disabled Christianity by Jeff McNair "If this...Then that" for Thursday, 2 October 2014

"If this...Then that" In a 2011 article, Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger laid out a series of interactions between two events. The article citation is provided below. In part it tries to propose connections between two "events". If we do something (if this) we might expect something to occur as a result (then that). We might also think in reverse in that if we see something occurring (then that) we might expect that something happened leading to the outcome we see (if this). Clearly things are improving in the world of inclusion of persons with impairments within the local church. There are pockets of brilliance and still pockets of complete failure. Even where there are things happening, there is significant room for improvement or what might be called "maturity in ministry" (see this link for a good article that helps to explain maturity and provide a bit of a roadmap towards attaining maturityWhat Would Be Better?). What is it that has to God's glory been changing in recent times? It is not coming from the seminaries, at least not overtly. Disability is still not generally a topic for training there. Seminary training is not leading the way in teaching us to change in our love for our neighbors with impairments. They, as the "if this" are more likely to perpetuate the currently experienced "then that." Arguably it is not coming from our leadership. Yes there are organizations like Joni and Friends among others who areproviding leadership and working to facilitate the change. There is leadership in that way, from the few Christian disability organizations out there.  There are some denomintions providing leadership as well. But it is almost as if it is a grass roots movement that is causing the leadership, the basic practices and traditions to change. The change, should it come as I pray it will, will change the church in very dramatic ways. But as I have often said it will be a corrective. As I have often thought about the universal misunderstanding and lack of desire for change across all permutations of the Christian world (Baptist, Catholics, Penecostals, etc.) it has struck me how universal the misunderstanding of persons with disabilities and the response of the church has been. How could it be that ALL permutations of the Christian church have gotten this wrong for so long? That is, there is or at least has been, something universally wrong with Christian theology, or traditions, or teachings (the "if this") that have led to the experience of persons with disabilities that we see or have seen (the "then that"). I have a long way to go on understanding this, but would be interested in any ideas people may have about why this is so. Ideas I have thought about thus far relate to the training of our leaders and the lack of understanding of those who train them. Training of whomever at almost every level evidences this problem. Once again this "poor training" of whomever is universal within the Christian church which is breathtaking. I wouldn't expect that there would be that much unanimity in this area across all the denominations. The outcomes of this training have at times caused people to desire to start new disability friendly churches from scratch in order to address what they see as the fundamental problems of the churches they have experienced. It is the old joke "How do I get to Chicago?" Response, "You can't get there from here!" This response indicates that the "if this" is so strong and pervasive, we need an entirely new starting point in order to get where we want to go because we cannot get where we want to go from our starting point; the existing way of doing things. I don't necessarily agree with that, but I understand the position nonetheless. I have related in this blog a conversation I once had with Jean Vanier where he said we have been focused on the rectitude of doctrine rather than the rectitude of love.  I resonate with this, but as Bishop Nazir Ali of the Anglican Church also once shared with me, if we had the right doctrine we would have the right love. So perhaps this fundamental "if this" problem is in part our doctrine. Yet, once again because of the universality of the problem within the Christian church, I wonder.  Could past or present exclusion of persons with impairments be the one thing that we agree upon across doctrines and denominations? Our experience might tell us that. There is much more of my thinking that I could share here, but I won't at this point.  Once again I would welcome any input from anyone who happens to read this. I think it is something important to understand as we move forward. God bless, Jeff McNair Wolfensberger, W.  (2011) An “If This, Then That” Formulation of Decisions Related to Social Role Valorization As a Better Way of Interpreting It to People. