#7 & 8 – We Give the World a Truer Picture of the Church
and We Give the World a True Picture of our Lord

It won’t surprise you to hear that
today’s media typically colors the Church in harsh, dark colors.

We’re often painted as judgemental,
unjust,
unkind
and
unsafe.

But when churches welcome people with special needs
(and a myriad of other challenges),
people realize that the media’s stereotype is a false one.

When they watch us
diligently,
deliberately
accept children, teens, and adults,
regardless of the challenges they face,
and regardless of the challenges they bring to us,
they see what the Church truly is –
a welcoming place.

They see that the Church is an all-encompassing,
differences-can’t-separate-us kind of place.

When individuals’ lives are touched,
and they see people’s lives changed
because people in the Church have cared,
all the negative stereotypes in the world
can’t refute their experience.

More important,
when we welcome people who have challenges
(which means all of us),
we show the world what our Lord Jesus,
Whom we believe in and love,
is really like.

We show everyone that Jesus
is still the gracious Teacher, Healer and Friend
in the New Testament Bible stories.

We show them
that He is truly accepting,
loving
and forgiving.

We show the whole world that Jesus
really does welcome everyone into His Family,
that He does have a special place in His heart for those who are weak,
sick,
poor,
living on the fringes.

And we show them that He’s real.

We don’t have to shout from the rooftops.
We don’t have to rent flashing billboards.
We just have to do what Jesus told us to do.

We need to take care of those who are sometimes considered unimportant,
but whom the Bible calls “indispensable”.
(2 Corinthians 12: 22,23)

We need to widen the door,
save a seat,
set a place at the table,
and reach out a hand in friendship.

It’s not always easy,
but it is that simple.
-- Reenie

Next up -- "Filling Up With Joy"

If Feet Could Talk

“I’m not a caregiver.”

That’s what my cousin says when I jump onto my soap-box and talk about how the Church should welcome people with special needs.
My cousin can’t see himself as a Sunday School buddy to a child with autism. Actually, I can’t see it either.
But this cousin is my Go-To Guy in any computer crisis, and has been ever since I acquired my first computer 9 years ago. By taking care of my computer issues, he enables me to write to encourage you, and to develop curriculum and program materials for people with special needs.

In less than ten seconds, I think of a dozen people who take care of me and my stuff in other ways.
Recently, my Fix-it Brother** fixed my watch and my shredder.
My massage therapist regularly works on my neck and shoulders, relieving me of stiffness and pain.
And there’s a hundred others...

I hope you can quickly think of a bunch of people who help you, too.

One of my favourite Bible chapters compares our gifts and limitations to the parts of a human body.
“The body is not made up of one part but of many.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?
If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of hearing be?
God has arranged the parts in the body just as he wanted them to be.
The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’
And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1 Corinthians 12:14-21)

None of us is complete on our own, but we're complete when we serve each other.
How glad I am God figured that out before I did!

**Fix-it Brother describes his primary occupation. You can guess how my younger brother, Build-it Brother, makes his living. Truth be told, though – Fix-it Bro is mighty good at building, and Build-it Bro is very handy at fixing. I wish I had an ounce of the fixing or building skills either of them has in his baby finger. Which brings us full-circle...

I Have a Dream

I have a dream…
that every child
regardless of ability or disability
will be welcomed
and will find a place to belong
at their neighborhood Bible-teaching Church.

I have a dream
that every child who can’t walk smoothly
will have a friend to lean on
or to push his wheelchair
so he can enter fully into the life of his church family.

I have a dream
that every child who can’t reach out her hand
will have a hand reached out to her
so she’ll know she’s accepted in the body of Christ.

I have a dream
that every child who can’t participate in a full Bible lesson
will have a lesson designed for him,
a lesson he can fully enjoy.

I have a dream
that every child who cannot speak
will be spoken to
and will be included in conversation
and in other children’s play.

I have a dream
that every child who cannot hear with her ears
will be taught stories and songs
in a language she can hear.

I have a dream
that every child who cannot sing
will enjoy the sound of others’ singing
and will praise God in his own way.

I have a dream
that every child whose hands cannot clap
will have friends who clap with her
and for her.

I have a dream
that every child who cannot run
will play games with his friends
and will have friends who cheer what he can do.

I have a dream
that every child who cannot cooperate or pay attention
will be loved and cherished
no matter what.

I have a dream
that every child who cannot see the pictures of the Bible story
will see very clearly that Jesus loves her
because she has been shown love by those who love Him.

I have a dream
that every child who doesn’t learn in the typical way
will learn about Jesus and His love for her.

I have a dream
that every child who doesn’t move in the typical way
will move into full belonging in the family of God.

I have a dream
that every child who doesn’t grow in the typical way
will grow in his or her relationship with Jesus Christ.

I have a dream
that every child
no matter how intelligent or delayed
oppositional or compliant
athletic or motor-challenged
healthy or frail
will know Jesus loves him or her
and that He died for him
for her.

I have a dream
that everyone in the community outside the church
will know they too will be welcomed
and accepted
in their local church family
because they have seen the church obey Christ’s command
to love and accept
all those who are
“the least of these”.

I have a dream...

I have a dream.

© Laureen F. Guenther, 2006