Saturday, May 24, 2008

I could be gone some time

You may be aware that I'm part of a team that helps in the prison on Sunday mornings. Every 6 weeks we do a presentation. That means that 3 or 4 of us go in and take the whole service, twice. Well we're doing a presentation tomorrow - or rather, I'm doing a presentation tomorrow.

Yip, just me.

I wouldn't mind but I wasn't even down originally as part of tomorrow's team! But thus is the lot of the organiser. Anyway I won't be doing it entirely alone. The two chaplains are away so Maureen, the Roman Catholic lady on the chaplaincy team is the 'facilitator'. That means she would normally let us in and introduce us and let us get on with it, but she's said she'll do any readings or anything I ask her to do.

One minor problem is that we won't have a musician. And my voice would frighten grizzly bears. But Alun solved that for me yesterday by downloading some songs from the internet.

So we'll starting the service accompanying well-known Muslim teacher, Yusuf Islam (once known as Cat Stevens), in Morning has Broken and we'll be ending with a reggae version of How Great Thou Art.

I'm rather glad the chaplain won't be there as Maureen and I will go with the flow and 'wing it', and I suspect the chaplain might be a bit doubtful about that attitude.

But if I don't blog again after tomorrow, you'll know they'll didn't let me out:

12 comments:

Barbara said...

Many years ago I visited our local prison with a band to play Christmas carols, it is an experience I will never forget. I hope all goes well for you.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with that, Liz. I'm sure you'll be ok. Luckily, Swansea's not a high security prison! That said, I'd still find it a somewhat intimidating experience. Kudos to you for doing what a lot wouldn't.

MissKris said...

I've been to the Oregon State Penetentiary more times than I can remember. I always got the heebie-jeebies as we'd go further and further in and at each juncture, the heavy metal doors would slam behind us before the ones before us would open. I distinctly got the impression I would never get back out unless they WANTED me to, ha! I once was the only woman on one of our church teams...that was a weird experience, too. I felt like I was the only woman in the whole place!

Bill Haydon said...

That sounds amazing, Liz. Make sure you update us properly with how it pans out!!

Rose said...

I visited a prison once, a minimum security one at that, and it's an experience I won't forget. You're a brave woman, Liz.

Liz Hinds said...

THanks all. I'll post about teh visit soon.

MaryB said...

Wow! Your prison photo is much better than Mel Gibsons and Nick Nolte's. I'd say it's even better than Paris Hilton's.

You're doing great work, Liz. Can't wait to hear how things went for you.

Suburbia said...

Hope it went well and that they let you out!

Anonymous said...

Hope it went well. You picture looks far too happy to be going to prison. What is SWBM on the sign you're holding?

Anonymous said...

SWBM: stands for 'She Waved Black Magic' - that's obviously how you managed to bribe the guards to enter the prison xx

Liz Hinds said...

Winston, I don't know what the SWBM stands for. The photo was taken in prison: it was one of those mug shots that all the prisoners have done when they go in. I guess the SW stands for Swansea; it's a category B prison; maybe the M stands for men.

XXYXX said...

I can't help feeling that it's a terrible breach of prison etiquette to SMILE on a prison photo, unless that's how the guards know that you're not one of the inmates.