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: December 2011, Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 456-462. ___________________________________ What Would Be Better? Social Role Valorization and the Development of Ministry to Persons Affected by Disability MARC TUMEINSKI AND JEFF MCNAIR ABSTRACT There is much that Christian churches can learn from relevant secular approaches and adapt to support integration and participation within our congregations for adults with impairments. One of these approaches is Social Role Valorization developed by Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger. In this approach, one considers the relevance of image and competency of devalued individuals and how these two areas impact accessto “the good things of life.” This article applies these principles to the inclusion of vulnerable congregational members into the life of the Christian church, asking the question, “What would be better?” as a prompt for those in leadership to reflect on their current practices with an eye toward maturity in their practices as they intersect the lives of devalued people. Keywords: disability ministry, social role valorization, ministry maturity INTRODUCTION For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28). The Christian church has a heightening sense of awareness of individuals with characteristics that are devalued by society, particularly persons with significant physical and intellectual disabilities. Although there is still much to be done, increasingly, churches are mounting efforts to specifcally reach out and include all members of their communities more broadly, helping to build up the kingdom of God. Churches can learn a great deal from relevantsecular approaches and make adaptationsto support integration and participation of adults with disabilities within their congregations. Social Role Valorization A Comprehensive Set of Relevant and Potent Tools Social Role Valorization (SRV) has potential to help churches in this ongoing critical endeavor. SRV is a set of ideas built on the premise thatif we can help people with disabilities to have valued social roles, they will be more likely to have access to the good things of life. Wolfensberger, who formulated SRV in 1983, defined it as: The application of empirical knowledge to the shaping of the current or potential social roles of a party (i.e., person, group, or class)–primarily by means of enhancement ofthe party’s competencies and image–so thatthese are, as much as possible, positively valued in the eyes of the perceivers(Wolfensberger & Thomas, 2005).” In Osburn’s summary of SRV, he states, Therefore, the major goal of SRV is to create or support socially valued roles for people in their society, because if a person holds valued social roles, that person is highly likely to receive from society those good things in life that are available to that society, andthat can be conveyed by it, or at least the opportunitiesfor obtaining these…. To mention only a few major examples, they include being accorded dignity, respect, acceptance; a sense of belonging; an education, and the development and exercise of one’s capacities; a voice in the affairs of one’s community and society; opportunities to participate; a decent material standard of living; an at least normative place to live; and opportunities for work and selfsupport. (Osburn, 2006, p. 4) Why is this understanding relevant? At least some groups of people in our society (or in any society) cannot take for granted that they will have typical accessto the good things of life which many people take for granted, such asfamily, friends, home, work, belonging, contribution, good health, a transcendent beliefsystem, and so on (Wolfensberger, Thomas & Caruso, 1996). Given the predominant values of our contemporary culture, children and adults with significant physical and/or intellectual impairments tend to be societally devalued, negatively perceived and mistreated, cut off from these good things, which we all want (Wolfensberger, 1998, pp. 7-11). Borrowing from Jean Vanier, Wolfensberger (2000) refers to the all-toolikely harmful consequences of societal devaluation as the 18 wounds. Osburn (2006) goes on to relate that SRV is descriptive rather than prescriptive (p. 7). That is, in observing social realities such as practices which typically lead to social devaluation, one can describe likely outcomes on the basis of what one does or what one does not do in light of those realities. One’s actions can either contribute to or counter devaluation of these individuals. As an example, Osburn states that if one does not emphasize that adults with intellectual disabilities are indeed adults, but rather behaves in such a way as to imply that these adults are really children, then one can expect to observe the likely result of such adults being disrespected and treated as children (p. 8). Although SRV is not prescriptive, the empirical observations of the outcomes of societal devaluation in the lives of real people begs the question of whether one will do something with the information about the social contingencies described in SRV. What are individual Christians and churches called to do? What would be better? Using an SRV-based approach, the goal isto help devalued people have access to the good things of life. For Christians this means supporting anadult with physical and/orintellectual impairmentsto get and keep valued roles within a congregation asfriend, member, minister, prayer group participant, elder, pastor, deacon, lector, teacher, usher, committee member, chaplain, steward, preacher, Bible study group member, worship leader, greeter, etc.... Some of these roles are complementary–such as pastor and parishioner, lector and worshipper/‘hearer’–and can therefore more easily be built upon