In the previous post, I shared my notes for the portion of the sermon I was to give for our disability awareness Sunday, at my church, Trinity Church in Redlands, California. The program was a great success and I think the Lord was honored. If you would like to view a video of a portion of the program, you can visit the following web page. http://trinityonline.org/cgi-bin/MediaList.cgi?section
Click on the link to the sermon entitled, "A place at the table."
The video begins with an interview with Toby Hoff. Toby hosts a weblog that you can visit at http://amanforchrist.blogspot.com/ Toby is interviewed by Rachel Watters.
After Toby, Mark Brown speaks about the story of Mephibosheth from the book of Samuel. I am up next talking about treating people with disabilities with dignity. Mark is then on again with more about the Mephibosheth story, I provide more on what to do to help and include people with disabilities, and then Mark brings things to a close.
Anyway, check it out if you are interested.
McNair
Here's what a "disability Sunday" is like in lots of churches ... It's Autism Sunday (Pity Party at Church)
ReplyDeleteby Kate Gladstone
It's Autism Sunday, that one day a year
We welcome in fellowship "those folks" 'round here.
We pray to become more autistic-aware
On this one special Sunday: the rest, we don't care.
We'll pray for you all, you're the cause of the week:
But please don't imagine that you ought to speak.
We pray you, speak for you, we shall decide —
We steer the course, you're along for the ride.
We'll pray you get healthcare and all of that stuff:
We'll pray once again — now, that should be enough.
Sure, come here next Sunday if help you still seek,
And we will inform you: "We prayed that last week!"
The service is ended, we rush to the door.
Till Autism Sunday next year, we'll ignore
The folks that we pray for, this one day a year:
It's Autism Sunday, we're _so_ glad you're here!
[NOTE — I am not, and never have been, a churchgoer or a Christian: I wrote this after having heard that a number of churches, particularly in England, have an "Autism Sunday" service one day a year to pray for pity and healing to descend upon autistic people and/or their families. The person who first told me about "Autism Sunday" services told me what the last one she'd attended had been like. She had wanted to sign up in advance to be one of the people who'd be called on during the service to read prayers and poems they'd written about autism, but the pastor and the "Autism Sunday" service committee told her they couldn't let her do that because they'd found out she had autism. It had only been okay the previous year, when she hadn't let anybody know yet: her autism isn't the glaringly obvious kind.Then they tried to get her to donate to the "Autism Sunday" campaign — she is now no longer a churchgoer or a Christian either.]