Greetings
Last year, I ended with a desire to put more of a personal touch in this year's Weekly Note, hoping it would be reflective of a SOCPM discipleship class. I would share what God was teaching me in my 2021 Bible studies.
I spent a good part of Tuesday and Wednesday writing on my Bible Study of Psalm 1:1. I wrote my first version on Tuesday, but it didn't convey what I wanted. I spent a few hours revising it on Wednesday and finally came to what I decided I would post as this week's Weekly Note. But through the evening, I kept saying to myself, something is missing.
As I lay in bed, my mind was still, restless. As I listened to an audio of the Psalms, it finally came to me what was missing. My students, my guys! They aren't getting an opportunity to share.
That's what God used to have many students say 'Wednesday or Friday is my favorite day of the week.' SOCPM classes weren't me standing in front of the class reading from a Malachi Dads' book. Or my giving additional teaching on the DVD we watched in Discipleship. The class was the guys having fellowship and sharing what they got from the Malachi Dad's book or the DVD teaching and me be more of a facilitator. I would read a portion of the Malachi Dad book or restate comments from the DVD to get the discussion started and maintain some control. The joy was the guys having an opportunity to spend a couple of hours discussing; God, Jesus, the Bible, and how the Holy Spirit was using all of that in their lives as fathers, followers in Christ, or just wanting to know what Christianity was all about.
We, as I like to say, we were living out God's Word;
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:11-12 ESV
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
I can keep rewriting my thoughts on my 2021 Bible studies, but there is no way I can make it be Friday Discipleship. I sure do miss it. This lockdown has been challenging. The best way to describe it is to think of fifty or so people you would consider good friends, and then you wake up one day, and they all have moved away, and you aren't able to communicate with them.
I'm not looking for whoa to me stuff, but I share that you keep or maybe start praying for this lockdown to end. It's not me losing friends; it's more 50, actually a lot more considering that the actual number is the total of students in four classes missing their favorite day of the week.
I was not pleased with this week's Weekly Note. But I had to send what I finished with on Wednesday to the chaplains on Thursday, so they could print and distribute it, but my guys deserve better.
I am enjoying my study of the Psalms despite coming to realize to get the most out of it. It will be a long study considering it took C. H. Spurgeon 20 years to write it. 😱 Since writing this week's Weekly Note, I prayed, asking for God's wisdom if I should continue with the Psalm study.
If I heard Him correctly, He said to continue with the Psalm study using additional resources, not just The Treasury of David. Though my heart desires to use it as my primary resource, being written in the English of the 19th century, my comprehension is less than ideal. I've been guided to some additional commentaries detailed in a Weekly Note Special Edition.
At times, I may still take a break from the Psalm study to post some thoughts on my church's Revelation teaching and send a Weekly Note of an essay related to my Psalm study or my church's Revelation teaching.
This newsletter is very long, sorry.
I end with a request for prayers for the end of the lockdown and a return to Wednesday and Friday fellowship and discernment on the future content of Weekly Notes.
To Him be the glory in ALL things and to Him alone!
Scott Kalas
Soldiers of Christ Prison Ministries
Week 43 of the lockdown 😞.
COVID-19 cases as of 01/08/21, Dixon: staff confirmed 243, staff recovered staff 235, staff current 8, staff tests 3,000; offender confirmed 572, offenders recovered 556, offender current 16, offenders test 9,075 | Sheridan: staff confirmed 109, staff recovered 103; staff current 6, staff tests 1,537; offenders confirmed 318, offenders recovered 256, offenders current 72, offender tests 4,005 | IDOC: staff confirmed 3,591, staff recovered 3,337, staff current 254, staff tests 34,402; offenders confirmed 9,085, offenders recovered 7,102, offenders current 1,983, offender tests 88,886.
Looking st this week's number it appears inmates may be being tested more than once. The number of offenders tested in both Dixon and Sheridan exceed the facility populations. Dixon offender population 1,952, Dixon offenders tested 9,075 | Sheridan offender population 1,579, Sheridan offenders tested 4,005.
Not trying to make any statement just pointing out in case some of you are questions why just the number of test may seem higher than one may expect.