within existing congregational practices. Wolfensberger (1998) states: Competency and social image form a very powerful feedback loop that can be either positive or negative … As the competencies of a person increase, the person’s image improves; in turn, a person who is positively imaged is more likely to receive positive expectancies, positive models, opportunitiesforskill improvement, etc., all of which contribute to greater competency (p. 74). Therefore, goalsfor church ministry for adults with disabilities might take into account both image and competency enhancement considerations (Wolfensberger & Thomas, 2007). We will consider each of these avenues below. Image Considerations Image in this context relates to the mental pictures we hold in our minds about other people (Wolfensberger, 1998, p. 63). All kinds of images can send messages about vulnerable people to others and to the individuals themselves. Probabilistically, and particularly in combination, these images will have an effect on whether vulnerable people are treated positively or negatively by others. Positive images and messages will invite others to see vulnerable people in a more positive light, and thus predicate the extension of Christian fellowship, in addition to all the other good things that can come with belonging to a church. According to Wolfensberger (1998), images can also impact the devalued person’s internal understanding of their own perceived value to the community, to the church and even to God (pp. 22-24). Positive images developed by persons about themselves can reinforce their own perceived intrinsic value; in a sense communicating to people who have been wounded that although they may be devalued by their society, they are of inestimable worth to God. These notions grow out of a biblicalunderstanding of human beings, of the Body of Christ (as a metaphor for the Church) and of God. Such image considerations include questions related to setting, relationships,roles and activities, and miscellaneousimagery (cf. Wolfensberger, 1998, pp. 64-69). Let us consider each of these briefly. The reader is encouraged to reflect on the current expression of each variable in their own church congregation. With that in mind, they are then encouraged to ask themselves, “What would be better?” Setting: Wolfensberger (1998) states about settings: A setting can convey images aboutthe peoplewho use it. Forinstance, a setting will cast its users in a positive light if it is nicely decorated, comfortable, has a history of being used for positively valued purposes, and is next to other places that people view positively. On the other hand, settings will cast a negative image on their users if they are decrepit, ugly, in undesirable neighborhoods and next or near to other places that people do not want to be next or near to (p. 64). The following are questions to provide initial guidance relative to the intersection of image and setting. • Do the settings where vulnerable church members spend most of their time look like typical church settings? In making this determination, one should consider design, furnishings, decorations, etc. Imagine a naive observer looking at these settings and guessing who spends time in them. Would they be likely to think positively of the people who use these settings? What would be better? • Do the settings where vulnerable adult church members spend most of their time look like places where adults spend time? Consider design, furnishings, decorations, etc. Imagine a naive observer looking at these settings and guessing the age of the people who spend time in them. Would they guess “adults”? What would be better? • Is the time of assembly when vulnerable church members spend most of their time at church the same time that typical church members assemble at church? If the main worship time is on Sunday morning, are the vulnerable church members present at the same time and place? What would be better? Relationships: Wolfensberger (1998) states that image will also be profoundly affected by the people with whom that party is associated, as captured in the folk phrase that people are “judged by the company they keep” (p. 64). The following questions can guide usin considering the intersection of image and relationships. • Do vulnerable church members spend most of their church time mixing in and participating with a broad spectrum of other church members, across all ages and abilities? Are we avoiding (even unintentionally) or reinforcing negative stereotypes, such asthat “those people only belong with their own kind” or “those people are happier with their own kind”? Are vulnerable church members being chosen as friends to the same degree as other church members? What would be better? Roles and activities: Wolfensberger(1998) indicatesthat “people will also be imaged by the activities,schedules and other routinesin which they are engaged” (p. 65). Because a significant component of church structures include the activities developed by the congregation (e.g., worship, Bible study, outreach, formation and education, etc.) as well as the roles people take on within those activities (choir member, Bible study leader, teacher, student, etc.), the following questions are provided to guide in facilitating desirable roles and activities. • Are the roles and activitiesin which vulnerable church members