Are we useful or valuable? The relationship between utility and worth.
When God created He said “it is good”, not “it is useful”. God did not intend for us to label people for what they can do but to value people for who they are.
Delayed Leadership (Phil Letizia) – Part II
Receiving from Jesus means we understand he is inviting us into new rhythms of life that often demand we slow down and genuinely reflect upon what he is up to. In so doing, Jesus is actually revealing the gifts of our Christian discipleship- his kindness and gentleness.
Delayed leadership (Phil Letizia) – Part I
In the four years since, I’ve had much to read, learn, and reflect upon. This new life God has given has challenged us on every front. From doing away with typical parenting milestones, to adopting wider and more expansive views of God’s grace and the beauty of his diverse people. Amidst all of this, my calling to pastor and minister continued. While learning this new life with its new language and new conversations, I’ve also had to continue to lead. At times that task has been beyond difficult and completely overwhelming.
Learning outside our comfort zones (Dr. Timothy Epp)
Thank God for Brian, for my encounter with him and my continued relationships with people who are considered to be disabled. Brian is a whole person, with his likes and dislikes, his own personality and his own ways of contributing to the broader community.
Keeping Silence (Mike Walker)
My silence can be holy, if I feel The presence, and the touch, of those who care. A gentle hand, or word, makes joy more real, And griefs gain substance in a loving prayer.
Seeing Beyond Disability (Erin Huber)
In my endeavors to learn and be enriched, I cannot discount the experience I gain from being in relationship with others. I can acquire knowledge, capacity, and skills from academic study and reading and yet it has been when I have engaged in community and established friendships with people with exceptional needs that I have gained the most.
Medication Administration (Mike Bonikowsky)
I have seen that shape before And now I find it troubles me. Those hands held in just that way. But I can't place the memory.
Being seen for who I am: Maria’s story (Guest post)
The world closes when the word disability creeps into one’s life because other people in the outside world do not see the abilities before the disabilities. I am a very capable person, but since I have lost my vision I am no longer viewed in this way.
Pain and Promise in the Last Supper (Mike Walker)
Jesus names his present and future vulnerability to pain in this verse and empowers his friends to claim their own limitations, and to use them as the basis for trust. I know how Jesus feels, in terms of having a broken body. I have spastic cerebral palsy: this neurological condition means that my muscles are always tense, or spastic, and that I experience palsy, or continuous tremors in all my limbs.
Barriers or gifts? Encountering the “Other” (Guest post)
Putting people into categories goes right back to the Bible, as in the New Testament the early church had conflict between the Jews and the Gentiles and the church could not agree on how to achieve unity. It is clear from the Old Testament that God intended all along that people love Him and live at peace with God and others.