[nabs-l] having a hard time fitting in at church

Carly Mihalakis carlymih at comcast.net
Thu Sep 20 18:20:12 UTC 2012


Did some of you people forget how to chuckle at satyre? Smile!At 
10:08 AM 9/20/2012, Littlefield, Tyler wrote:
>This article, by far is not what you want people to see. If you want 
>to fit in, go make friends. But the tone of this article seems to 
>look upon us "pitiful souls" as helpless, people those who are 
>"blessed" by god to be "normal," in other words, who should feel sorry for us.
>On 9/20/2012 10:44 AM, Andrew Edgcumbe wrote:
>>hear is an article that would lend into this thread.
>>                              Throw Away Christians
>>
>>
>>                                 By Phil Scovell
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>            I have discovered a  class, or group, of people, born  again they
>>       are,  members of the  Body of Christ,  yet the church  has thrown them
>>       away.  Strangely  enough, I have learned  how much God loves  each and
>>       every one of these throw away Christians.  It goes without saying, but
>>       I  will say it  any way, Jesus  died for them,  shedding His blood for
>>       their sins, and was bodily resurrected for them, too.
>>
>>            These special  groups cover a  wide range of personalities  and a
>>       variety  of physical  conditions.   Some are  in wheelchairs  for whom
>>       ramps are conveniently constructed in order to get these pitiful souls
>>       up and  into the  church building.   Unfortunately, for  these people,
>>       none of  the bathrooms have  been modified to handle  wheelchairs, So,
>>       extra faith  is required of  these folk to  hold it for  several hours
>>       until they get back home or to wherever they live.  These special folk
>>       are  such a blessing to the  church, too.  It  makes you thankful that
>>       you aren't in a wheelchair.
>>
>>            Another category of  these special Christians with  special needs
>>       are  hard of  hearing.   Little,  if  any, regard  is  given to  their
>>       inability to hear through the Public Address system to accommodate the
>>       hearing loss these  people have  nor have  any special  accommodations
>>       been made to  the amplification system which would allow  them to wear
>>       earphones or to even plug in to the system, if using implants, so they
>>       could hear better.
>>
>>            If you are totally deaf, on the other hand, you are in luck.  The
>>       larger ministries  have taught sign  language and so the  services are
>>       then translated for  the deaf.  If you  so happen to wish  to attend a
>>       church without  a translator, then you  are out of luck.   The hard of
>>       hearing, and the totally deaf, are such a blessing to the church, too.
>>       It makes you thank the Lord for your own hearing ability.
>>
>>            The elderly have their own Sunday school class.  This is nice, of
>>       course, because then  all those  that the  church brings  in from  the
>>       nearby nursing home can sit in their own class  without disturbing the
>>       mainstream  body of  believers.   Especially if  they smell  funny and
>>       those bussed  in from the  nearby nursing home  always do.   Yet, even
>>       these elderly people are such a blessing to  the church.  It makes you
>>       thankful for the youth we have.
>>
>>            This  special class and seating arrangement in the church service
>>       for the elderly is  very much like Sunday school for  the children, of
>>       course, so it  seems logically that the  elderly would have  their own
>>       class where they  won't be a bother  to others.  These  same children,
>>       since  they are  so disruptive, have  junior church  immediately after
>>       Sunday school.   This is their own little church they have while their
>>       parents are out in the auditorium having their big church service.  In
>>       this way, church workers, who never  get to sit in on a  Sunday school
>>       class or church service, get to teach the children for a good three or
>>       four hours each Sunday.
>>
>>            Although it  is rare, some  of the mega churches  have discovered
>>       blind people read  Braille instead of print.  Since blind people don't
>>       need to see,  their little group of eight  or ten sit on  the back row
>>       where those ungodly large Braille hymn books  are easily stored.  This
>>       has really brought the blind community together, we are  told, and the
>>       church is able  to minister to them  better when they are  all grouped
>>       together.     Additionally,  there  is  the   added  blessing  of  the
>>       camaraderie which occurs among these,  to be pitied of all handicapped
>>       peoples, just because they are now grouped  together.  They are such a
>>       blessing and encouragement  to the rest of the church as they sit back
>>       on the back  roe with the large  Braille song books and  singing right
>>       along with the rest  of the church.  It makes  you thankful you aren't
>>       blind.
>>
>>            Closely related to the blind group of special Christians, are the
>>       Path Finders group.   These are the mentally retarded bussed in from a
>>       local care  home.   This group also  gets to  sit in  the back of  the
>>       church because  they often  become disruptive  during the service  and
>>       have to be  taken out by the  special workers.  Thank the  Lord we are
>>       not like them and have mental normality.
