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Posted on 08/25/2014 7:02:07 PM PDT by Morgana
I honestly don’t believe many low functioning people require the standard “forgiveness.” They are as innocent as babies as far as I can tell, more so in some cases...they aren’t restricted by infant bodies.
Just my thought. It won’t hurt my theology either way.
Now to be fair, that's a pretty Catholic attitude. We go to mass to give worship, and hopefully receive grace. The separated brethren often go to get their "battery" recharged, not "enjoyment,"and I for one am not going to hold that against them.
So while I find no issue with a special needs person interrupting my ability to follow the service, I can see where an Evangelical could feel "slighted."
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“I highly recommend Corrie Ten Boom’s short book on that very subject, Common Sense Not Needed.”
I found an open-source copy on Archive.org:
Common Sense Not Needed by Corrie Ten Boom
https://archive.org/details/CommonSenseNotNeeded
The ebook link is in the sidebar.
There are churches that have disability ministries. At one church I am aware of, parents of disabled children do not have to be members of the church for the children to attend. Disabled individuals are in productive classes that teach them according to their abilities.
Contact College Church in Wheaton, Wheaton, Illinois for information on their disability ministry. they may be able to point you to a church with a disability ministry in your area.
College Church in Wheaton is a non-denominational church.
My church is presently setting up special ministry for families with special needs children.
http://www.legacychurchnm.com/refuge
I’m not sure about other churches but Catholic Churches usually have cry rooms where the Mass can be viewed without the crying babies and toddlers and others disturbing it.
Once at Mass the priest said: “It’s kinda loud in here today with all the little ones. But I thank God their voices can be heard. A lot of the voices of the unborn and the handicapped are prematurely silenced.”
Matthew 25:31-45 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Based on what I see in showmanship, NO!
There's too much attention drawn to those on stage performing.
I view my times of praise and worship as something between me and God, something personal and intimate, not something to put on display and *lead* other people as if they're idiots who cannot figure out for themselves how to worship.
It comes across too much as *Look at me. I'm so spiritual.*
And when the *worship leader* decides to use the opportunity to start preaching a little 5 minute sermon at us, that really pushes me over the edge.
If that's what they're going for, they have some serious issues with their spiritual lives.
No Christian should be that dependent on Sunday morning services.
If they're walking with Christ as they should, church should not be necessary at all. (Yeah, and I know someone is going to jump on that, but they ought to think about it before doing so)
In my experience, everyone has serious issues with their spiritual life.
Yes and no.
If someone is reading the Word, meditating on it, and praying on a regular basis, they are getting spiritually fed on a regular basis and don’t *need* church.
People don’t eat one huge meal a week and expect it to sustain them or consider it an adequate diet. They don’t talk to their spouse or child once a week and consider it a healthy relationship.
A person’s relationship with God should not be so dependent on church and when it throws someone so for a loop because they missed church, yeah, I still contend that they have some serious issues with their spiritual lives.
Then why does the Bible command it?
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
It does not command coming together for church once a week.
It doesn't say it has to be church.
And the admonition is not to do it as the habit of some is. IOW, don't do it all the time.
I attend church because I want to, not because I have to, and I don't attend church because I need it, cause I don't NEED it.
The mainstay of my spiritual walk is my (mostly) daily Bible reading and prayer.
Church is nice, I usually learn something, I enjoy getting together with other believers, but it is not my spiritual battery recharge time. I'm not depending on it for that because it's not enough to get me through the week.
How do you know?
Living as a Christian is not just indiviual, it is also community of other believers, a balance.
A gentleman living a few ridges over from me wrote a poem of sorts for which he was famous called “Trouble in Amen Corner” by Archie Campbell. The situation involved an elder in the church and his singing. http://www.bing.com/search?q=Archie+Campbell+%2BTrouble+in+Amen+Corner&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IE8SRC
In bigger churches a children's service seems more the logic answer. I remember my mom used to work in the nursery for example. I would have been considered a special needs kids by todays standards. I have a disorder that mimics ADD ADHD but isn't. Yet if I didn't sit still in church I caught it from Mom LOL :>}
Today? Due to intolerance to churches acoustics I can't attend. I would be having spasms the entire time of the sermon so I simply don't attend.
“They are the Main Line Protestants. The other 58% are the evangelicals.”
No. There were Evangelicals who voted for Obama: http://www.pewforum.org/2012/11/07/how-the-faithful-voted-2012-preliminary-exit-poll-analysis/
There were Evangelicals who voted for Obama: http://www.pewforum.org/2012/11/07/how-the-faithful-voted-2012-preliminary-exit-poll-analysis/
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