spend most of their time the same kinds of roles and activities in which most church members engage? Do the vulnerable church members engage in these roles and activities at the same time, in the same places and with a broad range of other people, particularly people close to their own age? What would be better? Miscellaneous Imagery Wolfensberger (1998) also cautions that, Images are also conveyed by the names of services, of service settings, of various services practices such as its programs and activities, and of its servers. A service which has a culturally valued and otherwise positively-imaging name will be more enhancingfor its recipients than one which has a peculiar or even stigmatizing name” (p. 66). Questions about language and naming can guide us in the characterization of vulnerable people and the manner in which they are included and served. • In our spoken and written language, our conversations, our correspondence, our church bulletins,sermons, etc., do we use fairly typical, respectful, age-appropriate language to and about vulnerable church members? Are we being truthful as well asloving in our language use? Are we emphasizing what we all share in common? How would I feel if I were spoken to or referred to in these ways? What would be better? Competency Considerations By competency considerations, we broadly include physical, social and intellectual abilities as well as related skills, habits, motivations, and disciplines (Wolfensberger, 1998, p. 70). Do our church practices reflect that we believe all people can learn, and that learning and competency enhancement are a natural part of life? This is part of how God made human beings. Lesser competency in one area can frequently be compensated for in another area, often with help from other people. Greater competency can open the door to increased social status, more opportunities, more valued socialroles and an enhanced image, possibly even leading to greater satisfaction in life. Our aim is to help adults with disabilities grow in various competencies, particularly those related to church membership and participation. This begsthe question of competency acrossthe larger Body of Christ. Using the body metaphor, a toe may be competent as a toe; however, it is not competent as an ear. One therefore has a purpose within oneself which may appear quite limited in comparison to the combined purpose of the entire body. Yet, the toe and ear are critical elements of the body. As 1 Corinthians 12:1 states, “The body is a unit.” Parts of the body when considered separately may “seem weaker but are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:22). “The eye cannotsay to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1 Corinthians 12:21). Competence should be considered on a macro level in relation to a whole body and the whole body’s purpose. My role as a “toe” or “ear”may not appear particularly worthy of special attention; however, if I am seeing the toe in relation to the whole body, my perspective changes. The intersection of competency and image is critical for the church to reflect in its interactions with adults who have impairments. This macro/whole body notion also has potential to deepen the Judeo-Christian notion of being created in the image of God, within congregations. As above, these competency considerations include questions related to setting, relationships, roles and activities, and miscellaneous competency. Let us consider each of these briefly. The reader is once again encouraged to reflect upon the current expression of each variable in their church, consider the specific variable provided in the questionsthat intersects with competency, and to ask themselves, “What would be better?” Setting • Are the church settings physically comfortable, easily accessible, welcoming and useable by people of all ages and abilities? What would be better? • What do church settingsreflect about the body’s competency as a unit?Is mutual dependency reflected in church structures and settings? What would be better? • Does the church setting’s “structures” (sound, materials, strategies, seating, programs, sight lines and visibility, access, etc.) enhance the competency of vulnerable church members? What would be better? Relationships • What does our shared vision of Christian community look like? Who is present in our biblical vision of community? How can the inclusion of vulnerable people betterreflect the Gospel vision and therefore strengthen our church community? How can we more closely approach this vision here and now within our church? Given the actual makeup of our membership, might we unintentionally or unconsciously be putting some groups of people outside of this vision? What would be better? • The Christian walk is a communal walk—with family, fellow disciples, and our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ. We are not meantto face our joys or our struggles alone. In what ways are we supporting families and small groups to come together around and with vulnerable church members: in prayer, worship, fellowship, celebration and mutual aid/support? What would be better? • When vulnerable church membersspend time with other church members, are they in groups that are of a comfortable and welcoming size? Does anyone feel overwhelmed? Does everyone have a chance to contribute, and feel comfortable in contributing? What would be better? • Are vulnerable church members forming genuine and mutually enjoyable relationships as well as friendships with other church members of all ages and abilities? Are such relationships welcomed and nurtured? How so? What signs will we look for to know this is happening? What would be better? • What are some of the ways that our church members typically spend time with each other outside of the formal church setting (e.g., visiting one another’s homes, Bible study, prayer, socializing, etc.)