Being found by God in prison — Diocese of Norwich

Being found by God in prison

Published on: 22 May 2023

"Prison is often a lonely place, not least in the noise and bustle of a busy wing"

Pg 3 Being found by God in prison

The Revd Patrick Morrow, Chaplain at HMP Wayland, writes “When all is bleak and lost, Christ the Good Shepherd comes for his own. That’s us. I think of one prisoner, a prolific self-harmer. I first met him when he was newly back from hospital after a bad but typical episode. He was already a spiritual seeker and picked up a Bible. Something shifted for him. Then he was a spinning wheel of energy and enthusiasm. For some weeks, he thought he was to be the saviour of our generation, a healer. But the drama dispersed. I knew something real had happened when he told me he wanted to come to chapel just to be a Christian, among others. Loneliness gave way to the connection of serving. No chaplaincy plan brought this about. The Good Shepherd revealed himself.”

www.prisonsweek.org

This article is from...

front page

Summer 2023

Articles in this issue...

An encounter with God

“Encounter” regional youth worship events are run in Norwich, King’s Lynn, and South Norfolk on a termly basis.

Art Cafe – look, understand, feel

Spring 2020 was a grey and uncertain time for many of us: our personal struggles were exacerbated by being alone, unable to gather in church, or even for a coffee.

A sense of belonging in Gaywood

The Gaywood Minority Anglican Group has members from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, Belarus, China, Lebanon, and Ukraine, including Revd Karlene, from Jamaica.

Community through bellringing

Joy hadn’t been to church for a while. But when her daughter took an interest in bellringing, she found her way back and tried ringing for herself.

Found in the Garden

“I have always felt drawn to the Church of England,” says Charlotte Bayes. “I grew up attending a rural church and although it was small, with no toilet or running water, it had a mighty vision.

Funerals matter

“I found the funeral of my mum very difficult; I was upset, miserable and confused. I was angry with the talk about God: we didn’t know him; he wasn’t part of our lives. No one I knew had answers to my questions" says Penny.

Inclusive church

The Revd Heather Wright has been involved with the Deafblind Community for over 40 years, firstly within secular employment, and since ordination, alongside serving as a parish priest, for 27 years.

Come and see

“My journey began with a casual gift and comment from a loved one,” explains Sarah.

Wild Confirmation

When the Reepham and Wensum Valley Team arranged to hold a Confirmation service towards the end of last year, there was a wide range of ages interested.

Faith through music

“He who sings prays twice,” Saint Augustine is reputed to have said.

Keep up to date

Subscribe to our eNews for a snapshot of news, events and resources, usually emailed once a fortnight

Signup to newsletter