep indulging it myself.
Yet, what I’m not appreciating in the moment is that Jesus has a plan. He has the authority to stand up and utter a few words for the storm to stop. He is teaching the disciples and me in this boat (and for the future boat called “life”) that we need to go through storms that come our way with trust and confidence in Him. Jesus can easily change the circumstances and stop the storm but He chooses not to so that we can grow.
My response should be (and needs to be for myself and others) to remain disciplined in the circumstances quiet within! Not lashing out or sharing my internal pain by transmitting it. Instead, sharing my internal pain with God, so that my heart will be reset to rest in Him. 1 John 3:19 says “This is how we know that we are of the truth and how we will set our hearts at rest in his presence.” The way out is through.
Selah.
Another revelation this icon brought was that Jesus had a purpose in setting out to sea in the first place: to rescue a deeply troubled prisoner. I had not seen the linkage before because they’re separated by chapter headings in Luke’s Gospel. The picture linked them for me whereas the chapter had disconnected them. Take a look for yourself on the far left.
Jesus took the disciples through that storm both to build their faith (let them know they could remain calm in the storm) and because He wanted to show them that He deeply cared and loved (an understatement if there ever was one) this man.
This is the mission we’ve also been called to and continue to do. To follow Jesus into the prisons of the world, to meet Him there and to serve those who are otherwise discarded, disregarded and despised. To be bringers of hope and healing to our world and to people that are destroyed by the hideous effects of crime and its consequences.
The rising of the storm was not because the disciples (or His ‘now-disciples’ like you and me) were doing anything wrong or uncommitted to Jesus or in the wrong place and time or any other reason. My conviction is that storms arise because we are in a spiritual battle.
A well-known Bible teacher was once asked, “What is a sign that you’re filled with the Holy Spirit?” and they said, “Trouble.” Trouble is a sure sign that we are on track when it comes to participating in God’s kingdom.
This ministry of reconciliation and the precious audience that we are called to (prisoners, families, victims) comes with the force of a royal decree from the Creator and Lord of the universe so a far better perspective is to expect a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:10-20 reminds us what our responsibility is when we are in that boat and how we can stand firm in the middle of the battle.
May God bless you in all that you do, especially amidst the storms that come your way. Stand firm and have an inner calm until the King chooses to stand up and bring calm to our outward circumstances.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4
Prison Fellowship International’s mission inspires me: to transform the lives of prisoners, their families and victims through a global network of ministry partners.
This short sentence encapsulates some of the things God has called us to do. Why am I so confident in asserting this?
Because in Luke 4, Jesus (the God who both spoke creation into being and who put on flesh) stood up in a synagogue in Nazareth and is handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah which said, “The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
That is what was spoken in Nazareth – a royal declaration that is utterly true and dependable, an official order that has the force of law. And Psalm 19:9 declares that “The Lord’s decrees are trustworthy.”
Many decades later, in Revelation 5, John sees a vision of a Lamb on a throne (another picture representation of Jesus) who takes and opens a scroll.
I can’t prove it, but it makes sense to me that the Holy Spirit is revealing the significance of the previous event in Nazareth that John may have seen or heard about. Whether this is the case or not, as John looks back on his life and what he has witnessed, he sees Jesus in a new light. He sees Jesus in His universal and cosmic kingship role – the only one who has the right to unfold God’s kingdom purposes on Earth because of His completed work in His life, death, resurrection and ascension.
The continued opening of the scroll (which is creating a massive impact in our world – one that you and I are involved in through our work) will not end until He comes again. It is royally decreed by the One to whom all authority and power has been given.
The same powerful person who spoke our world into being and inspired the words that were spoken in the synagogue in Isaiah has called you and me into His service, into something big, something beyond mere human comprehension.
Here at Prison Fellowship International, we are here to serve you, dear brothers and sisters. Five years ago, we updated our mission statement to identify you, the amazing people on the front lines, as the people that we serve alongside prisoners, their families and victims.
