A Selection of Suggested Resources from United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries for Worship in Celebration of ADA

Buy cialis, Tribute to Harold H. Wilke
Includes poem by Jeanne Tyler
http://www.uccdm.org/2006/11/11/remembering-the-rev-dr-harold-h-wilke/

Litany and Prayer Resources:

• Invocation by Normal Mengel
Creating, saving, and sustaining God, buy cialis cheap, we thank you for creating us in your image, each having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, Order cialis online, so that together we make up the whole body of Christ. Help us to learn new ways to encourage each other to develop our gifts to the fullest, to love one another with mutual affection, and to extend hospitality, παραγγείλετε online cialis. May we be sensitive and helpful to one another in our areas of need. In Christ’s name, Cheap generic cialis, we pray. Amen, buy cialis.

More. Go to http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/23/mosaic-series-created-to-be-interdependent-within-the-body-of-christ/#more-399

• Litany by Dee Brauninger

Leader: Mindful that from the genesis throughout the revelation of our lives, God creates, cialis ordine on-line, reveals, and renews God’s promise of hope for us, Cialis discount, All: Let us be faithful to our commitment to you, O God, and to one another. Amen, cheapest cialis in the world.
Leader: As birth, disease, Acquistare online cialis, accident, or maturity brings special needs to those within this church,
All: Guide us, O God, price of cialis, as bringers of your hope. Buy cialis, Amen.
Leader: As we increase our skill in reading the signs of change among church members and anticipate their needs, Tennessee TN Tenn. , All: Guide us, O God, as your welcoming people. Amen, Oklahoma OK Okla. .

More. Go to http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/23/mosaic-series-tools-of-the-trade/#more-396

• Prayer by Jeanne Tyler

Persistent God, Billig kaufen cialis, who never lets us go, come to us in this gathering. Open our minds and our hearts to wrestle with your words, buy cialis. Teach us not to sit politely by when we are not welcomed as the unique people we are. Help us to love ourselves as much as we love you, cheapest cialis, so that your gift of creating us in your image is not wasted on others or us. Help us be teachers and learners. Comprare cialis, Help us to follow your ways made straight in the wilderness. Buy cialis, We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

More. Go to http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/24/mosaic-series-i-could-come-home/#more-401

• Invocation by Diana Coberly

We approach you, Acheter en ligne cialis, O faithful God, assured of your welcoming attitude to all. Billige cialis Apotheke, You fearfully and wonderfully made each of us. We thank you that your love is with us, that nothing can separate us from your love no matter the way we see or hear, no matter the way we talk or walk, no matter the way we think or feel, buy cialis. Help each of us to be aware of how we exclude persons different from ourselves from knowing Jesus. As we gather in this place, awaken us to your goodness and mercy, Wisconsin WI Wis. , that we may through the liberating grace you offer us, help create an attitude of inclusiveness for all. Order cialis cod, Amen.

More. Buy cialis, Go to http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/23/mosaic-series-spiritual-accessibility-for-all/

• Litany: Blessing of the Options by Dee Brauninger

From Genesis 1, 12 and 21; Psalms 8 and 139

Suggested Use:
1. Multiple readings throughout the service.
2, Colorado CO Colo. . Select several Leader/People/ALL segments to use once in the service.
3. Read the entire litany as a prayer with a pause between segments for silent reflection followed by an Amen before reading the next segment, buy cialis. Generic cialis, Go to http://www.uccdm.org/2009/10/06/blessed-be-god-who-delights-in-everyone-a-litany/

• Benediction by Dee Brauninger

May God guide this living church as we aim to do whatever it takes from the quiet, welcoming act to the visible or costly physical change that reflects God’s life-giving plan for a future with hope. Amen.

More, cialis no prescription. Go to http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/23/mosaic-series-tools-of-the-trade/#more-396

Scripture:

1 Peter 4:8-11a (RSV)

Suggested Hymns (From “Hymns for A2A Congregations” in A2A Study Guide)

http://www.uccdm.org/2010/06/25/hymns-for-a2a-congregations/

“Blessed be the Tie that Binds” 393 TNCH “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service” 495 TNCH “Glory, Glory, Ostaa halvalla cialis, Hallelujah” 2 TNCH “Help Us Accept Each Other” 388 TNCH “My Heart is Overflowing” 15 TNCH “O God in Whom All Life Begins 401 TNCH “O God, My God” 515 TNCH “Spirit of Love” 58 TNCH
“We Yearn, O Christ, for Wholeness” 179 TNCH “We are Your People” 309 TNCH “When Peace Like a River” 438 TNCH “Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant?” 539 TNCH
Meditations:

• "Empowering Children with Disabilities" by David Denham
http://www.uccdm.org/2009/03/04/empowering-chi…h-disabilities/

• "The Church of the Left Out" by Marja Coons-Torn
http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/24/the-church-of-the-left-out/

• "A Patchwork Quilt" by Virginia Kreyer Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “A Patchwork Quilt” - http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/24/mosaic-series-a-patchwork-quilt/

• "Spiritual Accessibility for All" by Diana Coberly Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Spiritual Accessibility for All”
http://www.uccdm.org/2007/05/23/mosaic-series-spiritual-accessibility-for-all/

• Sermon Text: Job 1:1, cialis online, 2:1-10, Psalm 26, Idaho ID , Mark 10:2-16 – Jeanne Tyler

Go to http://www.uccdm.org/1999/06/21/jeanne-tyler-ucc-dm-co-chair-preaches-at-amistad-chapel/#more-85

Articles:

• “Architectural, Attitudinal, and Spiritual Inclusion of People with Disabilities and their Families” – by Rita Fiero
http://www.uccdm.org/1999/07/30/architectural-attitudinal-and-spiritual-inclusion-of-people-with-disabilities-and-their-families-fiero/

• “Mainstreaming the Alienated: The Church Responds to the ‘new’ Minority” – by Harold Wilke
http://www.uccdm.org/2006/11/30/mainstreaming-the-alienated-the-church-responds-to-the-new-minority/

• “Multisensory Worship Ideas” by Marjot Hausmann
http://www.uccdm.org/2010/06/25/multisensory-worship-ideas/
Jo Clare Hartsig. Buy cialis, Ed., A2A Study Guide. http://www.uccdm.org p, buy cialis without prescription. 142

• “No Steps to Heaven” by Harold Wilke
http://www.uccdm.org/2006/11/30/no-steps-to-heaven-harold-h-wilke/

• “Reading the Signs” is a series of columns about inclusion and accessibility that can be excerpted for conference or church newsletters.Visit the Reading the Signs Category at http://www.uccdm.org.

Poems:

• “Signs of Liberation and Access” by Harold Wilke
http://www.uccdm.org/2010/06/25/signs-of-liberation-and-access-wilke

• “Them vs. Us : A Litany”
Jo Clare Hartsig. Ed., A2A Study Guide, buy cialis. http://www.uccdm.org p. 142

Discussion:
• “In the Image of God” Jo Clare Hartsig. Ed., A2A Study Guide. http://www.uccdm.org p. 6

Other Resources Buy cialis, :
AAPD.com American Association on People with Disabilities

Disability.gov Go to the 100 Days Countdown on Disability Blog

N.O.D.org The National Organization on Disabilities

Http://www.uccdm.org contains a valuable resource written and edited by Jo Clare Hartsig. The A2A Study Guide can be downloaded for electronic reading or printed. It is also available on disc from UCC DM. Contact Michelle Hintz. hintzm@ucc.org.

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Buy cheap cialis online, Them vs. Köpa billiga cialis, Us: A Litany

Where do I fit in.

A group of any size can be divided into these two parts for this litany, ordering cialis online legally. Buy cialis, It is based on a poem by Simone Poortman.

Them Us
Where do I fit in, Indiana IN Ind. .

Them: If I am one of “them”, they are “us

Us: If I am one of “us”, who are “they”, buy cheap cialis online. Order cialis online without prescription, Them: Being one of “us” is only half”

Us: I miss “them”`

Them: Only when I am one of “them” can I be part of the
Complete “us”

Us: I know both: “them” and “us”

Them: How do I dare to become one of “them”
To become one of “us”.

Us: How do I dare to become one of “them”
To become one of “us”, New Jersey NJ N.J. . Buy cheap cialis, ALL: We are both them and us.
Amen, comprar en línea cialis. Louisiana LA , This poem was shared during the 2006 World Council of Churches gathering in Brazil. Simone Poortman is from the Netherlands and is part of the WCC Disabilities Caucus, order cialis pills. Köpa rabatterade cialis, From Jo Clare Hartsig, Ed., purchase cialis, Billige cialis apotek, A2A Study Guide. http://www.uccdm.org, cialis online kopen. Washington WA Wash. . North Dakota ND . Koop korting cialis. District of Columbia DC D.C. . Buy cialis online without prescription. Cheapest cialis online. Massachusetts MA Mass. . Cialis without prescription. Buy cialis online. Comprar cialis de descuento. Cialis prices.

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Order cialis online cheap, I Call You Friend
A Liturgy of Welcome

Designed by Heather Luehrs and Ann Ito, UCC DM

[Especially good for groups, conferences, retreats, etc.]

Leader: Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Ordering cialis online without prescription, When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck
him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he
wrestled with him, buy cialis no prescription. Cialis sale, Then he said, “Let me go, Michigan MI Mich. , Kjøpe billig cialis, for the day is
breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless
me.”

