Kenosis: A Palm Sunday Lament of Hosanna
Maybe our ‘hosannas’ aren’t neat but messy. Maybe there isn’t perfect palm branches, but wrinkled, bent ones. And maybe that’s what worship looks like. Maybe that’s enough.
Breaking Barriers: The Story of the Paralyzed Man
Belonging goes beyond inclusion. Inclusion might mean making space for someone when they arrive. Belonging means they’ve become so integral to the community that, if they’re not there, they’re deeply missed.
Beyond Charity: Empowering Lives Through Church-Led Raw Carrot Social Enterprise
“Our work here is not only about making soup; it’s about building confidence, community, and faith.” Monica Theysen reflects on her transformative journey at The Raw Carrot, where meaningful employment and a faith-centered environment have brought purpose and hope to her life and others.
Re-Reading Romans from a Disability Perspective
A genuine welcome goes beyond simply opening the doors; it requires sacrifice, as Christ sacrificed himself to welcome us into his body. To imitate Christ, we must extend that same welcome to all—abled or disabled—who seek to come to Christ.
Disability is Not a Defect – Embracing Disability in the Church
Disability is not a barrier to the work of God’s grace in someone’s life. Jesus saves disabled people, as they are, without condition. The Church must embrace this truth, welcoming people with disabilities into full participation in worship and community, recognizing their unique gifts and the ways God is working through them.
Disability is Not a Defect – God’s Solidarity with Disability
God works through disability, using what the world sees as weakness to accomplish His plans. Jesus Himself chose to bear the scars of suffering even after His resurrection, showing solidarity with the weak. As the Church, we are called to do the same.
Disability is not a Defect – It’s Part of God’s Design
What does it mean to be an integral part of the Church when attending worship means facing barriers? While I’ve never felt unwelcome as a disabled person, many disabled individuals have. Some of this exclusion stems from a lack of access, but often there’s also a lukewarm or resistant attitude toward disabled people in the church.
The Ones We Really Need
It might sound cliché, but I was hired to help others and they helped me just as much, perhaps even more. I learned about acceptance, trust, diversity, and what it meant to have a place to belong. Looking back, I realize God was beginning to teach me about 1 Corinthians 12 and what it means to be whole.
Belonging, Like Jazz
Like Jazz musicians, church leaders need to become masterful at holding tension and refrain from resolving it prematurely. Rather than encouraging others to strictly preach victory in Jesus, perhaps we need to make space for people to find their own voices and speak their hurts or cry out to God.
The Gap Between Disability and Community
Wentworth Miller says when you’re in survival mode, there isn’t space for “we” or “community.” It becomes all about “I” and “me.” He is not relating specifically to the challenges of disability, or faith communities fostering , but he shares valuable information about the challenges that may arise if you feel singular, different, and alone; if you have to spend the majority of your days in survival mode over the long term.