>>
>>            Finally,  there  is a  silent  group  of  people who  rarely  are
>>       considered.  They don't have their own special hymn books nor are they
>>       assigned a  special place  to sit in  the service.   Furthermore, they
>>       have no special Sunday school class of their own to attend.  We notice
>>       their tears they often  shed during the preaching and teaching  of the
>>       Word  but we just figure  they are being  moved by the  Holy Spirit to
>>       tears.   We would  never once consider  that something  else might  be
>>       wrong.
>>
>>            We have  also noticed  that this silent  group of  unnamed people
>>       often are going forward during  the altar call for specialized prayer.
>>       Again, we have  no idea why  but just assume  they have tender  hearts
>>       toward the Lord.  We have heard they have some special problems but we
>>       have never  talked to  them, other than  to say  hello when  coming or
>>       going to the church,  and they look like people who  prefer being left
>>       alone anyhow.
>>
>>            Eventually, your curiosity  gets the best of you  and you ask one
>>       of the church  leaders who this silent  group of people are.   You are
>>       told that this group has been unofficially classified by the church as
>>       "those to whom only the professionals can handle."
>>
>>       I could continue  with other segments  of society but you  likely have
>>       gotten the picture by now.
>>
>>            Scattered throughout these  various groups, are little  girls who
>>       have  been  molested  or  raped  by  family  members  or  friends  and
>>       relatives.  Little boys can also be found in  the church who have been
>>       sodomized  but as is  the case with  the little girls,  they have been
>>       threatened or ignored if they did tell someone about it.  Now, most of
>>       those children  are adults.  Some  in this silent group  have suffered
>>       from  traumatic   childhood  experiences  and   although  they   daily
>>       experience anxiety and  panic attacks, they  have no understanding  of
>>       the nature of  the cross they must  carry.  When seeking  counsel from
>>       leaders of the church, they  often are referred to "The Professionals"
>>       and told they will be placed on the church prayer list.
>>
>>            Some of these  people suffering from various  forms of depression
>>       have  ungodly  nightmares  the would  frighten  the  average Christian
>>       beyond emotional stability.   Others cry themselves to  sleep at night
>>       because of  the sadness  that tries  to crush  the life  out of  them.
>>       Others,  although they  would never  admit such  to anyone,  even hear
>>       voices.  Some have not only considered suicide but attempted it.  They
>>       never told anyone why they were missing from church for the last three
>>       weeks and no one noticed anyhow.  Some of these people in this special
>>       silent group, are  told they are in  advanced stages of  emotional and
>>       mental  illness.   This group  are  on medications  for sleep  because
>>       otherwise they are awake all night.  Others are on antidepressants and
>>       antianxiety medications  for  their  depression.   Some  are  on  even
>>       stronger  medications  classified  as psychotic  or  psychotropic mind
>>       altering  drugs.    These  are  the more  mentally  ill  people,  who,
>>       amazingly enough, seem to function  in life relatively normally as far
>>       as anyone can  tell.  Holding down  a job, caring for  their families,
>>       driving a car, mowing their grass, reading their Bible, serving in the
>>       church,  and other  activities  that seem  perfectly  normal, are  all
>>       conducted  by these silently hurting  people.  If  people knew, on the
>>       other hand, they had done as the church leadership had recommended and
>>       gone  to  "The  Professionals"  with  their  problems,  and  were  now
>>       diagnosed with  Posttraumatic Stress  Disorder, or  with schizophrenia
>>       tendencies, or told  they have Obsessive Compulsive  disorder, General
>>       Anxiety   Disorder,  or  they   are  clinically  depressed   or  manic
>>       depressive, or  if they have been tested and  found to be bipolar, or,
>>       as is  the case  for some  who have  been brave  enough to tell  their
>>       doctor that  they heard voices  and now  have been determined  to have
>>       Dissociative  Identity Disorder, which  is multiple personalities, the
>>       church wouldn't  come near  them.   Well,  they don't  come near  them
>>       anyway.   These silently hurting  people are throw aways,  right along
>>       with many others, for whom the church chooses not to minister.
>>
>>            My ministry, on the other hand, is  to these silently hurting and
>>       forgotten people.  I pastor them and pray with them.  I  cry for them,
>>       making myself available  for them  24-7 and  pray for them  on my  own
>>       times alone with  the Lord.  They  call me in the middle  of the night
>>       and get me out of bed because they  are afraid.  They call me when I'm
>>       eating my breakfast or lunch or supper and I talk to them as they  cry
>>       and  tell  me  how frightened  they  are  and how  they  want  to kill
>>       themselves.  They  call me as I  listen to my favorite  football games
>>       which I  turn off to talk  and pray with them.   Sometimes, those with
>>       multiple personalities, call.  It isn't uncommon in such cases for the
>>       frightened  alternate personality to  actually do  the calling.   when
>>       they call, I  talk to them until  they become peaceful.   Sometimes an
>>       alternate personality  emails me.   I email them  back and  attempt to
>>       comfort them.   I schedule  regular appointments of prayer  times with
>>       them so the Lord can  continue to reach into  their lives of fear  and
>>       guilt and shame and loneliness and anxiety and pain to heal them.
