Families, friends and church members came together as Team WCUC raising over $1500 in support of the Minute Man Arc March. It was a great day for fellowship and community.
Minute Man Arc (MMArc) is a human services agency that supports people of all ages who have disabilities providing therapeutic services, day programs, and a variety of supported residential options. West Concord Union Church (WCUC) and MMArc first began to partner back in the 1980’s when the first group home opened on West Street. Since that time, WCUC has hosted Sunday Fellowship, a ministry of worship and friendship for people with disabilities. Minute Man Arc is WCUC’s largest mission partner.
To open the March, State Senator Jamie Eldridge and State Representative Simon Cataldo spoke warmly about their experiences with Minute Man Arc, especially the self-advocates who regularly meet with them. Cataldo shared his excitement about a bill he co-sponsored to increase pay rates for direct care workers employed by the Department of Developmental Services. As a whole, the March raised over $125k. Enjoy the photos!
State Senator Jamie EldridgeState Representative Simon CataldoTeam WCUCCherita passes through the archEvery Body Matters to God!
To celebrate the end of our program year and Pride, Sunday Fellowship traveled to the Butterfly Place in Westford, MA. The rainbow of colors and smiling faces speak for themselves. Enjoy the pictures!
A Future with Hope construction began on Tuesday, May 30th with the removal of our boiler. As David Swain began documenting the occasion he mentioned to the crew that we have had a love/hate relationship with this boiler for decades now. The foreman responded, “Well, we’ve been hating it since noon today” (as he and 3 other men lugged enormously heavy pieces of cast iron out of the furnace room).
It was good to be together as a community celebrating Advent. In the candlelit sanctuary, the members of Sunday Fellowship sang and prayed, shared the Annunciation story, made ornaments and enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies.
To remind us of God’s loving embrace when we are sad or afraid, we practiced wrapping baby dolls in blue swaddling clothes. Then we wrote our fears and sadnesses on blue and purple ribbons and put them inside ornaments. The outside of the ornaments were decorated with golden stars symbolizing God’s light surrounding us despite our fears. After losing several members of our community this fall, it felt especially important to acknowledge the bittersweet feelings this season can evoke. Enjoy the photos!
I felt pretty strange describing my sabbatical before I left. I’ve always enjoyed nature but camping and environmentalism were hardly defining interests. These are just some of the things people said: “Why are you so interested in trees all of the sudden? And why Ireland? Didn’t you go there a few years ago? You say, you’re planning to do yard work during some of the time? That’s the last thing I would do during vacation time.”
I can understand why people responded this way. I didn’t know why I craved green things so much. I just did. My body and soul seemed to want green in an almost visceral way. It didn’t seem to matter whether I was gardening in my backyard, devouring books about the science of forests, or biking though the green hills of Ireland.
I’ve returned from my time away with a deep appreciation for green things; not just because of their physical beauty or usefulness, but because of what they teach us about the nature of life. I never realized that forests are comprised of complex networks of organisms which together have an essential role in the climate. For example, did you know that the size, shape and type of trees growing in a given area can determine the temperature and water level? And apparently, huge trees depend on the tiny threads of an underground network of fungi to send and receive information from one another. Different species of trees will actually warn each other about approaching pests and diseases! And some trees work together for years to keep their parent trees alive if they’re damaged. There’s so much more I could say about how incredible forests are. If you want to learn more, check out “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben or “To Speak For the Trees” by Diana Beresford-Kroeger.
You know the old saying: “You can’t see the forest for the trees?” It means not being able to see the big picture because of being overwhelmed by the immediate concerns that surround us and block our view. I’d say that’s a pretty good description of my mental state before the sabbatical. In our chaotic world, with its 24 hour news cycle, it’s been difficult to hold on to hope while tragedy after tragedy arises to demand our attention until we feel utterly surrounded by suffering. It has felt like unbridled self-interest, violence and bigotry have gained the upper hand, especially over the last several years.
Little did I know that the trees could help me find the forest and see the big picture again. Like Hildegard of Bingen, I heard God calling me recognize her in the greenness all around me regardless of what else was happening in the world and to notice that my soul was already returning to its green and life-filled state, like a plant greening up after long-delayed rain.
What inspires me so much about green things is that they clearly demonstrate the benefits of valuing diversity and interdependence over competition and artificial homogeneity. I don’t think it’s an accident that some of the oldest, most natural systems on earth resemble the spiritual values of most world religions: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31, Matthew 7:21, 19:19, 22:39, Luke 10). “None of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself” (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 72). Sounds like a blueprint for diversity and interdependence to me.
In 2019, with the support of the Dennis Lin Fund, I attended the Institute of Theology and Disability for the first time. I went with high hopes that learning from world-class scholars in the theology of disability and meeting my fellow practitioners of inclusive ministry would transform my thinking and my ministry. My expectations were more than met and I have spent the past three years integrating the knowledge, relationships, resources into my work. All of this is to say that the bar was set pretty high when I had the opportunity to attend the 2022 Institute in early June.
