KAIROS Talk to Methodist Men

Methodist Men’s Breakfast

October 2, 2005

Centenary United Methodist Church

Smithfield, NC

Let us pray: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.  O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever enjoy your consolations, in Christ’s name we pray.  AMEN

Thank you for allowing me to come and talk about Jesus.

Matthew 25

35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome,36lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”

1980 ἐπισκέπτομαι [episkeptomai /ep·ee·skep·tom·ahee/] v. Middle voice from 1909 and the base of 4649; TDNT 2:599; TDNTA 244; GK 2170; 11 occurrences; AV translates as “visit” 10 times, and “look out” once. 1 to look upon or after, to inspect, examine with the eyes. 1a in order to see how he is, i.e. to visit, go to see one. 1a1 the poor and afflicted, the sick. 1b to look upon in order to help or to benefit. 1b1 to look after, have care for, provide for: of God. 1c to look (about) for, look out (one to choose, employ, etc.).[1]

Was Jesus just kidding?

Did Matthew just make this up?

Do you believe it is true?

Kairos is an interdenominational Christian ministry whose programs are designed to be presented in state and federal men's and women's correctional institutions in the U.S. with adaptations for other countries and languages. Kairos Prison Ministry is a ministry by persons drawn from a broad range of denominational churches.  Kairos volunteers must have experience in the renewal movements within their churches like Emmaus, Cursillo, Tres Dias, Via de Cristo, and others.

The Kairos Prison Ministry grew out of early attempts to launch movements in prisons similar to the three-day renewal movements of the sacramental churches in the free world. The ministry of Kairos was preceded by an ecumenical Cursillo movement in Union Correctional Institution, a maximum security institution at Raiford, Florida, in l976.

It was called "Kairos."  There are two Greek words for time.  One of them, with which we are all familiar, is "kronos," meaning linear time ... hours, days, weeks, etc.  The other is "kairos," used in the sense of a time set by God for a particular occurrence.  "KAIROS" was found to be a word of very special significance in the environment of the correctional institution where the word "time" carries so many special connotations.

The purpose of Kairos weekend is to establish strong Christian communities among the populations of correctional institutions.  Residents are trained and encouraged to form and lead small, 3-to-5 person share and prayer groups.  These groups are to meet weekly to share their lives on a deep spiritual level and to pray for one another, for other residents and staff in the institutions.  Through a systematic, structured program, (talks, meditations, discussion, worship, music, fellowship and meals) the residents of correctional institutions are given the opportunity to experience a religious renewal and to accept God's call to a life of Christian witness and service to one another during their stay in the institution and beyond. 

• LOVE, LOVE; LISTEN, LISTEN
• WE GO INTO CENTRAL PRISON TO VISIT AND SERVE CHRIST. 
• WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• TEAMS OF 65

40 INSIDE INCLUDING 8 CLERGY

$150 PER PERSON

10 TO 20 OUTSIDE

• PRAYER

10 YEARS PRIOR TO THE FIRST WEEKEND

PRAYER CHAINES

BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER EACH TALK

FOOT WASHING

• COOKIES – 3 THOUSAND DOZEN

EVERY RESIDENT

EVERY STAFF MEMBER

SPECIAL FORGIVENESS COOKIES

• AGAPE’

INDIVIDUAL LETTERS

PLACE MATS

CARDS AND LETTERS FROM CHILDREN

GROUP LETTERS/POSTERS

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”

Was Our Lord kidding?

Did Matthew make this up?

Do you believe Christ is really in Central Prison in Raleigh?

Verna Dozier says in her book, The Dream of God, “We are not called to worship Jesus, we are called to follow Jesus.”

Beloved, worshipping Jesus is often what we resort to doing, when following Jesus becomes difficult.  Worshipping Jesus is easy, following Him is not easy.  We honor Our Lord when we follow Him into the dark, lonely, and dangerous places of life where we find the poor, the powerless, the imprisoned, and where we find Jesus Himself.

If you have not made a commitment to serve and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I invite you today to seek out your pastor and tell him of your desire to be a servant and follower of the risen Christ.

And now unto God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be ascribed all might, majesty, dominion, power, and glory, today and forevermore.  AMEN

Questions?

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v v: verb

TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

TDNTA Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume

GK Goodrick-Kohlenberger

AV Authorized Version

[1]Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G1980). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.