July 1, Augsburg Fortress (the publishing house of the ELCA) released Hear My Voice: A Prison Prayer Book. 

The reality is that it is not always easy to get published materials into the hands of those who are incarcerated. However, Augsburg Fortress has created a PDF on their webstore to answer some very basic questions. You can find that at https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/9781506449609/Hear-My-Voice-A-Prison-Prayer. Simply click in the grey box at the bottom where it says “Suggestions and Distribution for Use.”

This is a much-needed prayer resource authored by a number of writers with diverse connections to the criminal justice system including writers who are currently incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, or working in prison ministry or re-entry. In NT-NL, the Church of the Damascus Road is our Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community in two of our state jails. However, it is likely our congregations and pastors have needs to connect with and provide resources for those in prison. This resource is a wonderful tool for helping those in our criminal justice system stay connected to their faith and community. I recommend it to you all.