Photo by Kathy Dickson used with permissionPhoto by Kathy Dickson used with permission
My experience this time was quite different but equally transformative. There were fewer people attending on-site but the speakers and worship leaders were more diverse this year. One of my favorite lectures was “Not Your Ritual Object: A Disabled Perspective in Inclusive Liturgy, Ritual and Spiritual Arts”, a talk by Rabbi Ruti Regan on the challenges of creating successful inclusive rituals. By describing common pitfalls like modifying received religious rituals so much that they lose their emotional impact for the community and become something to merely tolerate, Rabbi Ruti showed how some attempts at inclusive ritual can actually subvert the goal of integration and inclusion of people with disabilities. She underscored the importance creating liturgy that does not define people with disabilities solely by their needs or use disability as a spiritual metaphor but recognizes the experiences of people with disabilities as meaningful in and of themselves. Rabbi Ruti encouraged us to look carefully at the stories and practices that already exist within our religious traditions to find the places that lend themselves to inclusion such as the Jewish practice of repeated prayer bows and readings or the emphasis on divine embodiment during Advent in the Christian tradition. I could go on about the many insightful points made by Rabbi Ruti but I won’t for now.
Another thought-provoking lecture was “COVID-19 is Not Like the Measles: The Hidden Impacts of the Pandemic on the Lives of People with Disabilities” by John Swinton. His described the scarcity mindset many people and governments fell victim to during the pandemic, including those of us whose worldview is supposedly shaped by faith in a God who breaks down barriers and encourages love of neighbor. He pointed to hoarding behavior, the unequal distribution of vaccinations and the inflammation of xenophobic prejudice. At the same time, he also pointed to a heightened awareness of the human need for companionship and community and the increased access online platforms have provided for people with disabilities. He charged communities of faith to lead the way in prophetically reimagining the world helping communities to develop practices that encourage greater relational consciousness and remembering the marginalized.
That’s probably enough detail for now! If you’re interested other incredibly meaningful lectures and talks I attended were:
Beyond Saints and Superheroes: A Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Care Needs of Parents Raising Children with Disabilities by Laura MacGregor, Allen Jorgenson, Kayko Dreidger Hesslein and Roz Vincent Haven
Disability Ethics and Theology: A Symposium by Rosemaries Garland-Thompson, Brian Brock, Devan Stahl and Bill Gaventa
Grief, Loss and End of Life Issues with People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities by Bill Gaventa
LGBTQ Inclusion in Disability Work: A Conversation for Community and Allies by Allison Connelly Vetter and Rebekah Dyer
Rejoicing Through a Communion of Vulnerabilities by Adanna James
The Intersections of Black Liberation Theology and Disability Justice by Rev. Harold “Russell” Ewell II
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Continued Faith Engagement of People with I/DD After COVID-19 by Jasmine Duckworth and Chantal Hardwick
Photo by Kathy Dickson used with permissionPhoto by Kathy Dickson used with permission
Thanks to the Dennis Lin Fund, Sunday Fellowship was able to celebrate forty years of ministry in style. Gorgeous outfits, elaborate decorations (complete with a red carpet), enthusiastic dancing, a photo booth, karaoke and delicious food under a tent in the Garden made the SF Prom a day to remember. A toast to the members and friends of Sunday Fellowship throughout the years on whose shoulders we now stand. Dennis, we know you would have loved it!
Setting the sceneDrinks and Hors D’Oeuvres in the GardenTime to Party!Country Road, Take me Home!Lola Came!Time to Party!Million Dollar Smile!A toast to Sunday FellowshipTo Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To Sunday Fellowship!To forty years of Sunday Fellowship!
We tried a new experiment on May 15th, spending our Sunday morning in service together. Thanks to everyone who helped us:
Build 4 cedar planters for the new West Concord Habitat House
Assemble 15 kitchen starter kits and collect 20 bags and boxes of other kitchen supplies and linens for Household Goods (!!!)
Garden at the Minuteman Arc Pine Street House, adding flowers to beds and window boxes, refilling the bird feeders, repainting a mailbox, and cleaning the porch furniture;
Write over 30 notes of care and send advocacy letters to protect those who have been evicted
Plant seeds for pollinators and paint kindness rocks
Our beloved Annie celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday, March 21st. Some WCUC members surprised her with a birthday visit accompanied by flowers, a chocolate cake, pastries and coffee (so she could save her cake for later!) and many cards from our church community. Smiles, memories, and many laughs filled the room, especially as we listened to Fran Gardella and Anne recount stories from their 50+ years of friendship. What an honor to know and love this dynamic duo. Happy Birthday, Annie!
