Why me? Why this? Who hasn’t asked this at times?
Two men serving time in San Quentin asked me to talk about how and why I send sermons to California prisoners. I can answer in two ways. One, my experience of how it happened, and the other is through God’s view, as I read it in the Bible.
My experience comes from the fact that I have a brother who used to teach a Bible class in a county jail in California. He connected with some men who went on to state prison. For them he made copies of sermons preached by the minister at his church. Over time he was mailing these to 60 or 70 men, and family members of some.
For years I’ve preached about 10 times a year at Mel Trotter Mission in Grand Rapids, Mich. However, once I retired I had time to type my sermons. My brother read one, and thought they’d make a good mailer, so I began sending them to him.
A few years ago something changed and he stopped mailing sermons. When I learned of this, I asked for his mailing list and I started mailing my messages myself. Then, I contacted some prison chaplains and a few of them agreed to accept, copy and make my messages available to men in their facilities. Over time, we have reached more and more men (and now women too) in prison, and members of their families. For several years I have also mailed Spanish translations of the messages.
Now, God’s view on this:
Psalm 139, verse 16: All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Ephesians 2: 10: We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Why me? Why this? Because God planned it and then worked things in my life to make it happens.
If you’re on Death Row, in jail or prison, or have a family member who would like to receive these mailings, write me at: J.F. Girard Rooks, c/o Hanley Christian Reformed Church, O-372 Jackson St., Grandville, MI 49418.
Sending Sermons to Prisoners
Why me? Why this? Who hasn’t asked this at times? Two men serving time in San Quentin asked me to talk about how and why I send sermons to California prisoners.
I can answer in two ways. One, my experience of how it happened, and the other is through God’s view, as I read it in the Bible.
My experience comes from the fact that I have a brother who teaches a Bible class in a jail in California. He connected with some men who went on to prison. For them, he made copies of sermons preached by the minister at his church. Over time, he was mailing these to 60 or 70 men, and family members of some.
For years, I’ve preached about ten times a year, at Mel Trotter Mission, in Grand Rapids, Mich. However, once I retired, I had time to type my sermons. My brother read one, and thought they’d make a good mailer, so I began sending them to him.
A few years ago, something changed and he stopped mailing sermons. When I learned of this, I asked for his mailing list, and I started mailing my messages, myself. Then, I contacted some prison chaplains, and a few of them agreed to accept, copy, and make my messages available to men in their facilities. Over time, we have reached more and more men (and now women too) in prison, and members of their families. For several years, I have also mailed Spanish translations of the messages.
Now, God’s view on this:
Psalm 139, verse 16: All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Ephesians 2: 10: We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Why me? Why this? Because God planned it and then worked things in my life to make, it happen.
If you would like to receive these mailings, write me at: J.F. Girard Rooks, c/o Hanley Christian Reformed Church, O – 372 Jackson St., Grandville, MI 49418.
Back in the Day
Selected Stories From Past Issues of The San Quentin News
NOV. 28, 1980 – The Catholic Chapel played host Saturday to two local Christian bands. Appearing were the Emmanuel Group from the San Jose area and Infinity from Oakland.
NOV. 28, 1980 – A shot was fired in the East Block to break up a scuffle between an intoxicated inmate and a correctional officer. No major injuries were reported, says prison information officer Mike Madding.
NOV. 28, 1980 – A San Quentin inmate escaped with the help of an armed accomplice from a Marin County clinic where he had been taken for a hearing test. Richard Thompson, 42, had been living in the prison’s honor unit, according to Mike Madding, S.Q. prison information officer.
NOV. 21, 1980 – Two San Quentin prison guards and another man were arrested on suspicion of burglary and robbery following an attempted drug rip–off Thursday night. Warden George Sumner acknowledged that an investigation by the CDC has been on–going for “some time.” “My reaction is that we are just cleaning our dirty laundry,” Sumner said.
SEPT. 24, 1982 – The state’s oldest inmate, 93–year–old Isa Mae Lang, would prefer to remain in prison rather than be released on parole. Convicted of murder in 1935, the nearly blind and deaf woman is no longer considered a threat to society.
SEPT. 24, 1982 – The ba0nd room at San Quentin is now quiet since the music program has been declared nonfunctional. An incident on June 19 has stopped all inmate evening movement, leaving no one to participate in the program. No word from prison authorities on if or when night movement for activity programs will return.
SEPT. 24, 1982 – The state Court of Appeal in San Francisco has ordered Soledad prison officials to allow leaf-letting in the public parking lot outside the prison. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Prisoners Union.
OCT. 22, 1982 – Both San Quentin fire fighting teams responded to a fire in the sawdust silos of the furniture factory in the industries area. Damage was estimated at approximately $15,000, and no cause was reported.
OCT. 29, 1982 – It took a total of 17 shots of 7.5 grain birdshot to break up a fight between two determined cons fist fighting on the C-Section yard Oct. 23.