When I read the story of the disciples shooing off the parents who were trying to bring their children to Jesus, I’m struck with a quandary. Why would they think Jesus wouldn’t want to bless the children? Were they not paying attention when He talked about humility? Were they afraid that He would be embarrassed to associate with grubby little kids?
There are so many words I could say to describe my book, but the two you need to know first are these:bring them.
Whether you have to prepare, shield, wheel, guide, or carry your family member with a disability to the church, bring them. If you are a church member, go get these families with disabilities who are missing from your church services. Seek them out and make the way for them to come. If you have experienced the love of God in the Church so far without everybody present, you can’t even imagine the abundance of joy that awaits us when we’re all together.
It might not be easy. It might look weird. Well-meaning disciples might shoo you off at first. But bring them. Our Lord loves you and your family. The Church loves and needs you, and you need the Church.
Bring them.
Look for my book, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, in the Ancient Faith Christmas catalog. Of Such is the Kingdom releases October 2019 with Ancient Faith Publishing. Follow my main site, Summer Kinard, for news, including a cover reveal, free printable resources, and giveaways as the book launch day approaches.
Summer Kinard is a Greek Orthodox Christian, the mother of five autistic children, a tea lover, classically trained soprano, and author of inspiring novels and curricula for active learners. Summer received her Master of Divinity (summa cum laude, 2003) and Master of Theology (2005, early church history and theology) degrees from Duke University Divinity School, where she sat her Master of Theology exam in 2nd through 5th Century theological anthropologies. She has taught in churches for decades and currently spends most of her instruction time leading her therapeutic homeschool. Summer is the author of curricula, short stories, and four novels, which have been praised as “beautifully iconic,” revealing “what it is to see through the thin places of the world, to the colorful, brilliant world of the spiritual that is always there if we only have the eyes to see.” Summer writes about the practicalities of autistic and spiritual life on her websites and offers free downloads of prayer aids for Christians with communication challenges. Her book Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability draws together her study and experience to show how welcoming families with disabilities into the fullness of church life is vital to our salvation. More important than what Summer has done is what God has done. Summer is grateful to be a witness to the transforming grace of God.
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