Stephen Anthony Ray

Ok, this past Sunday, Pastor Dave (Pastor of Outreach Ministries at First Assembly) invited me to come and sing on an Outreach Fieldtrip…to TUCKER MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON. This was to be my first ever outreach at a prison, unless you count the Alexander Youth Facility outside Bryant, which I don’t. I was certainly nervous. After all, I would be ministering to a bunch of ers, thieves, bank robbers, dealers, etc. So, we got there. As we walked into the Chapel, the first thing that caught my eye was the five or six members of their own worship band setting up and practicing for the night’s worship service (yes, that’s right! Worship band! Prison worship band!). They were all dressed in their white jump suits with their last names routinely stamped on the front of their shirts in bold, capital letters. And worse, there wasn’t a guard in sight! (You mean they let these people run around all loose like this!?) But, still, we began to set up. As we were finishing, the prisoners attending the service began to file into the chapel (still no guard in sight…I knew we were ). The service started with the prison band playing a couple of songs. The prisoners responded with great praise and worship, which I’m sure was just a show…after, they’re prisoners, right? Then, a friend and I started playing and singing. Let me pause a moment here to say this: God began to move, my friends. But, much to my surprise, the one in need of the change of attitude wasn’t the prisoners…it was me! Who the heck was I to come up in here judging people and labeling prisoners whose stories I didn’t know! I didn’t know what they’d been through. I didn’t know how much they’d changed. Bottom line: I just didn’t know. But, God began speaking to my heart. “Stephen, not everything is as it seems, Son. Moses was a stubborn er with a speech impediment…he led my people to the Promised Land. David was a lying erer and er…and yet a man after my own heart. Rahab was a …she saved my children from certain and destruction. Peter was brash and impulsive and racist…he was the first major leader of my church. Paul was the worst of all sinners; he specialized in targeting and my beloved…but he also spread the Gospel to many thousands more. You see, Son, everyone has a story. And everyone makes mistakes. But, I can redeem anyone and anything. If you would move past your stereotypical fear and accept these men who are also my children, perhaps you would realize that my love is not reserved for a privileged few, but all who are willing to accept it. And those in humble circumstances seem to accept it best. Open your eyes…you might learn quite a bit.”

The night was amazing. And God is greatly worthy to be praised.

SRay