? How are vulnerable church members supported to engage in these roles and activities outside the church setting with a broad range of other church members, including people close to their own age? Once again, are vulnerable church members being chosen asfriends by typical members? What would be better? Roles and activities • Do vulnerable church members perceive themselves as “secondclass” or “lesser” church members?In what ways do existing roles and activities communicate to vulnerable membersthat they are something other than typical members?Isthere a reason for the roles and activities as currently designed to continue? What would be better? • What is entailed in becoming a member of this church? Are there any Christian forms of initiation used? What is expected of a (new) church member? Do any of these expectations create unreasonable barriers to membership for those with physical and/or intellectual impairments? How can we be even more welcoming as we remain true to our faith? • How do church structures and practices acknowledge and utilize the gifts of all church members, including those members with physical and intellectual impairments? Do our structures reinforce notions of independence or that we are members of an interdependent body? Do our structures, schedules, practices, worship, prayer, leadership, membership, etc., welcome and nourish people with physical and intellectual disabilities even in cases where it can be physically, emotionally and/orintellectually challenging?If exclusions, exceptions or compromises are made, why are they made and where? How long will such exclusions, exceptions and/or compromises continue? How will we move closer toward our shared vision of Christian community? How can we come together to support one another through these challenges: the vulnerable person, their family and friends, other church members? • Whatsigns of growth in faith do we see among church members? Does the presence of devalued people impact the understanding of how faith development is carried out for all congregants? How is our church community supporting all members in their Christian life? What would be better? • What are the typical elements of adult faith formation within our church? What impact does the presence of devalued people have on the way faith development is understood in our church? Who leads these efforts? Who participates in them? What learning and growth opportunities do we make available? Where do they take place? What learning materials are used?Is anyone not participating solely or primarily because of an impairment? What can we do about that? • Over time, are vulnerable church memberstaking on new valued roles (e.g., member, minister, prayer group member, elder, pastor, deacon, lector, teacher, usher, committee member, chaplain, steward, preacher, Bible study group member, worship leader, greeter, etc.) within the church? How are they contributing to the life of their church community? What would be better? • Doesthe church’s core values and mission adequately reflect the change required for the church to more fully include members whom society has devalued? Does the church engage in reflection and self-evaluation regarding the participation of devaluedpeople in the life and ministry of the church? What evidence can the church collect for itself to gauge progress towards its mission of including devalued people? What would be better? Summary from a Christian Perspective Certain roles within a church or congregation can be assigned, attributed or ascribed (Wolfensberger, 1998, p. 31), even when the person in the role has done (and can do nothing) to warrant the role or to carry it out. Examples include: bearer of the Image of God (Genesis 1:21), member of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12), one for whom Christ died (John 3:16), and so on. Such church and congregation roles go beyond even the secular roles of member or citizen. Being seen and perceived as a fellow member of the Body of Christ reflects an inherent dignity and interconnectedness with other Christians that lies at the heart of what it means to be a church. Perceived competence and similarity to others may therefore also come from an understanding of the biblical narrative as a social/cultural replacement narrative,simply with the attribution of the above mentioned roles. Whether other church members embrace and act upon these ascribed or attributed roles in a valorizing fashion in no way diminishes the reality of these roles. However, there is much that can be done to help Christians and congregations genuinely extend these roles to the adults and children that society has devalued. There is also much that can be done to help adults with impairments themselves to take on these roles. The practice of baptism for example seems (super) naturally fitted