>>
>>            How long do I continue to minister to them?  Until they are whole
>>       and healed from everything.   Is that possible?  If it is not, you are
>>       serving the wrong  God.  Aren't these  people crazy people?   No, they
>>       are hurting people whom  the Lord not only wants  to heal but can  and
>>       does.
>>
>>            If you are  one of the suffering silent  people and need ministry
>>       because  you have no one to whom you can  turn, call me.  If you are a
>>       pastor and need ministry, call me.  If you are a pastor's wife and are
>>       trapped by fear  and there's no  one to tell, call  me.  If you  are a
>>       pastor or missionary  or church leader, and find  yourself addicted to
>>       pornography, call  me.   If you  are a mixed  up confused  mom who  is
>>       hearing voices in  your head and you  want to kill yourself,  call me.
>>       If  you are depressed, call me.  If  you've been raped or molested and
>>       can't  seem to find  comfort after all  these years, call  me.  Having
>>       marital problems?   Call me.  If  you are sexually confused,  call me.
>>       If you  have nightmares, if  you are suicidal, or  if you've attempted
>>       suicide, call me.   If you've lost a  loved one and the  grief is over
>>       powering and it just doesn't get  any better, call me.  If you  are an
>>       obsessive compulsive, call me.  If you have committed the unpardonable
>>       sin, call  me.  If  you doubt your  salvation, call  me.  If  you have
>>       become involved in an affair, call me.  If you are a throw away,  call
>>       me.
>>
>>            No,  I am not a professional but as an intercessor, I know how to
>>       pray and The True Lord Jesus  Christ still knows how to heal.   If, on
>>       the  other hand,  you require  professional help,  by all  means, find
>>       someone to help you make the right medical decisions.
>>
>>
>>       Safe Place Fellowship
>>       Phil Scovell
>>       Denver, Colorado USA
>>       Mountain Time Zone
>>       WWW.SafePlaceFellowship.COM
>>
>>
>>On 9/20/12, Sarah <coastergirl92 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>That sounds like a horrible discriminating church if you ask me.
>>>
>>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>>From: Lavonya Gardner <hotdancer1416 at gmail.com
>>>To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>><nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>Date sent: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:16:44 -0400
>>>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] having a hard time fitting in at church
>>>
>>>I was told that I  wasn't fowling gods word because I couldn't
>>>talk.  And my sensory input is way, causing me to scream if
>>>things r too bright, loud, or if touched.  Or handle any change.
>>>They thought I was dumb.  They also thought  that I was cursing
>>>them out, when I would make sounds or sign, and that my blindness
>>>was my punishment for not letting them touch me.
>>>
>>>Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>On Sep 19, 2012, at 16:49, Sophie Trist
>>><sweetpeareader at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>   How can they throw you out of a church just because you're
>>>autistic? Sounds like discrimination to me!
>>>
>>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>>   From: Lavonya Gardner <hotdancer1416 at gmail.com
>>>   To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>><nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>   Date sent: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:16:55 -0400
>>>   Subject: Re: [nabs-l] having a hard time fitting in at church
>>>
>>>   I have been thrown out of 25 churches, due to my autism.  They
>>>seem to be fine with me being blind, but autism was not.  So now
>>>I attend 2 churches.  1 of them has sometimes 15 blind people at
>>>a time.  At the other church, I am the only blind person? I am on
>>>the dance team.  I still do not fit in, but I do try to do ad
>>>much ad I can, and try and be ne'er people with my interests.
>>>Have you tried finding people to talk to that have your
>>>interests?
>>>
>>>   Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>   On Sep 19, 2012, at 10:49, Andrew Edgcumbe
>>><andrewjedg at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>   Hi nabs students readers
>>>
>>>   I hope you all are doing well.
>>>
>>>
>>>   Anyway
>>>   I am struggling with fitting in at my church and things.
>>>
>>>   I  been having a hard time finding friends to talk to there and
>>>things.
>>>
>>>   They all seem to talk to each other and just walk away from me
>>>and things.
>>>   every time after the service is over they just talk to each
>>>other's
>>>   friends and i am not really talked to much at all i am often
>>>left
>>>   sitting alone sometimes they walk out of the church pew all
>>>together
>>>   and things i get left behind allot i don't get included in going
>>>out
>>>   to lunch and things like that.
>>>
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>
>
>--
>Take care,
>Ty
>http://tds-solutions.net
>The aspen project: a barebones light-weight mud engine:
>http://code.google.com/p/aspenmud
>He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; 
>he that dares not reason is a slave.
>
>
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