# Dismas Fellowship Network A Safe and Welcoming Community - Site: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/ ## Finding Our Story in the Christmas Narrative - Link: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/finding-our-story-in-the-christmas-narrative/ - Published: 2020-12-14T11:29:07-04:00 - Author: Paul Tuck [[ **Luke 2: 1-7 (NKJV)** And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. One of the endearing qualities of the Christmas Narrative is how it seems to relate to everyone! But perhaps of all the people who may find significance in this story would be those who have experienced incarceration. Dietrich Bonhoeffer a dissenting pastor imprisoned during the German Nazi Regime once likened Advent to being in prison: “Life in a prison cell may well be compared to Advent; one waits, hopes, and does this, that, or the other- things that are of no real consequence- the door is shut, and can be opened only from the outside.”Letters from Prison – November 21, 1943 Advent is also like getting out of prison. Consider the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and all that they encountered there. There are indeed some common experiences that ex inmates share with the Christmas narrative found in Luke’s Gospel. Here are four similarities… **A LONG JOURNEY** Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order for Joseph to register his family for the Roman census. It was a long and arduous journey for them, made even more difficult by the fact that Mary was close to delivering the Christ-child. Likewise, for those coming out of prison, walking away from iron bars into a new life of “freedom” is also a long and tedious journey. Progress is not made by leaps and bounds but by “one step at a time, one day at a time.” It is frustrating, but any steps in the right direction are worth it. Step by step we can get closer to our desired destination! **REJECTION** When they arrived at Bethlehem, there was no room for Mary and Joseph, not even at at the local inn. The innkeeper turned them away not showing any sympathy for the birth pangs that Mary was experiencing. Those who have experienced incarceration know all too well what it is like to be rejected; to be turned down for employment because of having a record, or to be denied a place to stay because of fear and distrust. But Joseph and Mary did not let rejection deter them from finding a safe place to bring Jesus into the world. Likewise, we cannot allow rejection to keep us from taking the steps we need to be in a safe place. We have to just keep on “plugging away!” **HOMELESSNESS** In this situation, Joseph and Mary were essentially homeless. They had to take shelter in a cave, a place where livestock were kept. Years ago, one Christmas Eve, I shocked some men at a homeless shelter when I proclaimed“ You guys should identify with Jesus because He also stayed in a shelter. In fact, He was born in a shelter!” I went on to explain. “What is a shelter? It is a temporary place to stay.” And that’s exactly what the manger was to this new family… it was a temporary dwelling place… a shelter. Jesus actually continued a “homeless” lifestyle for the entirety of His adult life. On one occasion he remarked, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20.) I remember a good friend of mine who had spent about 17 years in prison, sharing with me how he spent his first weekend out of jail sleeping in a garbage dumpster in Toronto in mid-November! Yes, many of our community have experienced homelessness. And God Himself understands what this is like. “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” –G.K. Chesterton **POVERTY** Obviously Joseph and Mary had little funds; they lived a frugal lifestyle. Jesus, as He grew up embraced a life of poverty and simplicity. This son of a carpenter chose to live among fishermen, and merchants and the common people of society. Most of our community members who have experienced incarceration know what it is like to hit rock bottom financially! Most come out of jail with empty pockets and empty bank accounts. We can be thankful that Christ understands our poverty. He was born in poverty and lived a life with virtually “the clothes on His back.” He offers us this hope “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) **CAN YOU RELATE?** There is so much more that could be said about the relevance of Christ’s birth to all people… to foreigners (like the Magi), to the lower classes (like the Shepherds), to the elderly (like Simeon and Anna) and I could go on and on… Do you get the picture? Jesus made Himself accessible to all! The Christmas Story demonstrates to us the heart of God. It tells us, regardless of our stations in life that God is for us. It tells us, as His title “Emmanuel” suggests, that God is with us. ## Dismas, a Story of Hope… - Link: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/dismas-a-story-of-hope/ - Published: 2020-08-06T13:26:43-04:00 - Author: Paul Tuck According to the Scriptures, Jesus was cr[](https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Jesus-and-Dismas-e1596736805165.png) ucified between two thieves. One of these thieves is by tradition known as Dismas. He is commonly called the “Good Thief” or “the Wise Thief” or probably more appropriately,“ the Penitent Thief.”  He is the one, who in a single thrust of clarity cried out to Jesus and requested, _“Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”_ Jesus graciously responded to him, _“Today you shall be with me in paradise.”_ Our organization has chosen the name **Dismas** as a reflection of our core values and what the “good thief” teaches us today. What do we learn from that brief exchange between Jesus and Dismas on the cross? **1. _That all lives are sacred._** Every life matters. To many Dismas was a nuisance to eliminate. But to Jesus, he was a man to love and forgive. **2. _That it is never too late._** While there is life, there is hope. It is possible to change!** 3. _That God’s grace is available to all._** We believe that all of us are offenders. Dismas reached out for a grace that had eluded him his entire life. However, in his greatest time of need, grace was there to usher him into God’s Kingdom. The words of an old orthodox hymn express the compelling need to apply the message of Dismas to our own lives: _“The Wise Thief didst Thou make worthy of Paradise, in a single moment, O Lord. By the wood of thy Cross illumine me as well, and save me.”_ It is our prayer that you will join us in the spirit of Dismas by seeing that all people are God’s creation made in his image, by extending compassion to those who have done wrong, and by sharing the message of hope that comes from the cross of Jesus Christ! ## Dismas Fellowship Network Meeting - Link: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/dismas-fellowship-network-meeting/ - Published: 2017-04-25T15:10:11-04:00 - Author: Mike Walsh A typical Dismas Fellowship Evening begins around 6:00 pm with an opening prayer, followed by a simple buffet meal and dessert. At the end of the meal, there is a festive birthday cake with candles, where participants celebrate recent birthdays and other milestones. For some, this may be the only time their birthday is celebrated in a caring community of friends. After the meal, the Dismas Celebration begins with song, and continues with introductions, announcements, sharing of the Dismas story, prayer, and passing the donation basket. Most evenings have a guest speaker or theme presentation, followed by a time for sharing in smaller circles. Everyone joins the circle, but has the right to pass if they prefer not to share. The evening concludes with prayer and the song of Dismas: “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom”. ## Welcome to the Dismas Fellowship Network - Link: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/welcome-dismas-fellowship-network/ - Published: 2017-04-25T14:56:15-04:00 - Author: Mike Walsh What is the Dismas Fellowship Network? The Dismas Fellowship Network is a group the local Dismas Fellowships that have come together to share ideas and experiences. Each of the local Fellowships is independently operated by a group of dedicated volunteers. ## What is a Dismas Fellowship? - Link: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/what-is-a-dismas-fellowship/ - Published: 2017-04-24T12:50:10-04:00 - Author: launch48demo What is a Dismas Fellowship? We are people from a variety of experiences who gather regularly: ex-prisoners and friends who celebrate the grace we have received in Jesus Christ. The Dismas Fellowship takes the name from the Good Thief on the cross. Our dream for the Dismas Fellowship is to create a safe and welcoming space where ex-prisoners and their friends can find community and follow our friend Jesus. Meeting once or twice per month in a growing number of communities across Ontario, volunteers and ex-prisoners gather for a meal, listen to a guest short talk or sharing and then gather in a circle, where we listen to and pray for each other.