for these roles. We recognize of course that the nature of one’s identity as a bearer of the Image of God goes far beyond the human reality of social roles; nevertheless, we are focused in this article largely on what a church congregation can do to extend and deepen its mission to and with adults with impairments. CONCLUSION Image and competency enhancement are by no means the only foci to be considered when attempting to influence church practices in regards to adults with impairments. However, the application of these SRV criteria provides an empirically based starting point from which to proceed. With the help of God’s Spirit, genuine reflection on, “Whatwould be better?” can help move individual Christians and congregationsin a positive directionin a non-threatening manner. The assumption of phenomenologicalreflection dispelsthe notion of a process with an endpoint, implying instead that there is only ongoing movement through a process of mutual growth. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks,slaves orfree–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. “For the body does not consist of one member but of many” (1 Cor. 12:12-14). REFERENCES Osburn, J. (2006). An overview of Social Role Valorization theory. The SRV Journal 1(1), 4-13. Wolfensberger, W. (1998). Abrief introduction to Social Role Valorization:Ahighorderconcept for addressingthe plight of societally devalued people, and forstructuring human services (3rd ed.). Syracuse, NY: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership and Change Agentry (Syracuse University). Wolfensberger,W.&Thomas,S.(2005). IntroductorySocialRoleValorizationworkshop training package. Syracuse, NY: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership and Change Agentry (Syracuse University). Wolfensberger, W. and Thomas, S. (2007). PASSING.Atool for analyzingserve quality accordingto Social Role Valorization criteria. Ratings manual (3rd rev. ed.). Syracuse, NY: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership and Change Agentry (Syracuse University). Wolfensberger, W., Thomas, S. & Caruso, G. (1996). Some of the universal ‘good things of life’ which the implementation of Social Role Valorization can be expected to make more accessible to devalued people. The International Social Role Valorization Journal, 2(2), 12-14 For more information on Social Role Valorization and PASSING, please visit www.srvip.org. http://www.joniandfriends.org/media/uploads/jcid/JCID_What_Would_Be_Better.pdf ___________________________________ Marc Tumeinski, Ph.D., (candidate), is the Editor of the biannual SRV Journal and the Training Coordinator for the SRV Implementation Project. marc@srvip.org Jeff McNair, Ph.D., is the director of the Disability Studies Program and the Moderate/Severe Teacher Credentialing Program at California Baptist University. jmcnair@joniandfriends.org ___________________________________

Daily Readings for Wednesday, 1 October 2014

Daily Readings for Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Job 9: Job Continues
How Can Mere Mortals Get Right with God?
1-13 Job continued by saying:
“So what’s new? I know all this.
    The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’
If we wanted to bring our case before him,
    what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand!
God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense,
    who could take him on and come out in one piece?
He moves mountains before they know what’s happened,
    flips them on their heads on a whim.
He gives the earth a good shaking up,
    rocks it down to its very foundations.
He tells the sun, ‘Don’t shine,’ and it doesn’t;
    he pulls the blinds on the stars.
All by himself he stretches out the heavens
    and strides on the waves of the sea.
He designed the Big Dipper and Orion,
    the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri.
We’ll never comprehend all the great things he does;
    his miracle-surprises can’t be counted.
Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don’t see him;
    quietly but surely he’s active, and I miss it.
If he steals you blind, who can stop him?
    Who’s going to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’
God doesn’t hold back on his anger;
    even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him.
14-20 “So how could I ever argue with him,
    construct a defense that would influence God?
Even though I’m innocent I could never prove it;
    I can only throw myself on the Judge’s mercy.
If I called on God and he himself answered me,
    then, and only then, would I believe that he’d heard me.
As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post,
    beating me up, black-and-blue, for no good reason.
He won’t even let me catch my breath,
    piles bitterness upon bitterness.
If it’s a question of who’s stronger, he wins, hands down!
    If it’s a question of justice, who’ll serve him the subpoena?
Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me;
    blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse.
Psalm 88:9-12 I call to you, God; all day I call.
    I wring my hands, I plead for help.
Are the dead a live audience for your miracles?
    Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you?
Does your love make any difference in a graveyard?
    Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell?
Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark,
    your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory?
13-18 I’m standing my ground, God, shouting for help,
    at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.
Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?
    Why do you make yourself scarce?
For as long as I remember I’ve been hurting;
    I’ve taken the worst you can hand out, and I’ve had it.
Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;
    I’m bleeding, black-and-blue.
You’ve attacked me fiercely from every side,
    raining down blows till I’m nearly dead.
You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;
    the only friend I have left is Darkness.
Luke 9:57 On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.
58 Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
Jesus said to another, “Follow me.”
59 He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.”
60 Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”
61 Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”
62 Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”
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Catholic Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Wednesday, 1 October 2014

Catholic Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Meditations: Luke 9:57 On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.
58 Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
Jesus said to another, “Follow me.”
59 He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.”
60 Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”
61 Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”
62 Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
I will follow you. (Luke 9:57)
Three stories begin in today’s Gospel reading—but we don’t know how they end! Each one features Jesus and a potential disciple. Let’s call them Volunteer One, Volunteer Two, and the Invitee.
Volunteer One enthusiastically pledges to follow Jesus “wherever you go” (Luke 9:57). Jesus invites him to examine his motives and to reconsider his offer. This isn’t going to be a rose-strewn path to worldly glory! Is Volunteer One ready for homelessness and rejection? For radical reliance on God rather than earthly security?
Volunteer Two starts off well by calling Jesus “Lord.” Then he spoils his offer with two telltale words: “but first …” (Luke 9:61). His request for a good-bye visit home seems innocent enough, but Jesus sees it for what it is: a conditional offer and a sign of divided loyalties. There is no looking back in the kingdom; no “but firsts”! This is something to remember when we’re tempted to put off prayer or a nudging from the Holy Spirit.
Sandwiched between this pair is the Invitee (Luke 9:59-60). He’s like Volunteer Two: willing to follow, but at a later date. Maybe even a much later date. The father he asks to go bury may be alive and well. Jewish burials took place on the day of death, so it’s unlikely that the Invitee would be out listening to Jesus on that very day. What he seems to mean is, “Let me stay home till whenever Dad dies. Then I’ll follow.” To which Jesus seems to answer him: Following me is the most important decision you could ever make. Don’t put it off. Don’t try to control the timing and circumstances. Just come—and come quickly!
This is Jesus’ word to us as well. In a sense, we are the Invitee and the Volunteers, our stories still unfolding. Will we say yes and enter into the never-ending story of being loved and called by God?
Which story speaks to you? Place yourself in it, then talk with Jesus from the heart.
“Here I am, Lord. Help me to follow you.” Amen!
Job 9: Job Continues
How Can Mere Mortals Get Right with God?
1-13 Job continued by saying:
“So what’s new? I know all this.
    The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’
If we wanted to bring our case before him,
    what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand!
God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense,
    who could take him on and come out in one piece?
He moves mountains before they know what’s happened,
    flips them on their heads on a whim.
He gives the earth a good shaking up,
    rocks it down to its very foundations.
He tells the sun, ‘Don’t shine,’ and it doesn’t;
    he pulls the blinds on the stars.
All by himself he stretches out the heavens
    and strides on the waves of the sea.
He designed the Big Dipper and Orion,
    the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri.
We’ll never comprehend all the great things he does;
    his miracle-surprises can’t be counted.
Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don’t see him;
    quietly but surely he’s active, and I miss it.
If he steals you blind, who can stop him?
    Who’s going to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’
God doesn’t hold back on his anger;
    even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him.
14-20 “So how could I ever argue with him,
    construct a defense that would influence God?
Even though I’m innocent I could never prove it;
    I can only throw myself on the Judge’s mercy.
If I called on God and he himself answered me,
    then, and only then, would I believe that he’d heard me.
As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post,
    beating me up, black-and-blue, for no good reason.
He won’t even let me catch my breath,
    piles bitterness upon bitterness.
If it’s a question of who’s stronger, he wins, hands down!
