All three of us, each with a unique ministry, have been accepted here for who we are “inside.” My heart rejoices in this gift from a generous God to be sent to this church.

From individuals’ matching-plus of the Disabilities Ministries grant that began Kamp Kaleo’s concrete sidewalks (see earlier Record), to our Interim Conference Minister’s making available “The Accessibility Audit,” to the hiring of another clergy person with a disability, it has been a good year for the church’s recognition of the value and wholeness of all persons.

Second Note: Keep your eyes open for our own Rev. Nancy Erickson’s week of meditations in the latest These Days. Now, how about a couple dog stories?
If you have not considered calling a pastor who happens to have a disability, you might be missing quite a bit.

The first communion by intinction that Bob and I offered at our Burwell parish was also a first for Leader Dog Treasure to observe. Not to worry. I trusted him to stay in his “don’t move a muscle, sleep-during-church position” beside my chancel chair until hearing my “Come” after the benediction.

All went well as Bob and I proceeded to the base of the steps with the elements. Then Bob issued the invitation to the congregation, “Come, for all things are ready.” One by one, the people came through the line. There Treasure, my guide dog, was among them ready to partake, having discreetly descended the side stairs.

My hands were too full of communion bread, my tongue was too busy with communion words, and my voice was too microphoned to utter anything untactful; Treasure won. Of course, when we returned to the chancel, Treasure was too busy vacuuming the crumbs to follow. Is that biblical?

Then, at the First Advent with the pungent evergreen next to the chancel, I was at the lectern when Treasure again left his “Stay” position. He crossed the chancel to Bob, another first. After my quiet word, Treasure returned to his spot. I resumed my work.
Treasure took off again. Again, this obedient dog guide headed as discreetly as possible down the side steps. He walked directly to a friend in the congregation. “Will you please get me out of here? I can’t breathe, and Bob and Dee aren’t available.”

I immediately re-titled the children’s meditation, “Integrity and Doing What You Must,” and my allergic dog spent the rest of Advent in comfort at the rear of the sanctuary beside a delighted church member.

All three of us, each with a unique ministry, have been accepted here for who we are “inside.” My heart rejoices in this gift from a generous God to be sent to this particular congregation for God’s particular reasons.

Reading the Signs is a can-do forum about accessibility for the whole church family edited by the Rev. Dee Brauninger, First Congregational UCC, Burwell, Nebraska