So he said to him, Om cialis online, Cialis farmacia a buon mercato, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
Then the man said, North Carolina NC N.C. , Ordering cialis overnight delivery, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but
Israel, cheap cialis online, Kjøpe cialis online, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have
prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, Wyoming WY Wyo. , Købe cialis, “Please tell me your name.”
But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he
blessed him, cialis pills. Purchase cialis online, Genesis 32:24-30

Each person shares his or her name and where he or she is from—and the community responds:

We bless you.

All: Opening Prayer

Gentle God, Pennsylvania PA Penn. , Buy cialis cod, You have gathered Your friends together on this day to share our names, our lives, order cialis, Cheap cialis no prescription, our experiences, our hopes and dreams, buy cheap cialis online. Grant us grace in our communications and deliberations as we move forward with our work and refreshment as we join each other in sharing and play, order cialis online cheap. Cialis kopen, In Your Name, we pray, Kentucky KY Ky. . Cheap cialis, Amen.

Reading: “This is my commandment, comprare cialis sconto, Ordering cialis online, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Order cialis online cheap, You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends….” John 15:12-16

Reflection:Please take a few minutes of silence to reflect on friends in your life: friends who play special roles in your life; friends who share your daily and ordinary journey; friends who live apart and share on special occasions; friends who are lost or departed.

The community shares names (only) of friends to hold in prayer.

Leader: Loving Friend, Hear and bless these sacred names of our friends, those whom we have shared out loud and those whose names who remain in the silence of our hearts.

All: Bless these friends, Amen.

All: Prayer of Sending Forth:

We are all on a journey together…
To the center of the universe…
Look deep
Into yourself, into another, order cialis online cheap.
It is to a center which is everywhere
That is the holy journey…
First you need only look:
Notice and honor the radiance of
Everything about you…
Play in this universe. Tend
All these shining things around you:
The smallest plant, the creatures and
objects in your care.
Be gentle and nurture. Listen…
As we experience and accept
All that we really are…
We grow in care.
We begin to embrace others
As ourselves, and learn to live
As one among many…

Anne Hillman

Note: Anne Hillman's prayer is published without her permission.

From Jo Clare Hartsig, Ed., A2A Study Guide

.

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I invite you to make fuller use of our five senses in worship and to infuse them into the elements of your services of worship.

In this series, Kjøpe billig levitra, each column--"'Do You Hear What I Hear?'" or "A Sound of Silence", "A Wink of Color", "Keeping in Touch", buy levitra, "A Whiff of Faith" and "Tasting the Holy"--lifts up one sense. Kaufen levitra, Its core is simple: Worship is a total experience which involves the whole person. However, worship is as complex as the depths of feeling and the holy connections it evokes, buy levitra without prescription. Woven together, Illinois IL Ill. , environment and ritual invite worship to be an active response to an active God.

I am as intrigued by this fabric of worship as by the mystery which is worship, buy levitra. I also am willing to play the fool if this brainstorming leads to your own musing and the expansion of your worship parameters.

Two life-altering physical changes color my understanding of worship, comprare levitra, bringing a fuller awareness of the role of our senses in worship. Buy levitra c.o.d., As sight diminished, I grew more finely attuned to the communication of hugs and touch and to an inner sensing of presence. Unable to sing and speak without discomfort, Minnesota MN Minn. , I listened to the sounds of worship. Buy levitra, Now exploring worship from the pew after twenty-one years in parish ministry, I admire its treasury of sensory resources. Ordering levitra online cheap, We are multi-dimensional people for whom worship happens at many levels. Our worship is both solitary and communal. It proceeds from a scent which evokes memories of early faith-growing, Kjøp Discount levitra. It commences with a chance meeting of the affirming eye of another, Order levitra online, a quiet companion on the spiritual path.

Most worshipers shrink from a barrage of polysyllabic sermons or over-simplified droning, buy levitra. Services become equally prosaic if pastoral prayers lapse into the same themes. Too much stimulation threatens to bring on chaos, levitra generic, to dissolve the order which our liturgies offer and to cancel the delicate waking of the sense of the holy. Acheter levitra discount, So, as worship leaders, we develop the art of creating spaces for the Divine mysterium, cheap levitra. We design worship to balance as a breeze refreshes a summer day. Buy levitra, II
One way to view worship is as a series of continuum. Buy levitra no rx, At first, these appear contradictory. However, halvalla levitra apteekki, worship components lift up a unifying "both/and" image. φτηνές φαρμακείο levitra, As worship leaders, we try to maintain professional symmetry between being participant and guide. Entering into the spirit of worship, Rhode Island RI R.I. , we become part of the worshiping community. We engage our congregations as partners on the worship journey, buy levitra. North Carolina NC N.C. , However, the extremes of moving into solitary worship ourselves or turning a service into a worship production separate us. We remain "present for" our congregations to assist their worship, buy cheap levitra.

When entering the sanctuary, αγοράσετε levitra, worshipers close off the external world. Respite is also a time of preparation for being in the world. Buy levitra, Worshipers enter the church as individuals. We enter disconnected and reconnect; we enter separate from and find unity; we enter alienated (in sin) and leave at-one (in forgiveness), order levitra without prescription. The order of worship guides us through this multi-leveled process. Levitra without prescription, The invocation calls God to be present. Praise--the Psalms, hymns and gifts of monies, levitra, flowers and talents--draws us away from ourselves. We remember God, buy levitra. Cheap levitra from canada, Praise focuses us upon God, yet it also brings us more fully in touch with our own presence.

Interplay of the communal and the individual shapes another continuum. Prayer, scripture and sermon imply dialogue. A time for greetings, unison responses and announcements renews horizontal relationships with neighbor. Buy levitra, While often said together, confession essentially is alone--coming to reality, admitting the weak places in our lives, asking forgiveness. We address the assurance of pardon to the whole congregation; its message speaks to individuals. That we are loved and are lovable echoes in fellowship as we name each other and reaffirm worth as persons.

Within this mystery, worship, we bond together. Worship leads us to stretch beyond ourselves. We become in touch with the incarnate God, buy levitra. Worship moves worshipers toward being one-with or atonement.

Worship provides an intricate pattern of receiving and giving with varieties as broad as minds can create and senses can absorb. Worship carries us to relief and thanksgiving, the readiness and willingness to give it--life, work, relationships--another try. Fortified and grateful, we dedicate ourselves by giving of ourselves. The conclusion of worship brings a blessing as well as a charge, both an ending and a commencement.

Reprinted with permission of the publisher, CSS Publications. From Dallas Brauninger. 1992 Series, "Come to Your Senses," Worship Environment Column in EMPHASIS: A Preaching Journal for the Parish Pastor.

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Suggested Use: 1. Multiple readings throughout the service. 2. Select several Leader/People/ALL segments to use once in the service. 3. Read the entire litany as a prayer with a pause between segments for silent reflection followed by an Amen before reading the next segment. From Genesis 1, 12 and 21; Psalms 8 and 139 ALL: God created us, reflecting God's nature. Our Creator blessed us; God saw that all God made Indeed, was very good. Leader: Hearing well is not always an option; People: Trimming a mustache, facing a person directly Or speaking with clarity is. ALL: I will bless you so that you will be a blessing. Leader: To live without pain is not always an option People: Offering a straight-backed padded armchair is. ALL: I will bless you so that you will be a blessing. Leader: The capacity to sit or stand for a long time is sometimes impossible, People: To plan breaks or alternate activity with rest is. ALL: We praise you, For we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that we know well. Leader: Having full mobility is not always an option, People: Replacing a heavy door or offering wheelchair space within the community circle is. ALL: We praise you, For we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that we know well. Leader: Seeing may not always be an option, People: Identifying ourselves by name or describing a new space is. ALL: We praise you, For we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that we know well. Leader: When speaking with clarity is not an option, People: To ask again until I understand or to rephrase With a yes/no question is. ALL: God is with us in all that we do. God saw that all God made Indeed, was very good. Leader: To think clearly is not always an option People: To repeat or simplify is. ALL: What are human beings that you are mindful of us, Mortals that you care for us? Yet you have crowned us with glory and honor. Leader: Relating well with others is not easy for everyone, People: Encouraging to join an activity or taking time to chat is. ALL: What are human beings that you are mindful of us, Mortals that you care for us? Yet you have crowned us with glory and honor. ALL: Blessed be God who delights in everyone. Amen Used with permission of db. Forthcoming in Maren C. Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirabassi, Eds., Before the Amen: Resources for Worship (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press).