    If it’s a question of justice, who’ll serve him the subpoena?
Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me;
    blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse.
Psalm 88:9-12 I call to you, God; all day I call.
    I wring my hands, I plead for help.
Are the dead a live audience for your miracles?
    Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you?
Does your love make any difference in a graveyard?
    Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell?
Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark,
    your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory?
13-18 I’m standing my ground, God, shouting for help,
    at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.
Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?
    Why do you make yourself scarce?
For as long as I remember I’ve been hurting;
    I’ve taken the worst you can hand out, and I’ve had it.
Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;
    I’m bleeding, black-and-blue.
You’ve attacked me fiercely from every side,
    raining down blows till I’m nearly dead.
You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;
    the only friend I have left is Darkness.
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Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Thursday, 2 October 2014 - Matthew 21:33-46

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Thursday, 2 October 2014 - Matthew 21:The Story of the Greedy Farmhands
33-34 “Here’s another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.
35-37 “The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. ‘Surely,’ he thought, ‘they will respect my son.’
38-39 “But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all for ourselves.’ They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.
40 “Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?”
41 “He’ll kill them—a rotten bunch, and good riddance,” they answered. “Then he’ll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it’s time.”
42-44 Jesus said, “Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles:
The stone the masons threw out
    is now the cornerstone.
This is God’s work;
    we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!
“This is the way it is with you. God’s kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed.”
45-46 When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.(The Message)
Bullying has become rampant in our schools and workplaces. There are now hot lines and people watching social media sites to monitor these attacks. Other forms of rejection are felt daily by those who some in society have declared of less worth—just choose an age, ethnicity, life style choice, gender or employment status. 
This parable speaks to those who see themselves as important, who want to keep control of what they have, even though it wasn't theirs in the first place. This parable speaks to the people of God who are tempted to reject God's ownership of all that is and who try to manipulate situations for their own benefit, even to the extreme of murder. The restoration after such actions can come only with the inclusion of those who will produce fruit that is faithful to God's purposes.
This text makes me wonder whom God is bringing into the kingdom to bear fruit now. How does God continue to call the church today to faithful interaction with others?
Lord of all creation, we confess that we have treated the church as ours instead of yours. Forgive us for our rejection of those different than ourselves. As your Spirit restores us, help us today to work together for your glory. Amen.
Julianne Barlow (Koivisto)
Assistant to the Bishop for Mission,
Synod of Alberta and the Territories, 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Calgary, Alberta 
Doctor of Ministry , 2012
Matthew 21:33 "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.
34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.
35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, "They will respect my son.'
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.'
39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.(New Revised Standard Version)
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Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Wednesday, 1 October 2014 - Philippians 3:4-14

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Wednesday, 1 October 2014 - Philippians 3:2-6 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.
7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.
10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
Focused on the Goal
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.(The Message)
I realize I have too much stuff. This collection of "abundance" is partly due to the mindset of our consumer culture regarding success. More is better, bigger is better. Also, perhaps like me, you hold on to things of the past: class notes, a whole wardrobe in a different size and even duplicates, just in case something breaks. For many of us, storage options, yard sales, charitable recycling all become the focus to find order in our home, work and even worship spaces. 
This realization of misdirected gain also comes when we recognize what we own, what we have achieved and particularly our self-assessed "righteousness" is, as Paul says, so much rubbish. He confesses his desire instead to "gain Christ, and be found in him." In the same way we might ask, what unnecessary or even counter-productive things does the church hold onto, just in case? Like Paul, what matters in our seeking to be righteous under the law need to give way to faith in Christ?
Almighty God, as you call us individually and as the church in Christ, help us to recognize gain as not having a righteousness of our own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ. Open our eyes and ears to your righteousness. Amen.
Julianne Barlow (Koivisto)
Assistant to the Bishop for Mission,
Synod of Alberta and the Territories, 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Calgary, Alberta 
Doctor of Ministry , 2012
Philippians 3:4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.
8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,
11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.(New Revised Standard Version)
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