I came across this article written by Dr. Paula Bloom in yesterday’s Huffington Post religion section. I have been very interested in the link between lives of faith/belief and depression. Dr. Bloom seems to say that treatment of depression can help a person to be better equipped to experience him/herslf as being connected to the Divine Presence. I think all of this is very interesting. I also find it interesting that Dr. Bloom seems to suggest that the voice of the Divine is the opposite of the voice of depression. Did I read that right? I would love to know what you think?

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The Summer edition of Making A Difference Magazine from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities features five articles about the power congregations have to be places of inclusion and opportunity for people with disabilities and their families.

Making A Difference Magazine Summer 2009

Thank you to Reverend Bill Gaventa, Ginny Thornburgh, Imam Furqan Muhammad, Pastor Devin Strong, Rabbi Harvey Winokur, Reverend Denny and Varion Spear, Pat Nobbie and many others for their work in lifting the profile of this important issue.

Thank you to The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities for shining a light on religious leaders and congregations who actively engaging people with disabilities in worship, study, service and leadershi.

This year’s Atlanta Magazine’s High School Essay Contest asked students to respond to the question: What is the most pressing civil/human rights issue of your generation? Harrison Saylor, a junior at Flowery Branch High School answered the question with his essay titled: People First: Rethinking how we think of people with disabilities.

I am grateful for Harrison’s contribution and his involvement in the lives of people with disabilities at his high school. I am thankful for the people at Atlanta Magazine for shining a light on this important issue.

I had an interesting and enlightening conversation with a college friend last week. This woman is a Christian Pastor, Mom and an Autism Advocate. She posted on Facebook about how she was convinced that in her experience of her son, who lives on the autism spectrum, she was becoming more and more convinced that autism was a cultural thing.

I asked her to say more about this and she talked about how she was convinced that her son spoke another “language”. My friend’s sense was that if she could just commit to learning the “language” she could better understand and support her son.

I had that conversation last week and then I came in this morning to find a link to this article from the New York Times in my inbox. I think the article offers some of the same insights.

I lead disability awareness training often and I think there are definitely elements of cultural competency involved.

What do you think? How much of disability awareness is cultural competency vs. teaching people with disabilities to operate appropriately within the culture of the communities where we seek to be connected?

Please take the time to read This and This.

Each of us possesses the power to offer possibility and hope or wield fear and hopelessness. In this New Year, may each of us choose hope in our relationships and interactions.

“When heart is not small, all things are possible.”

Recently an article appeared in the New York Times about a family and their desire for their 13 year old son to have a Bar Mitzvah.

The article referencess themes like life-giving theology, participation in community and being included in the rites and rituals that mark a person’s membership in congregation and community. The article lifts up themes that highlight why the finding a place where love, accptance and belonging are so vital to all of us.

I am grateful to all of the families and congregations who are willing to think outside traditional box to offer hope and help to all of their members.

Praying with Lior contiues toeducate an inspore it audiences to work for the full-inclusion of people with disabilities in the full life of faith.

I posted previously about the movie here and here. I saw the film during its screening at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival in January of this year. I was moved by the content of the film and deeply impressed by the filmmaker Ilana Trachtman and Lior’s father, Rabbi Mordecai Leibling.

The film is currently showing in venues across the United States and in israel too.

Ilana Trachtman has started a blog about the impact the film is having in communities.  Please go and read it and if you have an opportunity go and see the film.

The Interpreter Magazine is a publication of the United Methodist Church. This  month’s issue features the stories of a couple of United Methodist Churches and work they are doing to reach out to people who have disabilities.

The article is helpful as far as it provides a couple of models of ministry with people with disabilities. I would have appreciated  fewer references in the article to “special needs” language. I know we struggle from time to time with appropriate language about disability, but there are more life giving ways to speak about disability than the language of “special needs.”

Kathie Snow, in her article about People First Language says the following:

Many parents say “my child has special needs” this term geberates  generates pity, as demonstrated by the usual response, “Oh I’m so sorry,” accompanied by a sad look or a sympathetic pat on the arm. (Gag!) A person’s needs aren’t “special”-to him. They are ordinary! Many adults have said they detested this descriptor as children.  Let’s learn from them and stop using this pity-laden term!

I would love encourage each of you to examine your language about disability. The language we use shapes the reality we are working to create.

The basic premise I proceed with when I think about language and disability is that people are not their diagnoses. When all else fails refer to a person by the name their parents gave them when they were born.

I would love to know what folks think of both the article from the Interpreter Magazine and my comments on language?

We are putting the finishing touches on preparations for That All May Worship: Beyond The Ramp for 2008. It promises to be a great event! I am grateful to all of the people who have worked over the past year to make the event educational and inspiring.

There are articles here and here that focus on the challenges and opportunities that people with disabilities and their families encounter when they seek support from their congregations. I am grateful to the newspapers in Augusta and Savannah for helping tell these important stories.

I am certain there will be more to come post-conference.

Update: The online edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has a great story up as well: Interfaith conference aims to connect disabled, faith leaders.

Thanks to Empish Thomas and Reverend Kim McGarr from Mount Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta for being interviewed for the article and for being wonderful spokespeople!

There will be a post conference wrap up to come.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution published an outstanding  article about  Jerry’s Habima Theater and the theater’s recent production of Footloose. The Atlanta-based theater gives actors with disabilities opportunities to  work hard and build self-esteem. Habima Theater also gives theater goers opportunities to receive the gifts of actors who have disabilities.

Check out the article and should you have an opportunity check out the work of this wonderful theater group