I want to honor you today and say thank you. Thank you for all that you are doing. Thank you for your vision. Thank you for your obedience to God’s call. Thank you for walking the faithful way over the many, many years that you have served. Now is time to recommit ourselves and kick on. Now is the time to continue moving forward in this God-given mission.
I don’t think anybody would deny that we live in interesting times of great shaking and challenge. Psalm 2 has always been a comfort and an assurance for God’s people since it was written 3,000 years ago. It is written as a declaration of God’s intent:
“Why are the nations so angry? Why are the people making such foolish plans? Their Kings and leaders join together to fight against the Lord and his chosen King. They say, “Let’s rebel against them. Let’s break free from them! But the one who rules in heaven laughs at them. The Lord makes fun of them. He speaks to them in anger, and it fills them with fear.”
Do you know why God laughs? I think it is because He knows the end from the beginning and has stated, “I have chosen this man to be King, and he will rule on Zion, my holy mountain.” His confidence, passed onto and through His people, is that there is already a King on the throne. Nothing can alter that fact. Not only is there a King on the throne, but we are also His people and His ambassadors.
And He’s chosen us to serve prisoners, their families and victims in our daily work – groups that many others say “no” to care for even though He’s chosen them too.
We are privileged to do this work. No matter what challenges come against us, God declares, “I’ve installed my son as King.” And we know from elsewhere in the Bible that in Him, by Him and through Him, all things have been created and there is nothing that can stop what God is doing in our world through Jesus Christ. It began on Resurrection Sunday and will continue into eternity.
We are involved in something really important. In Isaiah 61:1, the Son of God (the King that God refers to in Psalm 2) stands up and announces His Kingdom mission and mentions the prisoner twice. That double mention assures us that this is Kingdom work of the highest order.
Through His own grace and mercy, this is what God has called us to. And though the challenges may be significant and various, we can have confidence that allows the same joy in our heart that causes God’s laughter to be ours too.
This is the fight of faith: what the Bible defines as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. When we are tempted to doubt this, remember that we are the people He has called to do this work.
We are not here by accident. And because of this, He will empower us and provide everything that we need. He is our refuge and strength and utterly reliable. This is great news when all around us seems to be shifting and shaking.
So today, again, let’s trust the King’s power, promises, authority and strength as we go about our daily tasks. Selah. As the Book of Common Prayer so beautifully says, “worthy are you to be praised and exalted forever.” Selah.
When I was a younger man, I played a lot of sports, and one of my favorites was squash. Squash is like tennis, but it’s played in a very small room. It’s an incredible game – you must be fit, you’re constantly moving around and it’s very mentally taxing. There is a secret to playing squash and is that you must return to the center of the court. Wherever you are on the court, you must move back to the center to play your best game. I think there are spiritual parallels here, which for us is the cross and our relationship with the resurrected Jesus.
We’re in a civilizational and cultural moment right now. All we have to do is switch on the news, listen to the radio, read the newspapers or talk to friends. We are in a time of stress and strain.
For us, for the people of God – what does that mean? What does it mean to be living in these times of civilizational and cultural moments and movements as people of God? What does it mean to be in the center of the court that God has called us to play on?
Perhaps Psalm 46 will help orientate us:
“God is our protection and source of strength. He’s always ready to help us in times of trouble. So we are not afraid when the earth quakes and the mountains fall into the sea. We are not afraid when the seas become rough and dark and the mountains tremble. There is a river whose streams bring happiness to God’s city, to the holy city of God Most High. God is in that city, so it will never be destroyed. He is there to help even before sunrise. Nations will shake with fear and kingdoms will fall when God shouts and makes the earth move. The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Look at the powerful things the Lord has done. See the awesome things he has done on earth. He stops wars all over the world. He breaks the soldiers’ bows, shatters their spears and burns their shields. God says, ‘Stop fighting and know that I am God! I am the one who defeats the nations; I am the one who controls the world.’ The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our place of safety.”