Doxology Poem The following Poem/Psalm appeared in Wings, Winter 2008 edition. Wings is a Disability Ministry publication within the United Methodist tradition. DOXOLOGY Praise the Lord Praise God in the mighty firmament Praise God for mighty deeds Praise God with withered hands And wooden legs Praise God with expressive bodies Used as instruments For those who cannot hear Praise the Lord with voices that struggle to speak With toes that work as hands With hands that reach out among the doubters To touch and hold and heal Praise the Lord for powerful gifts Bestowed on each of us Praise God for the audio-loop and wheelchair Braille and large print Praise God for ramps and lifts Tape recorders and computers Praise God for dogs that hear And see for others Praise God for doors that begin to open To the light of ability Amid the shadows Of prejudice And preconceived notions About perfection and service Let all of us who live and breathe Use everything we have and everything we are In praising God To the glory of our Lord Inclusion Sunday is the second Sunday of October. The day marks the beginningof Disabilities Awareness Week. [Adapted from the original produced by the Task Force Ministry on Persons with Handicapping Conditions of the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church]

A few weeks ago, on the Saturday of the Washington state presidential caucuses, I was just leaving the church after a morning long meeting with our visioning committee. We had spent several hours exploring our calling as a congregation. Who are we? What is our ministry? Though Many, We are One  Text: Romans 12: 5,2 and 9-21  Introduction  A few weeks ago, on the Saturday of the Washington state presidential caucuses, I was just leaving the church after a morning long meeting with our visioning committee. We had spent several hours exploring our calling as a congregation. Who are we? What is our ministry?              As I left the building the doors were wide open and literally hundreds of people were streaming down the sidewalks, coming to attend their local precinct caucus. The fellowship hall and the parlor were packed with neighbors. I was struck by the number of young people in the crowd. People carried hand lettered signs and wore badges and tags designating their candidate. As I stood at the door, I spontaneously began greeting and welcoming people. “Glad you could come to day … Thank you for coming… Glad you are here… welcome.” As folks passed by with their Obama signs, I wanted to say. “He’s part of this church. This is a UCC congregation.”   I’d heard Barack Obama speak last summer at our national meeting in Hartford. Barack Obama is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. We are part of the same branch of the Christian family. For me the link is more personal. I was preparing for the ministry at the Chicago Theological Seminary, in the late 1960’s. I lived and worked in the Black community on the South Side. I learned the nuts and bolts of ministry sharing in the life of churches and grass roots community organizations rebuilding Kenwood-Oakland, a South Side neighborhoods that had been ravaged by racism, terrorized by organized crime, exploited by the local political machine, cruelly impoverished by slum profiteers, robbed of educational resources and routinely brutalized by elements of the Chicago police force.   I remember vividly a night when I was dragged out of my apartment by a plainclothes police squad, taken to an anonymous interrogation station, and held incommunicado, while five young black men taken from the same building were beaten. I asked to make a phone call and talk to a lawyer. A naïve 23 year old white seminary student, I said, “This is America; people have rights.” I will never forget what the police squad leader said in reply. “This is our America. No phone calls, no lawyers for you. This no TV show. This is the real world you’re in.   Out of such profound oppression, Trinity United Church of Christ has grown. Trinity Church gives rise now, to a Barack and Michelle Obama and their children, part of our family of faith,  following a call to realize this country’s highest aspirations as a nation reconciled, with justice and dignity for all, a nation whose great and good resources are well and wisely used for peace and good will in our troubled and challenging world.   It was of these deep concerns of the heart and soul that Barack Obama spoke in Hartford to members of the United Church of Christ, gathered from across the country.  I.        The United Church of Christ  Many of us received an email this past week from John Thomas, the coordinating minister, if you will, of the United Church of Christ. He alerted us that the IRS had sent a letter announcing an investigation into the United Church of Christ for inviting Barack Obama to speak at our General Synod last summer. The US government is looking into the UCC.  Before we speak further about that, permit me to say a few words about John Thomas and who we are as a family of faith.   John sits in a unique position. He is in dialogue with the nearly 6,000 local congregations of our denomination and in regular conversation with the church’s wider ministries -  the work of some 40 state and regional conferences,support for a wide range of local church and community missiona strong peace and social justice witness and            service around the world in partnership with a rich array of ecumenical efforts.              John has the title of President, but we are not a hierarchical organization. No one speaks in any absolute sense for the whole body. We don’t have a single creed or set of beliefs which serve as a test of faith. We live by covenant,               by intentionally forming, in each generation                        new moments of faithful commitment                                    with God and one another.              Day by day, week after week, down through the years, we become the body of Christ                        again and again and again, and once more again,                                    informed by the gifts and guidance of the Holy Spirit.              In gatherings large and small, we express our faith. In meeting with one another, we share God’s infinite love. Together we take up the challenges of our day.              The record of the United Church of Christ is not an account of doctrines and dogma.Our history is the story of faithful gatherings with each person speaking sensitively, from the heart, with minds ever open to renewal and transformation.   We are not conformedTo this world as it is.              Our gathering together seeks the “will” of God; the Spirit’s leading in the ways of healing, peace and justice. Each time we come together, we are part of a movement stretching back through history to the earliest of earth’s people.              Our ancestry roots in the journeys of the first human beings, finding their way with God.              As with Adam and Eve, we struggle to realize our gifts and potential. We know the temptations and the terrible forces which work to break us apart from one another and from God.  Our eyes are open to the very real power of evil in the world, even as we hold the high vision of salvation, of wholeness, of plenty and well being for all.              With Abraham and Sarah, we live into unknown futures. We are never fully settled, faced with ever changing challenges and conditions, but trusting deeply in God’s abiding promises as we stand up and step forth.              With Miriam and Moses, we are part of the long struggle for human liberation, the deliverance from captivities, the release from bondage in its many forms.                         We are heirs to Joshua and Deborah and the tradition of the judges, judicious, thoughtful leaders raised up in times of collective threat and crisis, to help chart a path to common good  and an enduring peace.              We are descendents of the prophets, wary of overreaching monarchy, walking with the last and the lost and the left behind, willing to speak uncomfortable and eye opening truth to power.              Our model for ministry is the community of Christ.              We shape ourselves, as did Mary and Martha, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the companions and followers of Jesus. We too are disciples, students of the way. We too walk with the teacher, sharing the good news of new life, the ultimate promise of resurrection, the invitation to participate now, in the commonwealth of God.               We say in a million and more varied voices: our salvation, our wholeness as persons, rests in God’s gracious holding. Our souls are constantly renewed by God’s loving touch. Our life together in the church and in the world is formed in God’s constant presence.   II.      Let Us Answer the Question            It may come as a bit of a surprise, when John Thomas, our general minister, alerts us that the UCC is being investigated by the IRS for misbehavior as a church. We certainly don’t claim to be perfect or flawless in practice of faith. But what have we done that might be considered a violation of the law.               The allegation? Senator Obama’s presentation at the Synod in Hartford was a campign event, the church sponsorship of a political speech – a violation of the church’s responsibility as a tax exempt religious organization. That’s what I understand.              The lawyers and the courts will address the legal questions raised here.               Our task in the face of this investigation is to know and affirm, to be as clear as we can be about who we are as a church, beginning at the level of the local congregation.               Have no doubt about it. The questions are just beginning. It is not just the IRS. The media too are beginning to nose around. Let the IRS investigate us. Let people ask questions about what manner of God’s people we are and how we live Christ’s life in our time across this land.     Let us be clear also from the beginning that in this church we are many. We speak with varied voices, come from some vastly different backgrounds. We are made one, through the movement of the Spirit in our lives, slowly weaving a shared and common fabric from the torn scraps, the diverse threads and the manifold patterns among us. We are not some neat, machine loomed tapestry, hung on the wall. We are a patchwork quilt, constantly worn and being used, continually being repaired and re-stitched.  Senator Obama came to the Synod, came to our national gathering in Hartford, came to speak before 15,000 people to share his faith and tell his story. I was at Hartford last summer and in the large meeting hall when  Barack Obama spoke. He was introduced as a member of the body, one of the many, one of us, a twenty year member of Trinity in Chicago. Senator Obama was invited to speak about the intersection of his faith and his life as a politician, just as Charles Townes, a member of First Congregational Church in Berkley was invited to speak about the intersection of his faith and his life as a Nobel laureate physicist.              Barack Obama spoke, as all of us spoke that week, some of us in the great hall, most of us in much smaller gatherings, about our soul lives, the deepest and fullest movement of the Spirit in our stories. This was not an academic symposium. Participants were not presenting theoretical discussions about God and the world. We talked about the communities we live in and the needs of our neighbors, our calling to serve and our responsibility as citizens. We talked about our faith and our work.              I met a colleague from almost thirty years ago, whom I had not seen for a long while. I did not know that he too struggled with depression. During a quiet lunch we found ourselves sharing with each other our experience of healing and our determination to insure that the care we had experienced would be available to all. We talked of our life and our faith and our work and of our sisters and brothers in the church and in the world. This is the UCC in Hartford and here and in Chicago and across this country.              I spent a good deal of my time at Synod at a table displaying resources for ministry with those of us who face disabling conditions in our life – mental illness, brain injury, hearing impairment, challenges in sight or mobility, the journey with a developmental disability. Next to me was a young Latino man from Texas with Downs Syndrome, who played an exquisite classical guitar. Several young adults in their wheel chairs carried on a lively and laughter filled conversation. We were kept company by several gentle and skilled service dogs. An interpreter helped us understand the vivid sign language of a colleague. The speaker was a man both hearing impaired and wheel chair bound, who was telling us how he had piloted a single engine plane from Ohio to Connecticut to attend Synod. Think about that. This is the UCC in Hartford and here and in Chicago and across this country.               Many members, one body, coming together from the most diverse and unexpected places and against what might seem insurmountable obstacles.               A few tables down in the display and resource hall, the Council on Health and Human Service Ministries celebrated the work of hospitals, homes for youth at risk and elders in retirement, and centers of community renewal which have been started and grown up over the years with UCC roots. Across the way Synod participants shared information about disaster relief and international development efforts supported by our churches, At one end of the room, representatives from the colleges and universities and seminaries founded by the UCC from coast to coast, shared their stories. A few steps away sat our colleagues Barbara Baylor and her team who work on the health justice and wellness project. And next to them were the UCC parish nurse organization and a table at which chaplains – hospital, college and military – shared their ministries. Barack Obama was part of this UCC in Hartford, a UCC made up of more than a million, six hundred thousand members, here and in Chicago and across this country.   Many members, one body - engaged in the world               We are not the largest part of the body of Christ, but we are among the most open and diverse of God’s people. Men and women in ministry, a rich procession of culture and communities, young and old, the able bodied and those of us physically and emotionally vulnerable, a great “maniedness” of gender and race, sexual orientation and social status, composed the UCC in meeting in Hartford, and makes up our membership here and in Trinity, Chicago, and across this country.               Read the stories of Jesus walk and work. Who was in the crowd?  Blind Bartimeus yelling from his tree, the poor, the widowed, the sick, the elderly, the cast offs and left behinds of the time. Who was that Matthew?  - a reviled tax collector. Who did Jesus reach out to? – the woman officials had condemned and were about to stone. Who did Jesus sit down at table with? - the most unpopular and least in society. How did Jesus describe the realm of God? – a great feast whose guests are homeless souls gathered in from the bushes and people ill, the unwashed, the suffering and forgotten.   This is our church – modeled after that first and original body of Christ, the disciples, the early Christian communities from scattered from Jerusalem over into Africa and around the Mediterranean and on to the great city of Rome.  Many members, one body - engaged in the world, a countersign of inclusiveness, humility and compassion. The church was, as we are, mostly small congregations, with no large organization, peoples gathered seeking the passionate guidance and encouragement of the Spirit in a too brutal and dangerous world.  Listen. This is the Apostle Paul, writing to the little mission congregation in Rome. Paul is encouraging one of the earliest Christian communities, a fledgling church, forming itself in the heart of the empire with the greatest military force on the globe.   The church in Rome meets in member’s homes, at least in the homes of the few members who had enough space. The church in Rome meets in a city filled with temples of religion and government, towering monuments and vast arenas dedicated to cruel entertainment and violent glory.  Listen; listen to what Paul writes to the diverse sisters and brothers, those early and far distant followers of Christ. These are the practices, the spiritual exercises, by which the many became one.  “Let love be genuine”  “Love one another with mutual affection.”  “Outdo one another in showing honor.”  “Be aglow with the Spirit, serve God.”              “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”              “Contribute to the needs of the community.”              “Practice hospitality.”             “Bless those who persecute you.”              “Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly.”              “If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.”              “Beloved, never avenge yourselves.”              “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink.”              “Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”              Paul is calling upon this little local congregation at the heart of the greatest power on earth, to be a seed of profound transformation.                This is not a ready made, tightly knit community of like minded folk who have known each other for generations, who all basically grew up the same way and agree on most everything. The church in Rome is a hodge-podge of new members, people with differences in background and class and education, life experience, vocations, needs and gifts.             Paul is nudging this small diverse band to learn how to live a shared and supportive life together, being many, but becoming one – through daily acts of love, respect, inspiration, service, hopefulness, patience, prayer, reconciliation, compassion, humility and consensus building, noble vision, peacemaking, forbearance, and a divine gracefulness in the face of evil and destruction.               Paul knows that to be a community unified in the life and teachings of Christ is a process, a learning and a growing into something quite different, radically different.               Don’t be conformed to the world around you, says Paul. Form yourselves in a new way of being human, of being neighbors, of being citizens. Practice new ways of seeing and understanding yourself and others. Be part of a world rooted in God’s infinite love and care.               Perhaps it should be no surprise that someone in government is investigating the United Church of Christ. At our best, like that early small church in Rome, who we are, how we act, our meetings together don’t easily fit the usual mold, or conform neatly to worldly political practice and policy.               We recognize and honor different gifts. We don’t expect everyone to be the same. We seek to build community through genuine love and affection. We are called to bee humble, let go of conceit, the need to be the first or the greatest. We hear a call to associate with the lowly, the despised, the unlovely and outcast. We take up this seemingly impossible task, to love our enemies. Share with them your food and drink. Repay no one evil for evil. Live so far as it depends upon you, peaceably with all.               This is a remarkable description of what it means to be God’s people, to be the church.              We are far from perfect in finding our way as congregations in the UCC. We have far to go in realizing the Christian vision. It is an unfinished work in every generation.               Indeed precisely because we know we are finite and flawed, we work together, seeking to share power, encouraging dialogue and discussion and making decisions, carefully, prayerfully, thoughtfully, beginning at the most local level. We are always in this church, learning and growing and growing into our souls, never fully arrived. We are none of us yet whole or complete.               Flawed we may be, nevertheless, let us welcome any investigation. Let us invite scrutiny into the United Church of Christ. Let us encourage questions about who we are as local congregations and as a national body. Let us be prepared to tell our stories of faith and life and work.               We have nothing to hide and much that is good to share.                        Let us say to the world, look well into the United Church of Christ. Look into its many congregations and into its many members and into its many preachers, and into its many ministries.             You will find that we are an extraordinarily diverse people, with a fair number of differences among us. We question our pastors and our pastors raise challenging questions for us. We are not easily defined on the world’s terms. We are Republicans and Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals and progressives. We are of many hues and backgrounds, workers in many fields, traditionalists and creators. Our beliefs, interpretations of scripture, passions and practice may differ dramatically from person to person and from congregation to congregation. We may debate long and hard. We may not in fact agree on how to meet the difficult challenges of our day or how best to do justice or dwell in peace.               But we are one in Christian companionship,                        One, in the Spirit’s touch upon our lives                                     One in daily covenant with one another, and with God.   Rev. Craig RennebohmProspect Congregational United Church of ChristSeattle, WashingtonMarch 9, 2008

