The Jail ministry's Evening Prayer service is held on the second and fourth Mondays each month. The women in Pod E have been identified as showing potential for rehabilitation. Most have substance abuse issues and many of the ones who attend our service have taken the time in jail to prayerfully review their lives, confront some of the things that drive their substance abuse and engage the assistance of God in turning their lives around. It is into the middle of these struggles and introspections that we quietly step.

Ours is a ministry of presence. We do not preach or proselytize or judge. We just pray with the women.

The women are often surprised that we share the same vulnerabilities, and we are continually amazed at the really intimate and penetrating conversations we have. Imagine sharing intimacies with strangers. These are moments of spiritual freedom.!

And these women teach us to pray. One night , a woman was about to be released and she was really frightened. She was afraid that she would be immediately snared by those who would drag her back into old behaviors. We all gathered around her, laid our hands on her and prayed her. And you know these women pray so passionately from such a place of brokenness and hope that I, with my paltry experience, find it difficult to fathom. As we leave they thank us for being -- really being with them, and we leave marveling at their gifts to us.

Here is a piece written by one of our volunteers describing her thoughts and feelings about the EVENING PRAYER program:

Our Evening Prayer service has come to represent far more to me than a simple religious service. The opportunity for exchange among the women, other volunteers, and me demonstrates to me how connected we all are regardless of our circumstances or backgrounds. No matter how weary or disheartened I may feel at the beginning of the evening, I come away feeling refreshed with a sense of grace and humility and gratitude.

As important as our "Moms on Tape" program is to the ministry, it doesn't often provide an opportunity for the personal in depth exchanges we encounter during Evening Prayer. Sometimes these encounters are intense and disturbing and we must rely on our spiritual resources to help us process these moments. More often the spirit of fellowship and the desire to encourage and support one another prevails.

Occasionally, we are able to encourage a mom, long disassociated from her child, to gather her courage and join us for the "Moms on Tape" program the following evening. How wonderful to see these moms return to us on Tuesday evenings, hesitantly enter the recording room, and emerge later radiant with joy! Another connection...

During a recent Evening Prayer service, we were informally discussing the subject of humility. After some minutes of contemplation, a woman smiled broadly and announced her gratitude for helping her understand the meaning of humility. She explained that for years, when attending 12-step meetings for her addiction, she would hear of humility, but thought humility meant the same as humiliation. Imagine her sense of relief and release when she realized that she did not have to endure humiliation to gain the benefits of humility! Another connection...

-- Marlyn Murphy

For information about how you can become involved with or support these ministries, contact The Rev. Margaret Deeths, 415-749-6392, jailministry@gracecathedral.org