Selah (meaning pause and think calmly about that).
What an inspiring and magnificent word, not only for us, but for those who have come before us and those who will come after us as well. David was inspired by God Himself to write this Psalm. As we pray these divinely inspired words, we join both David and Jesus Christ, God incarnate, in the prayer, so we can return to the centrality of our faith which is Jesus Christ and the fact that He is with us, for us and by His Holy Spirit, lives in us.
How is your tactical game going? Are you constantly returning to the center in order to take part most effectively? I hope you will see a little more of Jesus in your leadership, anchored to the center of the court and nowhere else.
Walking is a slow and intentional activity. We walk at approximately the same speed as our heartbeat.
Jesus never moved at any other pace so far as we are told. He walked with his disciples, at the pace of being known and knowing them. Running is great, but you don’t encounter others at that pace.
Some may point out that walking occurs at the same speed as thought. Imagine that…the creator of the universe walked slowly and intentionally towards his own death propelled by purpose and love.
Selah.
Plenty of time to think, plenty of time to refuse and turn away from his mission, plenty of time to indulge in fear and plenty of time to contemplate the prize. Which is us, all of us. The mystery and the wonder dawns on us slowly and results in praise and adoration.
Thank you, Lord, for the cross.
And thank you for being part of this ministry, walking alongside those in prison and their families around the world. Together, we are growing and uniting as a body of believers, following the path forged by the footsteps of our Savior.
Children of prisoners from across the world who are enrolled in The Child’s Journey helped create this video of reflection and hope for this Easter season. I encourage you to take a few moments to watch it, knowing that your heart will be blessed by this powerful message.
Blessed Easter to you all,
Andy Corley
Prayer
Father, this is about you. We’ve already committed our time to you, committed our year to you. We’ve asked you for wisdom. God, you say that you are bringing about, through your kingdom, a planting for your own splendor. That’s the story, Lord. We trust you above all. We trust the story of your redemptive power and action in our world. Lord, grace us with skill and gifting beyond what would be ours without you. God, we commit our year to you and thank you for involving us in your amazing mission and calling us into a relationship with yourself.
Recently, I was talking with a great friend who I have not spoken to for about six months. He said to me, “Andy, there are just some times when you need to trust the story.” What a great bit of advice: trust the story that we are in the middle of.
So, what is that story for us? That story is God’s work in our creation, His kingdom, of which there will be no end. Everything is created by Him, through Him and for Him. At the heart of His kingdom are the poor, the oppressed, the prisoners. That’s God’s kingdom. That’s what we’re invited into.
I know we’ve got great people within the Prison Fellowship International family. I know our teams have really solid strategies. I know we’ve got commitment. I know that God is with us. The rest is an open book. I can’t predict what’s in front of us, but I believe it’s going to be a great year. I’m trusting God for a great year, but if it’s not, then I’m going to trust the story.
As I encourage you to also trust the story, I don’t want you to think, “Andy’s worried that we’re going to have a down year.” That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that whatever comes through the gate, God is with us.
Psalm 46 tells us that “God is our refuge and strength.” This means that whatever happens, He’s always with us. We know that we can trust the story, one of a God who puts on flesh. One of a God who twice mentions the people whom we are serving daily when He first announces the launch of His kingdom. What a great privilege.
I want to encourage you at the beginning of this year. I hope that this will be a great year. I think it will be. Like last month’s prayer said, “God, give us wisdom. We need more of it than ever.” As we orientateourselves around and adopt the posture of this prayer, we are able to trust the one who made the story in the first place. The one who says, “I am your refuge and strength.” As much as we need great strategy, that’s not what we should be placing our trust in. As much as we need resources, it’s not that either. God is the basis of everything we need in 2024.
Recently, I have been asking God to crown our year with splendor. When we pray and articulate, we are praying things into being as well. That’s why our prayer is so important. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought of prayer in that kind of way, but there’s a creative act that occurs when we articulate, inspired by the Spirit of God, aligning ourselves with the Word of God.