Introduction Dear Sisters in Christ, Welcome to the 2002 Women's Mosaic Series, which was created for you by your sisters from the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries (UCCDM). What a wonderful time we had preparing this packet. We gathered in the fall of 2001 for a writers' conference where we had a chance for some of us to get to know each other better and others of us to meet for the first time. New faces or familiar faces, we formed a bond right away. We worshiped, laughed, shared difficult and joyous stories, made music, and wrestled with texts. We brainstormed where we wanted to go with our assignment and what it is that we wanted to share with you about our lives as they intersect with your lives. As we talked with each other, the theme for this series was born. One after another, we talked about our stories, our hopes and dreams, our realities, and the vision of sharing deep spiritual meaning with you, our sisters. Finally, the Rev. Norma Mengel (author of "Created to Be Interdependent within the Body of Christ" in the 2002 Women's Mosaic Series) said, "Listen, we're talking about being created in the image of God:' Thus, out of our exhilarating women's conversation came our title-"In God's Image." We offer to you an opportunity to reflect and journey with us on what exactly it means to be created in God's image and how exciting, scary, powerful, and hopeful that premise is. We, the authors of this packet, are women who are created in God's image. We are also women who live with and acknowledge living with disabilities. We wish to share what we have learned as our lives unfold. We also wish to give you courage and help for the time when your bodies or minds are not what you might wish or envision. And, we ask for justice, hope, and help as we go on living our ordinary lives. The surprise for you from this series might be that we are ordinary women, created in God's image. Nancy Eiesland, a 38-year-old, tenured professor at Emory University, who has lived with severe disabilities all her life, writes in her book, The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability, "The difficulty for people with disabilities has two parts really-living our ordinary, but difficult lives, and changing structures, beliefs, and attitudes that prevent us from living ordinarily." This may or may not be earthshaking news for you, but I hope it will begin to be a partnership of all women created in God's image, disabled and able-bodied, working to see and feel God's blessings in our lives and be energized as justice makers so that all may live ordinary lives. Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness."... God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good.-Genesis 1:26-31 May you see yourself just as you are when you hear these words. May you be glad in God's generous and lovely gift. Shalom, The Rev. Margaret (Peg) M. Slater Editor, 2002 Women's Mosaic Series Disabilities Ministries and Coordinator for Inclusive Ministry Parish Life and Leadership Ministry Team Local Church Ministries. Contributors THE REV. DALLAS DEE BRAUNINGER and her husband Bob have served churches in Colorado and Nebraska. Dee's ministry is currently a writing ministry. She is the author of fifteen published books, including Talking with Your Child about Change (Cleveland,: United Church Press, 1994). She is a graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary. Bob and Dee have two grown children. Dee is an active member of the Nebraska Conference Disabilities Ministries Task Force and the UCCDM. In the fall of 2002, Dee will be the editor of the UCNews section on disability, "That All May Worship and Serve:" SUSAN L. CLARKE, MMOC, resides in Concord, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Susan is a flute recitalist and conductor. She is also an active activist on behalf of the environment and protecting people from chemical injury. Susan works with the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ, concerning social justice issues. THE REV. DIANA COBERLY is pastor of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Great Bend, Kansas. Prior to obtaining her master's degree in divinity from Pacific School of Religion in 1999, Diana worked as a counselor, specializing in addictions. She has worked on issues concerning people with disabilities for over thirty years, attending the first White House Conference on the Handicapped in Washington, D.C., in 1974. Diana is the parent of two adult children and one granddaughter. SHARON CROUSORE lives in Ashland, Missouri. She is the mother of Amy, Marcia, and Josiah. Sharon and her husband Bryan are active in the Mental Illness Network of the United Church of Christ. Sharon is an accomplished musician who teaches in Ashland. RITA FIERO is a registered nurse and a graduate of Hartford Seminary. She is the co-chair of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries and a member of the board of directors of Wider Church Ministries, UCC. She is a former board member of the Coordinating Center for Women. Rita is active in the Connecticut Conference and a U.S.A. wide traveler on behalf of the UCC-she would travel the world if her van could handle oceans! THE REV. DIANA COBERLY Is pastor of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Great Bend, Kansas. Prior to obtaining her master's degree in divinity from Pacific School of Religion in 1999, Diana worked as a counselor, specializing in addictions. She has worked on issues concerning PATRICIA WILLIAMS-LONG FRANKLIN 1S both a mother and grandmother. She holds an associate's degree in general education and a bachelor's degree in business administration. She resides in Connecticut and in Virginia. Trish has been active in the Connecticut Conference's Disability Ministries program. THE REV. VIRGINIA KREYER, born with cerebral palsy, is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. In 1977, at the Eleventh General Synod, she helped persuade the UCC to create the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities (UCCDM). She became its first consultant and held that position until her retirement in 1995. Virginia has written and spoken on the issues of disability for many years. She holds a master's of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a master's of social work degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. In 2002, the church and Virginia will celebrate her fiftieth year of ordination to Christian ministry. THE REV. NORMA MENGEL is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She is a board member and consultant for the UCC Mental Illness Network. Previously, she served as a pastor in two Pennsylvania churches; an associate for program at the Council for Health and Human Services; and as president/CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association, York, Pennsylvania. She also authored the resolution, "Calling the People of God to justice for Persons with Serious Mental Illness (Brain Disorders)," which was passed at the Twenty-second General Synod in 1999. Norma has had clinical depression and has a son, brother, and uncle with bipolar disorder (manic-depression). THE REV. DORIS R. POWELL is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. She currently serves as Minister for Pastors and Seminaries in the Stewardship and Church Finances Team of Local Church Ministries in the national setting of the UCC. She is a member of South Haven UCC in Bedford, Ohio. JEWEL SHUEY is a native of Alabama who now resides in Connecticut with her husband Merlin. She is a mother and grandmother, a daughter and daughter-in-law who delights in her family. She is an activist who has a marvelous way of persuading the unpersuadable to do what needs doing. Jewel serves on the board for the UCCDM and coordinates the displays at General Synod. THE REV. PEG SLATER is an ordained minister of The United Church of Christ who serves in the national setting of the church. She is the inclusive ministry coordinator for the Parish Life and Leadership Ministry Team, Local Church Ministries. Peg is a member of the Euclid Ave Congregational Church, UCC. THE REV. JEANNE TYLER is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Jeanne and her husband John are co-pastors of St. Paul's UCC in Lincoln, Nebraska. They have two grown sons. Jeanne is co-chair of the UCCDM and the founder of the Nebraska Disabilities Ministries Task Force. A graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary, Jeanne also loves opera and travel. WE 102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries

A sermon given by the Rev. Marja Coons-Torn, Conference Minister, Penn Central Conference Just about a year ago, I attended my first meeting of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministry. Luke 6:17-26 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. This special group meets only once a year. The rest of the year, they conduct their meetings by conference call. In Synod years, they meet for two days prior to the Synod meeting. In non-Synod years, they meet in Cleveland in March. That’s where I attended my first meeting. Prior to the meeting, we chatted on line about our travel plans. Various people were meeting at the airport and catching taxis or wheelchair vans into Cleveland to the Church House. There was one fellow, however, who, like me, liked taking the light rail from the airport to the center of the city. So I made arrangements to meet David, my unknown friend, outside of the Rapid Transit Station in the airport. He said I wouldn’t have any trouble recognizing him—he’s be the one in the motorized wheelchair. David arrived with his luggage strapped to his wheelchair. I was surprised I confess when, on meeting David, I learned that he wasn’t just in a wheelchair. Because his diagnosis is cerebral palsy, he also has certain speech patterns that make it seem difficult to understand him unless you listen carefully. But David is very verbal. On our train ride, I quickly learned that David has wicked sense of humor. He is, in fact, a charming man with many skills in addition to his wit and good nature. When we arrived at the Tower City station of the rapid transit, I led us up the elevator to the top floor of the urban mall. Confident that I knew where we were going, because I had been to our national offices many times and David had never visited, I led us out the door. It wasn’t long before I realized that I must have turned the wrong direction going out the door. By that time, however, we were too many blocks away to be able to easily retrace our steps. I stopped some people on the sidewalk but they were tourists who had no more idea where to find things than we did. Then we spotted a police office on the corner opposite us. Thinking I could run over there quickly, I told David what I planned to do. I’d done enough, he assured me. And before I could blink, he was gone in his wheelchair, twice as fast, of course, as I could have done. Pretty soon he was back and leading us to the Gateway Radisson much more efficiently than me. You have to know that he never let me forget my misadventure for the rest of the time we were in Cleveland. What I learned at that meeting, above everything else, is that we all have different abilities. People with physical or mental limitations are truly no better and no worse than anyone, they are simply different. Some of them are witty, some are smart, some work hard to do what they do, some are good listeners, some are caring, some are shy, and some are bold. Because they look or sound different, it is we who are lacking the care or the patience to get past the differences and find what is special in each person. That was never the case with Jesus. “They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.” He gave them hope and affirmed their conditions were not anything that would separate them from God, despite the prevailing attitudes to the contrary. He welcomed them into the church of the left out. Can we do less? In the introduction to Any Body, Every Body, Christ’s Body, a marvelous congregational resource, the Rev. Jo Clare Hartsig reflects that “the inclusion of people with disabilities and a renewed awareness of disabilities can enliven every aspect of congregational life.” It isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the healthy thing. I want to tell you about another friend—one I haven’t met in person yet. His name is Tyler and he is a high school student in eastern Iowa. Tyler created and filmed a DVD for his Eagle Scout project. It’s called “I’m Tyler. Don’t Be Surprised.” I wanted to bring it with me today, but in my enthusiasm for it, I loaned it to my friend Bruce Druckenmiller, who is presently in Namibia, and I haven’t got it back. So I have to tell you about Tyler instead of show you his film. As the DVD opens, an average looking youth introduces himself as Tyler and tells about his life as an active and interested high school student. He is a member of the marching band, a Boy Scout, a member of the theater club---and the list goes on. The young man stops at the end of his litany of activity and confesses that, in fact, he not Tyler, but everything he has said about Tyler is true. Then the real Tyler comes on screen. Like my friend David, Tyler has cerebral palsy and several other medical conditions. But he has asked for no quarter, no special treatment, no favors or excuses. It’s Tyler who has taught me to think about abilities awareness instead of dis-abilities awareness. He is as able as any young man I have ever known. We are all able. But for the sake of the body of Christ, we are called to be present for one another, and to work with one another to make the changes that make it possible for each one to express his or her abilities. [By the way, I had to pop my sermon into 14 point type to facilitate my own vision challenge, a condition of aging called presbyopia.] Let me share with you a short excerpt from a statement made at the World Council of Churches Assembly meeting in Nairobi, nearly a decade ago now: “The Church's unity includes both the "disabled" and "the able." A church which seeks to be truly united within itself and to move toward unity with others must be open to all; yet able-bodied church members, both by their attitudes and emphasis on activism, marginalize and often exclude persons with mental or physical disabilities. Persons with disabilities are treated as the weak to be served, rather than as fully committed, integral members of the Body of Christ and the human family; the specific contribution which they have to give is ignored. . . . The Church cannot exemplify ‘the full humanity revealed in Christ,’ bear witness to the interdependence of humankind, or achieve unity in diversity if it continues to acquiesce in the social isolation of disabled persons and to deny them full participation in its life. The unity of the family of God is handicapped where these brothers and sisters are treated as objects of condescending charity. It is broken where they are left out.” Thirty years ago, when I was a young minister, I had the privilege of knowing a minister by the name of Harold Wilke. Harold was a legend in the United Church of Christ because of his strong intellect, his compassion, and his advocacy for the inclusion of all people. Incidentally, he had no arms and had learned over the course of his life to use his feet as if they were hands, writing and eating with ease. Before he died, Harold wrote a poem that I’d like to share with you in conclusion of our time together this morning. It is called Signs of Liberation and Access. The festivals of the religious year show forth new meanings for access and liberation: In the glory of Easter – the stone rolled away – we see the barrier removed. In the wonder of Pentecost the message is heard, understood, and seen by all, In the liberating act of Passover the message is: “Let My People Go!” and the parting of the Red Sea. In the joy of Advent God embodies divinity in human form. Yet for many persons today – who are blind or deaf or have mental retardation or who are in wheelchairs – the barriers still remain; The stone is still in place; The waters are not parted, the way not opened; The words cannot be heard; The flame of the Spirit’s tongues cannot be seen, the message not understood. Proclaiming the message in all languages for today means using Braille or Larger print for people with visual disabilities, signing or special sound systems for persons with hearing disabilities; image, color and drama for people with cognitive disabilities; architectural access for people with physical disabilities or who are getting older. Let the stone be rolled away! Let the glorious message be proclaimed truly, in all languages So all may hear and understand!

