Devotion of the Week
April 30, 2005
By: David Altizer, Pastor
East Bernstadt United Methodist Church
East Bernstadt, Kentucky

Let's Pour It On

Restorative justice ministry is tough. For a lot of reasons. But the rewards are proportionally wonderful! Because it is a different world and basically outside everybody's "comfort zone", there are many within the body of Christ that could serve there who have not even given it serious thought. Some are even called. Trust me, the kingdom needs you! Following is an example of the kind of thing one encounters in restorative justice ministry.

It was a lifetime image to remember. The bright blue metal bench was affixed to the wall off the sideline of the basketball floor. We were in a juvenile correctional facility in northern Kentucky. It was a weekend of sharing the good news about Jesus with 100 or so juvenile offenders. Singing, skits, pizza, magic and prayer filled the agenda. Everybody was having a great time!

Lying on that bench was a row of Bibles. There were different sizes, different colors, and different translations. But they all had one thing in common. They were well worn!

The Bibles belonged to the various pastors that were serving as counselors and, in some cases, table leaders. Swords brought to battle.

One of the event organizers called all the pastors to a meeting in one of the side rooms. He explained that of the several young people that were born again that day, one of the boys wanted to be baptized before we left that place. He further explained that the warden had okayed the request, only if we, the pastors, unanimously agreed.

The rub was that we had no way of immersing the boy. Of the various denominations represented, all concurred that immersion was acceptable. There was simply no way to do it in the time we had remaining. Baptism by pouring was mentioned. It could be done with no problem.

Well, you guessed it. Among the six or seven pastors, there was one whose church believed that immersion was the only way to baptize. No other method was acceptable and the denomination was firmly entrenched in this belief.

There were no arguments. No arm twisting was done. A lot of minds were working furiously. And a lot of hearts were silently praying. Every pastor there acknowledged and honored the man whose belief was different.

The internal struggle was apparent in the man's face. How he loved the young people on the other side of the wall! How he was faithful to his church and their beliefs! As I looked on his face, a gradual change came over it. Peace settled in. He said, with conviction, "I agree! Let's pour water over this boy's head and baptize him!"

You know, the spiritual war in which we are engaged is intense. To win, we need each other. What a blessing to be with one whose motivation is love. Love for God and love for His children. That's something you find when you get involved in restorative justice ministry. Those who serve on that battlefield certainly know how to join ranks!

You are welcome there, too.

If you have questions, please see our exhibit at Annual Conference. You can call me anytime at 1-800-929-6648. It is my work number, so don't be put off by the way they answer the phone. Just ask for David.