Selah.
Prayer
Father, we stand at the precipice of another year. We continue to ask you to give us wisdom on what our priorities should be, not only for the year, but for each day. Help us to know where to spend our time. Give us wisdom that’s beyond our understanding to make decisions that need to be made to advance this work in your kingdom. Amen.
As I was thinking a little bit about this coming year (as we stand at the beginning of a new one), I wanted to orientate us in the most appropriate way that I could think of. By merging some of the things that I’ve been thinking about in my own devotional times, it’s going to be a little messy because we’re going to be looking at some mysteries that I’m not claiming to understand. We’re going to be talking about the Trinity and the incarnation, which will orientate us in a way which helps us to anchor our mission in who God is, who Jesus is, who we are and what we’re called to do. I hope after you read this, you will come away thinking, “Wow, God is amazing. We’re involved in something really incredible that He’s called us to.”
This is one of the most famous icons in the world. It’s by Russian iconographer Andrei Rublev (c. 1360-1430) and is based on a story in Genesis where Abraham meets three angels. As people contemplated what this icon represented, they found the mystery of the Trinity. It is a really remarkable icon and there’s so much to unpack in it, but there are two things that I want to highlight especially:
Genesis says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… the earth was formless and empty…and God said, ‘Let there be light.’” The action of speaking implies that there is someone else to speak to, which would mean this act of creation involved the other two members of the Trinity. God used words and as he spoke, our universe was created out of nothing.
The same God, whose words created the universe from nothing, is incarnated in the person of Christ, and always around us in the Holy Spirit. He welcomes us into the middle of the divine dance through relationship with Him – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I find that remarkable and a meaningful way to orient my year around relationship to God, and to one another.
May our year hold opportunities for deep fellowship and relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – the Trinity.
Selah.
There is much to be grateful for this Christmas season, and we give thanks to God for every good gift, which comes from Him. It may have been a challenging autumn season for many, but you continue to inspire us with your creativity, passion and commitment to transforming the lives of prisoners, victims and their families. We remain united by our shared love for those who are forgotten and condemned by others, and this simple truth – there is a Savior who came to set us all free and give us hope.
Today, I am sharing a personal message of gratitude to thank you for your partnership with Prison Fellowship International this year.
Thank you for remembering those in prison in this, and every, season.
Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas,
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my friends’ house, in Cornwall UK, being deliberately demolished and rebuilt with a new design to take maximum advantage of the sunrise and sunset.
Coincidentally, the British county of Cornwall throughout history has been a haven for artists of all types, many of whom talk about the “quality of light” found in the area. I take this to mean that something in the quality of light in Cornwall allows people to see things differently, leading to inspiration and creation of innovative artworks.
The relationship between art and faith is a huge area to explore. I’m convinced that we, being created in God’s image, reflect both His creativity and character when we pursue art and work to, in the very best way we can, reflect a small part of His glory and beauty.
“When we make, we invoke the abundance of God’s world into the reality of scarcity all about us.” – Artist Makoto Fujimura, Art and Faith: A Theology of Making
As we approach the season of Advent, which is intimately connected with incarnational light in the person of Jesus of Nazareth coming into our world, I want to draw our attention to the unsurpassable, eternal, and without comparison quality of light that He is. There simply is no light like Him.
Jesus said it Himself: “I am the Light of the world. I am the way, the truth and the Light.”
As C.S. Lewis helpfully framed for us: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
At this time of year, share with me in the joy and wonder of the grace-bestowed, non-merit relationship we are able enjoy with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit because of the quality of the Son’s light. Go out in the confidence that, although we can do nothing without Him, His divine power gives us everything we need for life and Godliness.
Fujimura reminds us: “When we surrender all to the greatest Artist, that Artist fills us with the Spirit and makes us even more creative and aware of the greater reality all about us.”
Your brother,