A Weekend Retreat Based on Jewel Shuey's "Easter Lilies in November" [See "Easter Lilies" below.] INTRODUCTION This retreat must be held in genuinely accessible space-even if no one appears to need it. If you have questions about what accessible space requires, please contact the UCC Disabilities Ministries at 216.736.3838. All materials you send out and use at the retreat should be printed in 14-point print. FRIDAY EVENING Gather participants with food, either the evening meal or a simple "come off the road" snack. Be sure to include a welcoming grace. OPENING WORSHIP Opening Prayer We gather here this evening to worship you, O Holy One. We gather as women, created in your image, to know you and your will better. We gather to laugh and learn, and to be your faithful servants. Help us to do all these things as we see your face in our faces, and your miracles in everyday life. We ask all this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen. Hymn "How Great Thou Art" is suggested by Jewel Shuey, the essay writer. The hymn can be found in the Methodist and Presbyterian hymnals. "Bring Many Names," 11 in The New Century Hymnal, is another choice. Scripture Reading Psalm 139 (one woman will read aloud, but have copies for all). Reflection Each person will reflect in silence on the entire Psalm or whatever portion caught one's attention (10 minutes). Community Building (Break into groups, 5-10 in number, depending on size of entire retreat group.) Reread Psalm 139. Ask each woman to share the phrase, section, or word that struck her as significant, interesting, or meaningful. Go around slowly, value what each has to say, do not challenge or debate, just live with each response. As a group, "rewrite" the Psalm in modern English based on what the group has heard. Read the "new Psalm" to the larger group. Post the "new Psalm" on the wall for the weekend. SATURDAY MORNING 8-9 a.m. Breakfast 9:15-10:15 a.m. Distribute copies of Jewel Shuey's essay, "Easter Lilies in November."* Have one woman read the essay aloud (make sure she has a copy prior to reading it in the group). Break into small groups and discuss: l. The essay itself 2. A time of trial each woman has experienced-was jewel's essay helpful? realistic? encouraging? discouraging? 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 a.m.-noon Discussion (small groups-same or new) Discuss what you know about disability-your own or others, accessibility, welcoming people with disabilities.: Use selected essays from the entire "Women's Mosaic Series" packet-at least two to a group. Read the essay aloud, use the suggested questions for each one. Reflect on what each writer is saying. Suggestion: Do not use Doris Powell's essay at this time. Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch SATURDAY AFTERNOON This is a spiritual retreat, so retreat. Walk, talk, nap, pray. Take time for yourself If you keep reading Genesis 1:26 and on, you will see that even God rests! SATURDAY EVENING 5:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner 6:45-9:00 p.m. Program We, who are active in the church, often do a lot of praising of God and that is very fine. There is a lot for which to praise God. Yet, we sometimes forget to lament. Lamenting is a time-honored way of communicating (see the Book of Lamentations ... read a little aloud) with God. Read Doris Powell's essay "Treasure in Earthen Vessels:" You might listen to selected pieces of "blues" tunes ... ask a member of the group ahead of the retreat to suggest some ... play music quietly in the background as you talk. As a group, or in small groups, answer the questions and do all or some of the suggested activities Doris Powell suggests at the end of her essay. Homework assignment: after you return to your room, write a lament to God. You may, or may not, wish to share it with someone else tomorrow. Write a lament and reflect on how you feel about what you said to God. SUNDAY MORNING 8:45-9:30 a.m. Breakfast 9:45 a.m. Worship Call to Worship Leader: Where can we go from your spirit? Where can we flee from your presence? People: It was you who formed my innermost parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Leader: We are fearfully and wonderfully made, wonderful are your works. People: In your book were written all the days formed for me when none of them yet existed. Leader: We come into this sacred space with joy. Prayer of Confession Holy One, we confess that we come to worship with bias and prejudice and ignorance. We are sorry. We will risk learning and changing. We will risk asking difficult questions. Please forgive us and help us to see you in all the wonderfully and fearfully made people of this world. Assurance of Pardon Leader: Be assured, beloved people of God, we/you are a forgiven people. Now go a new way. People: Thank you. Amen! Hymn "We Yearn, O Christ, for Wholeness" 179 TNCH Meditation Ask, in advance, three women to be prepared to respond to the work you have done together this weekend. Each woman should talk for about five to seven minutes. Prayers of the People Ask for three volunteers to pray. Ask for prayers from the group. Conclude with the Lord's Prayer. Hymn "Called as Partners in Christ's Service" 495 TNCH Benediction (with all gathered in a circle, holding hands) Go, my sisters, go in God's glory, just as you are. Go reflecting the image of God. Go as a woman who is welcome in God's world and welcoming to all of God's children. Invocation How great thou are, my God. We bring you praise as we begin to work together, as we read this essay, and look for you in our lives. Open our hearts to see our lives in the lives of others. Help our interconnectedness lighten our burdens, make paths easier for others, and be the people you wish us to be. How great you are, our God. Amen. PSALM 139, 46:10; PROVERBS 2:1-11; JEREMIAH 28:11-13; ISAIAH 61:1-2; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 Meditation *"Easter Lilies in November" THE FOLIAGE IN NEW ENGLAND has been exceptionally beautiful and long lasting; perhaps God knew we needed it. After several nights with temperatures below freezing, the summer flowers and most of the fall flowers are gone. Only a few precious, colorful leaves remain. Winter is almost here. Oh, what that cold weather does to my hurting body, mind, and soul. I live with chronic pain, depression, fibromyaliga, cluster headaches, and several other health conditions. The first accident/collision was almost twenty-one years ago, only nine months after my marriage to my husband, Merlin, and my move from Alabama to Connecticut. I was a widow when I met Merlin. My late husband died of a heart attack, kissing me good night. Over the years I have lived with and struggled with disabilities. My Creator, my Messiah, has given me strength and inherent power to start and stay involved with the disability community. Many women, young and old, able-bodied and disabled, have inspired me to have hope in today and tomorrow. Some days the pain is so overpowering that I can't get out of bed. I know God is there, but I ask "where?" I just pray, pray, cry, moan, and even laugh. Sometimes laughter is the only medicine. Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., in his book, Love, Medicine, and Miracles: Lessons Learned about Self-healing from a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients (New York: Harper and Row, 1986) reminds me of this natural, God-given healing power. That fall, when Merlin was diagnosed with, perhaps, a fatal heart condition, I cried out "Where are you my God? Remind me you are with me, in the depth of despair, as I fall to pieces, again and again. But, with the mortar of your love and peace, you give me a beautiful piece of your love and joy." As I open my door to view a magnificent sunrise, there in my garden is an Easter lily with, not one, but two, beautiful white blossoms! How great thou art, my Creator and salvation! I am blessed. I had a Christian heritage. I have a ministry and I know that God has plans for me. I am blessed with a loving husband, a mother, a mother-in-law (my father and father-in-law lived into their eighth decade), two sisters, a large extended family and many good friends. Oh, how I give thanks! I gave birth to three beautiful daughters. I inherited another beautiful daughter and handsome twin sons when I married their father. I also have two beautiful stepdaughters from a past marriage. In my life today, I also have nine babies, my grandchildren, ages three through eighteen years. They are all pieces of me, all pieces of you, my Creator. Help me to remember you formed each one. I worry about the daughter with diabetes, the daughter who may have MS, the daughter whose only son has a traumatic brain injury; my man-child, and my teenaged grandsons, whose father chose not to see them and be part of their lives. Why can't I trust you, my God, with all the hurts each one will suffer in the world? For each question, I do not have the answers. I want to protect and hold my children close. I remember this and am reminded by many others, including the Rev. Robert Schuller, that "life's not fair, but God is good:" I know and believe this is true. But what I want for each one is to know your love and salvation for eternal life. I praise you and thank you for the miracle of life. For the wonderful way you made us, so whole, so perfect, in your image, for the treasure of love and forever. I feel so fragmented, so broken into so many pieces. How I hate the pain; always the pain. Is pain my enemy? Is fatigue my enemy? I feel so weary, so tired all the way into the future. My body, my spirit, my mind will not cooperate. This is not a pretty sight. Where am I? Who am I? When will I be (find) me? How can I bring the good news to the oppressed? When I can't get out of bed, out of my house? Are these my adversaries? Your adversaries? I will triumph! The power of love. You, my God, my Creator, made me in your image. I look again, inside and outside of my body, my spirit, my soul. I am perfect. I am whole. In the middle of the darkest night, the son, your son shines. I am your child. Years ago, on a visit to Israel with a study group of persons with disabilities, I remember seeing a dirty, mosaic floor that was built thousands of years ago. When we splashed small amounts of water on it, the stones looked new, beautiful, and magnificent beyond words. I, we, are just like that floor, each piece, the power of one, put together, by the mortar of God's love and Son shine from our Creator. A sight to behold! I have always thought of me, all of me, in many pieces! These pieces are held together with the mortar of God's love. I share the view of the Rev. Harold H. Wilke in his book, Angels on My Shoulders and Muses at My Side (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1999). There are many ways God can put together the pieces of our lives. Wilke, a good friend to many of us, was born without arms. He has lived a rich, long life in his eight decades plus of life. He has served as a minister in the United Church of Christ; he is a husband, a father, and a lifelong advocate with and for people with disabilities. Wilke's life is an example of God's power in the world to overcome obstacles and transform the pieces of one's life into a masterpiece. In celebration of women from ancient times through modern times, I give praise and thanks to God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We are each a piece of the beauty, excellence, and wholeness of Her creation. We are God's own masterpiece. WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries

In God's Image A Service of Installation Material Needed A space that is accessible to everyone, even if you are not aware that anyone needs accessible space. A table, or smaller tables, that everyone can gather around. Two white paper placemats should be at each place, if refreshments are to be served ... just set the table with the placemats stacked. Pens to write with (if you use markers, make sure they are not toxic, crayons would be better ... less odorous). Gathering Music "We Gather Together" 421 TNCH Litany Leader: We gather here at this welcome table to worship and thank God. People: Thank you, Loving One, for creating us in your image. Leader: We gather so that all of us may offer our gifts to you. People: Our gifts vary, O Loving One, but they are yours. We will work together to serve you in this place. Leader: We gather around this/these tables, God's table, just as we are, made in your image, beautiful women, all. People: We thank you for your trust in us to live into our image. All we bring to this table is yours. Amen. Offering Take one of your place mats. Look at and recognize that everyone is invited to God's table. Also, be aware that to set the table requires work. Today, we are installing new leaders to help set the table in this place. Take a pen or crayon and write (some may need assistance here): What you will do to make this church welcome and accessible to all people. What you will do to assist your new leadership in the coming year. 1 What you will do for yourself to honor your gifts and abilities? Reading Genesis 1:26-31 God is pleased with what God has done in creation. God has also charged us with much. Today, we call those who will take leadership in this to come forward to be installed. Leader: We give thanks for you and your leadership. We give thanks for your faithfulness, your love of God and congregation, and the hope you bring to us. People: We thank you, God, for sending us these leaders. Leader: Having prayerfully considered the responsibilities of this ministry, are you prepared to use your gifts in service to the church and Newly Elected Officers: Yes, with God's help. Leader: With God's help, we can live into our image and gather our differing gifts. We can use these gifts to make this open and welcoming to all. We can enrich this congregation by modeling what it is to understand that all people are created in God's image and have a place at God's table. We will be learners, risk-takers, and faithful followers of Christ. People: We will indeed. Leader: People of faith, let us affirm our commitment to our newly elected officers. (Gather all the place mats in a basket and bring them to the new officers). Please accept these as part of our promises. Let us make a joyful noise in our officers' honor (clap, sing. etc.). Closing Music "Won't You Let Me Be Your Servant?" 539 TNCH WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

1 A Sermon Dear Dee, I read your article in your denominational newspaper. I was stunned by your statement about Harold Wilke. You said, "I learned from Dr. Wilke that wholeness has little to do with the body." I was wondering if you could elaborate this for me. Daniel M 2 Dear Daniel, On "Wholeness has little to do with the body," you wrote that sentence stunned you. The one time that I met Dr. Wilke, I was stunned. I had never met anyone without arms. Beyond that fact, it seemed not to matter to Dr. Wilke. He did everything I did. He sat at the table and ate his dinner. He shared in the table conversation. He was gracious. At first, I saw only what was broken about him. Then I forgot about it. Well, not really forgot but set it aside. 3 I was then in my first or second year of seminary. I could no longer read print or really see where I was going because of vision that had divided from double to triple and then quadruple images. The struggle had been great to that point. Later the vision would deteriorate to something akin to looking through a prism and other complications that let to the temporary freedom of Braille, a mobility cane, and now the second of two dog guides. 4 Literally, visually, and symbolically, I knew a lot about brokenness of body. I caught, however, a wholeness of spirit in Dr. Wilke that met my own tenacity. Where I was a student of perseverance and will power, I eventually learned that while perseverance and will power are helpful in coping with the struggles of brokenness of the body, they are not the whole answer. They are a kind of pseudo-wholeness that fools others and the self. 5 As the rheumatoid arthritis that had been in remission during my mid-youth became unmanageable during my late 30s, I knew another kind of brokenness. It was a brokenness of spirit. I had worked so hard to get where I was. Now in the middle of great fun as a parish minister and Christian education leader, I had to call a halt to any singing and had to stop preaching. I had to tend to my body when I wanted to forget about it. 6 Again I saw the image of Dr. Wilke holding a fork with his foot that wore a special sock with toes in it. That image kept after me. While my co-pastor husband continued in the parish, I began to write meditations, worship materials, and eventually wrote several worship resources. I am presently working on my seventeenth book. Through this writing work, I began to realize that while part of my body was in trouble, I was not broken. 7 In the writing of these books, especially Holy E-Mail and Lessons from a Dog Guide, I came to understand the wholeness that enabled Dr. Wilke to transcend a broken piece. Some things do not matter. Inconvenient, yes, a real pain, yes, but really of no consequence when it comes to wholeness. Body for me is our whole being in that it is the house of what really matters. 8 I once said that if I still had my mind, the body would not really matter. In the last six years, diabetes has deluged me with another dimension of brokenness. For my body, diabetes means that I only have clarity of mind and stability of emotion when my level of glucose is within the parameters of only a few points. This is difficult to maintain and requires strict adherence to food, exercise and stress management. I have seen clearly that the mind and the body share a closely balanced chemistry. It has helped me to understand the turmoil that all who live with brain disorders must endure. 9 Yet, within all of this brokenness and this struggle, something whole within me refuses to yield. This wholeness has nothing to do with the body. It is very quiet, only whispering at times. Sometimes it seems to be only a single thread that I am called to continually spin into a new fabric and mat. When I truly connect with other people, whether it is through my writing or directly, it is at this point of wholeness that soul connects with soul. It is more than I. It is the God that stays with me and who sees that I am whole. 10 Well, you may have been looking for a short answer, Daniel. Suffice it to say that God sends us people like Dr. Wilke to keep us straight about what is most important. God also came through you this morning. You found me in the middle of another struggle, four weeks into a return to parish ministry as co-pastor with my husband, and trying to return my whole being to balance within its requirements rather than as I want it to be. I know that I am where God has called me. My job is, once again, to figure out how to manage it, that is, to do the things I can do and forget about the rest. Heaven help me, if your e-mail was God's saying, Dee, why don't you just stick to ministry through writing! So, now I am curious, Daniel M., why did that little sentence stun you? Shalom, Dee The Rev. Dr. Dallas (Dee) Brauninger edited "That All May Worship and Serve," the newspaper of UCC DM published in United Church News at the time this sermon was written.

Written by Bryan Crousoure Mental Illness Ministry As we witness the tragedy that has befallen so many in the horrific happening at Virginia Tech University, we turn to scripture and prayer. Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the hills--from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. God will not let your foot be moved; God who keeps you will not slumber. God who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from doing evil; God will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time and forevermore." At first reading, it may seem that this psalm promises us that we will be protected from tragedies such as this terrible thing that has happened to others. If we look deeper to the promises of God, we see that God promises that nothing shall separate us from God. The world that God created will not turn against us even when evil is carried out by other humans whose lives have been turned to hatred. God holds us when we come into life and when we go out of life. God promises that God will keep us from doing evil in retaliation for this evil. We are God's forevermore and nothing shall separate us from God's abiding love. Let us pray: Everpresent God: We believe that You have already accepted into your hands the lives of those students and teachers who have been killed in this senseless tragedy. Today we ask that you hold in Your comforting hands the families who have lost a loved one. Console the entire community of Virginia Tech. Enable them to reclaim the shattered peace of a campus devoted to learning and living together in harmony. Forgive the one who has done this awful thing and help all of us to forgive as well. If it comes our way to console someone, give us the strength to be present in days and nights of grief. Give us as families, as communities and as a society the means to recognize those whose lives are on a path of destruction of self and others. Lead us to the ways in which we can intervene in those lives so that love can replace hatred and life can be lived free of fear. In Jesus name, who promised us that neither life nor death can separate us from You, Amen If you or someone you know becomes spiritually overwhelmed by this tragedy, seek the guidance of a person whom you trust. The Rev. Bryan Crousore Anamosa First Congregational Church, Anamosa IA, 319-462-3796

L: We welcome you, "(Dog's Name)." P: We give thanks to God for your gentle yet determined personality. L: We trust you to assist "(Name of Dog's Partner)." P: We are grateful for this gift to her/him from a caring, sustaining Creator. We appreciate your training and your passion already to follow your life work. L: We speak for you, witnessing your desire to be a good assist dog. P: Woof. (That is, I will do my best.) L: We remember your still-a-puppy-desire to play this important first year of training with "(Name of Dog's Partner)." P: We understand if you forget or let others distract you from your work. L: We promise to look all we want but will try our best not to touch you or call to you when you are wearing your harness. P: We dedicate you, "(Dog's Name)," as an Assist Dog -- who, much to your joy, will give your life to guide "(Name of Dog's Partner)" in this community and around the world. ALL: Thanks be to God for partners who help each other, and for all who help make our journey easier. Amen Written by db in honor of her three Leader Dogs, "Dolley," "Treasure," and "Bear." Used with permission of the author. Forthcoming in Maren C. Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirabassi, Eds., Before the Amen: Resources for Worship (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press).

