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.

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?

This article by Archbishop Wilton Gregory from last week’s Georgia Bulletin provides and important example. I am grateful for the Archbishop’s perspective on these important issues

Reading and then meeting Dr. Nancy Eiesland brought about a transformation of thought and a transformation of possibility for me. She was a wonderful mentor, conversation partner, and friend. I am most grateful for her prophetic advocacy in the classroom, from the pulpit and in the larger world. She was capable of painting a picture of the already and the not quite yet for people with disabilities with equal measure of hope, grace and urgency. She did not shy away from inviting G-d into the fray or to request an account of the church’s failure to respond to the gifts and the needs of people with disabilities.

(Ret.) Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks about the concept of ubuntu. Watch Tutu speak about ubuntu:

I understand ubuntu because of Dr. Eiesland. I would not be who I am apart from her contributions as teacher, writer, mentor, and friend. I assume that many people who met, heard and interacted with Nancy felt similarly.

Nancy’s books The Disabled God and Human Disability and The Service of G-d (Edited with Don Saliers) provide some of the most well conceived scholarship at the intersection of theology and disability even though it has been more than a decade since their publication.

Nancy will missed, but she leaves a hundreds of students and friends who will work to carry on the conversation in her absence.

Nancy’s words, deeds and friendship transformed the world for people like me, who were privileged to spend time with her. I ask that I may be an agent of that continued transformation so that Nancy’s legacy might live many years past her time here on Earth.

Nancy’s husband Terry and her daughter will remain in my prayers.

If you would like to attend a memorial service in honor of Dr. Eiesland there will be one held in the Cannon Chapel at Emory University on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 2 PM.

Links to other pieces written about Nancy:

Update: A memorial to Dr. Eiesland from the Emory Wheel, Emory’s student newspaper

Update: A link to a nice memorial from the New York Times

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.”

I got the news from PatriciaEBauer.com

I had the amazing experience of planning a retreat that Jean led here in Atlanta in the summer of 2002. I count my time at that retreat as one of the privileges of my life. I found Vanier to be one of the most grace-full people I have met.

The work of L’Arche is an important sign of life for which I am grateful. i am especially grateful for the way L’Arche has become a multi-faith proposition in the last 5 years.

Vanier’s work on behalf fo L’Arche and his writing are significant because they envision disability in profound ways. I am most grateful for Vanier’s insights around relationship building and peace-making. These insights are significant to me because they spring directly from his experience of befriending people with disabilities.

I am thankful to Jean Vanier for his lifetime of service to G-D, to people with disabilities and to our broken world. I am also grateful for awards like the Nation Builder of the Year because they give the world an opportunity to learn about this great servant-leader.

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.

Read this from Rabbi Lynne Landsberg about the victories for the Disability Rights Movement during the Jewish year just completed. (Posted from The J Spot)

I am sorry I am a month behind in posting this to the blog, but it is good news for United Methodism. Reverend Peggy Johnson began her work as Bishop of the Philadelphia Area of the United Methodist Church on September 1st. Bishop Johnson is a self- advocate and advocate for people with disabilities.

I just read this interview of Bishop Johnson and am really impressed that she is talking about advocacy that needs to be undertaken with both people with disabilities and their temporairily- able-bodied peers.

I think Bishop Johnson highlights the work that lies ahead if we are to create communities where all people are welcomed to worship, study, serve and provide leadership. I hope that we can continue to build communities where this happens with the leadership of advocates like Bishop Johnson and people like her.

I am grateful for Bishop Johnson and I pray G-d bless her life, work and ministry in the wider church and world.

The feedback from the nearly 150 participants was resoundingly positive. Attendees left the conference inspired and engaged to take what they learned back to their congregations and communities.

Here are a few of the most memorable ideas from the event for me.

During her keynote address Ginny Thornburgh spoke about asking her son Peter, who has developmental disabilities what G-d is like. Ginny says that Peter thought about her question for a while and said, G-d is “nice,nice.”

Ginny’s story reminds me to ask of my church and other congregations: Does our welcome and hospitality reflect the extravagant love of a G-d who in the words of Peter Thornburgh, is “nice!” If not what must we do to have our intentions for hospitality reflect the love, joy, compassion and kindness of G-d?

Rabbi Lynne Landsberg introduced attendees to the Hebrew word Hineini. Hineini means present and the concept is much deeper than simply present. The concept means here I am for you, here I am with you, and here I am able to do whatever you need done. May we all continue the work of building communities where hineini is spoken, heard, and responded to in practical ways.

Reverend Al Mead spoke passionately and convincingly about the need for a winning attitude and a strong faith to help get us through life’s challeges.

The keynotes were amazing!

I also came away from the conference with a renewed sense of urgency around the telling and the hearing of stories of people with disabilities. James Charlton wrote a book in the 90s titled: Nothing Agout Us Without Us and the meaning of that was on full display at the conference on Sunday.

Keynote speakers, panelists, worship participants, planning committee members. and volunteers were all people with disabilities who showed up and shared their stories and their lives with power and grace.

I received an e-mail from Mark Johnson, Director of Advocacy, at the Shepherd Center who summarized the take-away like this:

“if anybody left the conference not knowing the next step, they weren’t listening, if you don’t know what to do or aren’t sure you’re doing the right thing, ask those you’re trying to include.”

Thank you Mark Johnson for summarizing the take-away better than I could have.

The final thing that the event on Sunday affirmed for me was that you can do an interfaith worship service that is respectful and affirming of all traditions represented while highlighting the common call of all traditions to offer compassion, kindness and opportunity to all of G-d’s people.

That All May Worship 2008 was an amazing experience. I am grateful to sponsors, participants, organizers and volunteers. The conference would not have been the success it was without the contributions of each person.

We have set the bar for the next year’s conference awfully high and I know we can exceed everyone’s expectation for next year’s event.