With themes of faith and forgiveness, justice and healing, and a unique sensitivity to language, Jim Manley's hymns grow out of his own journey. One good thing about sharing writing in public is our potential growth from criticism. The New Century Hymnal editorial committee wanted to include "Spirit of Gentleness" but requested alternate wording to "And when they were blinded with their idols and lies." I took their point about avoiding pejorative references to disabilities. A visiting family, fidgeting during my sermon on blind Bartimaeus, introduced me to their daughter who was blind. I had not perceived the story from a sightless person's perspective or thought how hearing it might feel. They graciously accepted apologies. Sometimes people note the word change, saying they prefer the original hymn. Here's the new line: "When they were confounded with their idols and lies." Just as native folk protest the Atlanta Braves' tomahawk chop, so we can be more care-full about our language about disabilities. Words indicate a certain point of view. Starting to label someone's comment as a lame excuse, I bit my tongue. The one to whom I spoke sat in a wheelchair. We are challenged to refrain from referring in negative ways to what we once called "handicaps." Look at the deeper issue, the attitude that underlies words or jokes made at another's expense. We have a beloved family member with mild retardation. My wife bridles when her students call each other "retarded," but not only fifth graders use such thoughtless language. Last summer as we carried musical instruments across the road to an educational center, an old friend driving in from Calgary called, "What are you doing in the middle of the roadway?" I shot back, "I guess we're just a little soft in the head." Immediately I wanted to retract my words. Beside him was his adult son with Down syndrome. I later tried to make an amends. "No offense taken by either of us. We are all a little soft in the head most of the time," the father said, a generous, learned response. We can become too cautious about saying anything and end up being patronizing. However, changing a hymn line and watching my tongue are small prices to pay. On the other hand, a strong clarifying word enhances life. I was trying to help a woman using a wheelchair move through a double set of doors into a hotel lobby. The first set banged against the chair, jolting us. I apologized for being so inept. She said, "Perhaps we could form a new partnership. You attend to the doors and I'll attend to the chair." With her few words, she solved the problem and educated me. Sometimes now I remember that folk with special needs choose to be as independent as possible while appreciating necessary help. Most of the time I ask if assistance is wanted, letting them indicate what and how much. A church newcomer, deaf from a childhood illness, indicated a living room chair where the light was good and she could read my lips. She added that my moustache concealed my upper lip, making her task more challenging. I asked if that were a problem when I preach. Smiling, she said, "Yes, but I imagine others have even more of a problem than I." When asked what that would be, she said, "Your liberal politics." We both laughed. We agreed that I would furnish her with a sermon draft. I said that I did not always stick to it, and she answered, "Of course, leave room for the Holy Spirit." Sometimes there are surprises. An elderly gentleman arrived each Sunday leaning on two canes with which he propped and propelled himself up the aisle toward a front pew. After positioning himself, he flopped back onto the cushion. Where an asterisk indicated, "Those who are able may stand," he remained seated. One Sunday we sang "Spirit." Toward the end, he nodded and grinned up at me as I strummed my guitar. During the coffee hour, I asked, "What were you telling me in there?" He recited the last stanza: You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes, from the bondage of sorrow The captives dream dreams; Our women see visions, Our men clear their eyes. With bold new decisions your people arise. "Believe me," he said, "every time I arise it takes a bold new decision!" I can never sing that last line without thinking of my friend brandishing his two canes and meeting the world with vigor and humor. May I learn to do the same. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this . . . When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, Michelangelo's David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?" you say, "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in flight plan. They've landed in Holland, and there you must stay. The most important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine, and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for awhile and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." The pain of that will never, ever go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

The following sermon was preached by the Rev. Jeanne Tyler, November 1, 2000, at the weekly Wednesday, 9:00 a.m., service in Amistad Chapel, The Church House, 700 Prospect Avenue E, Cleveland OH 44115-1100. The UCCDM, meeting in Cleveland at that time, was invited to lead that service. Jeanne is co-pastor of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Scripture: Job 1:1, 2:1-10, Psalm 26, Mark 10:2-16 The question that Job raises for both Jews and Christians is a profound one, one that goes to the heart of the faith. How is it that we are able to praise God in a world that seems evil and, on purpose, intentional about doing us in? Why are our efforts to be good not rewarded? How can it be that a God we worship and call good can allow bad things to happen to good people? Why do good people suffer? The book of Job raises this question in a way no other book does. How is it possible that I can stand here and praise God for my life when I have not often heard good news, or any news for that matter. Words often sound muffled to me without my hearing aids. I love music, but have a difficult time understanding the words that are sung. (My sons had an easy time growing up because I could not hear the lyrics to the music that they listened to with such rapt attention.) The audacity with which I stand up here and proclaim God's faithfulness must seem odd to some people. To me, God's presence is like my next breath. Even when I have been most angry and uncertain, God has been a presence. Unlike Job, I struggled from the very beginning, first to walk and, then, to speak so as to be understood. Struggle defines my existence, and courage and hope come from this persistence to see God in the struggle with me and not against me. Decisions we make have consequences. Sometimes we cause our own suffering by our actions. It is very difficult to live with this knowledge. This is called assuming responsibility for our actions; however, this was not Job's problem. He was faithful and still afflicted. Some terrible events just happen and we feel out of control. We feel powerless to affect change. This is how people with disabilities and their families often feel. My parents had a difficult time accepting my disabilities without being fearful about my future. It was of great concern to them. I just wanted to be accepted. I felt so different, and this was confirmed by my peers who could hear, and walk, and play with ease. The church was the one place that felt welcoming to me. I want to make this church the most welcoming place in our culture. I want this church to be welcoming, not only to me, but to others who may be different. I want to see our circle of fellowship grow bigger as we are transformed into community. We expect one another to bring gifts to church to honor God. I expect to receive gifts from every person I meet. For some, it is their anger or pain, for others, it is their thanks and abilities. I am thankful for people's gifts. For most of us, it is our finances we bring to our offering. Most of us come with gifts and some of us know our gifts and yet others do not recognize the gifts they bring. For many years, I was one of those who did not know my gifts. I was lost looking for community in all the wrong places, of course. My friends were not necessarily wrong, it is just that we did not fit in well. We either looked or acted differently. We certainly did not fit in. I persistently went to church. I felt like I knew the church was a place of hospitality. Even when it was not being that way towards me or towards others even more excluded than I was, I knew it was called to be a place of hospitality. The glory of God was reflected in the people, all of whom were created in the image of this God. As a child, the story of Adam and Eve had meant that we were all related-family, really-with all people. I never assumed anything else. This has influenced my ministry, making hospitality at the center because we are all cousins at one level or another. I hope you can see how my disabilities have made me aware of my gifts for ministry. This in no way justifies the disabilities. I am burdened by a hearing loss. I am one of those people who are different. I stay connected with God because being connected with God makes it possible for me to be connected with the creation, including myself. I take great strength and courage from that bold statement the Rev. Jesse Jackson made popular years ago by proclaiming, "God don't make no mistakes." I take very seriously the image of God in whom we are created. You know, I really wanted to be a college professor, and some of my friends thought that was what I would eventually do. However, I should have known my calling to ministry years ago. The summer I was seventeen years old, I did volunteer work with some children in a hospital setting. The children had various lung problems, in fact, one little boy died while I was there. That little boy was the orneriest little boy. He died of cystic fibrosis. He was so ornery no one was particularly sad. I worked with a couple of children and found a gift of relating that I did not know I had. I found it meaningful to see these children smile when I came into their rooms. One of the children had been abandoned because of her injury. She was literally growing up in this hospital ward. I like giving hope to people around me. I like being hopeful. It sure beats giving up. I mean hope not in a false way of pretending everything is going to be fine, but in a way of trusting God with the worst, trusting that there is a way through the pain and despair. This is a gift I share with you, a gift I bring to the ministry. Hope in God's love and faithfulness that knows no end and hospitality are marks of the church. Sometimes we Christians try to prove God by claiming our happy lives are proof that we are special in God's sight. The book of Job forever challenges this view and moves us to a deeper appreciation of belonging to the community of faith. As we welcome one another, let us enjoy the gifts we bring and share the burdens we carry. Disabilities Ministries is about using everyone's gifts for the glory of God. UCC Access Sunday is about raising awareness of the challenges of finding a place of worship that welcomes us and is inclusive of us. Hospitality defines us as welcoming. Hope is what we offer; hope as belonging together and to God; hope as wanting peace in a world that seems violent; hope as including everyone at the table where resources are discussed and allocated. Hope is listening to one of the children whom I mentor read a book to me. Hope is active, inviting, welcoming, and affirming. In the gospels, Jesus invited children to the center of faith. During the time of Jesus, children were not important because the death of so many children left families numb. Yet, Jesus chooses the vulnerability of children as central to his community. Likewise, we who are vulnerable-who are defined as outsiders-find ourselves at the center of faith inviting hope. At the center of faith where Jesus is, our vulnerability, the ease with which we are excluded and discounted, is forever transformed. This community of children, persons with disabilities, different races, different cultures, different sexual orientations, and the poor, finds themselves filled with hope and courage to envision a new day that is already here and yet not quite. This imminent hope is what needs to be filled with acts of courage. We find ourselves at the dawn of a new day.

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive