AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCHES

An Open Letter to the Churches

I felt like a Stranger All Alone in Church

I could almost see the glory.  The front two rows of the church, filled with wheelchair and mobility impaired people.  It was glorious.

My favorite spot in the church is to sit/wheel into the back.  Why?  It is symbolic?  Blacks where always asked to occupy the back rows.  Also, the people whom tend to occupy the back rows are the homeless and the poor, because, they do not want everybody to see them.  They want to be comfortable in church, and, if they sit in the front, then they will get the nasty looks and the whispers. 

Yes.  I felt alone.  I felt alone because again, I was the only wheelchair in the church. The last time before this one was at Bible Study.  I looked for those elderly persons whom have the electric scooters and in the oversize church rental wheelchair [the church has standby chairs].  

I miss and yearn.  I miss and yearn New York, and the disabled ministries that used to come the Belsky House to worship with all the “cripples”.  It was glorious beyond belief.  To hear people whom could hardly talk worship and sing to God.  Glory beyond comparison.

And now, March 2016, I am faced with the same scenario, being alone in church.  Wow.  The dread. 

Church has become, many of them, a place for the young people only.  You do not see the elders much in the church.  Grandma coming in to lead a worship and praise song.  Services begin at 8 PM in many church, but you do not see the opening at 7 PM and people coming in and immediately getting on their knees to pray and thank God.  It is the new style of church, and, I hate it.  Where is the popcorn?  Those people whom used to pop up and give their testimony during praise and worship.  It is gone “Deary”.  

Jesus and his ministry, he went out to get the disabled.  He went out and healed the sick and raised the dead.  Just read the scriptures, it is there.  Really.  But, very few churches have church vans, less handicapped wheelchair vans, to “Bring them” and “call them” to worship the Almighty. 

I say this in dedication in part to Esther Flores.  The missionary whom came back for a few month, from Peten Guatamala, and shared with me what I term is “Missionary Post Traumatic Stress”.  Abroad, the people whom have nothing appreciate all you give them and worship God thereby.  She saw the orphans and children in need, and said, “I want to adopt all of them”.  She said, “You do not understand Ray, they are locked up and outcast of society”.  There, for sure, if you are disabled you are “warehoused” and considered nothing.  The same dedication is to Jennifer Frye, whom’s son sees the same thing, and wants to stay abroad in Honduras.  He did not want to come back.  He saw the same needy children.  I am wondering when the churches in the US are going to see the same needy people, the disabled, in all their glory.  This is why I pray; This is why I hurt.  

My Brother’s Keeper

We grew up in poverty and in  one of the US terms “Welfare Mom” homes.  Dad, lost his mind when he was cracked over the head by police officers, after finding mom had cheated on him with his best friend.  So, the productive member and provider of our family was turned into an invalid, mentally, not physically; and, then you have the oppression cycle of the island of PR being used for export crops while the islanders could not afford to eat, because subsistence farming was almost outlawed.  In that type of environment I was born (they had eugenics laws open and on the books). 

So, here in the US, the poverty level is that which many people live in or below.  The question then is would you see your brother/sister with a ripped shirt, dirty and filthy, eating “oddles of noodles” for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and hole-ly shoes, with air conditioning on the bottom, and not able to withstand water because the glue comes apart; in that type of environment, being your brother/sister, well off, in what manywould term two story houses, the BMW parked in the driveway, the big screen TV over the fire place, the vases and décor, the piano, the luxurious beds and high quality towels, would you turn your brother away or allow him/her to continue to live in squalor.  

That same brother/sister whom did what they were supposed to do.  “Get that education”.  I got it.  Like I said, we live in abundance.  I reflect upon those missionaries I know or have talked.  Those whom suffer missionary PTSD.  They come back to the land of abundance and start to cry and cry and cry.  The come from missions trips abroad in the land of plenty.  The lands where in people are grateful for the few things.  Hence, the introspection is while you drive the latest Honda Odyssey Van, in the neighborhood where grass is manicured and not cut or mowed, that you consider your brother/sister in this land of plenty.  Making a space at your table for someone else to eat is important.  Otherwise, if you can continue to have plenty and see your brother in poverty and are fine with it, then just keep on your merry.  The challenge is in the blessing.  Some people were born into a disability through no fault of their own. 

I have a hard time when I see the people from the assisted living center walking up to the Dollar store, quite far away for me, less people with disabilities.  I stop when I can and do offer a ride, two way trip, for them.  That is the poor helping the poor.  What about the church helping the church member or visitor.  Is it okay for you to have a $50.00 shirt, $80.00 pants, etc, and your brother/sister depend on donations for clothes?  I do not know.  It is hard for me to accept.  That includes my biological sister aside from the spiritual siblings. 

One of my brother’s came to visit from Cali, and fixed up things for me that I just could not do.  Sometimes, just sweeping off the front porch means a lot.  Raking my leaves causes me to be ecstatic.  Go Figure.   Last year I purchased a used lawn mower because my body just cannot take mowing the lawn anymore; I have the weed whacker for trimming but just find it hard to get out there.  Hence, if you just take the time, after you manicured your lawn, to go do someone else’s, your brother’s or your sister’s, that might be all the missionary work you need to do, at least once a year.  

Get this in your mind and picture this, a person in a wheelchair pushing a lawnmower.  Get this in your mind, a person bent over like a hunchback, mowing the lawn, and having to take three hours, due to breaks, and continuing to finish cutting the lawn the next day, because his hips hurt so bad, and back is aching.  My neighbor did my lawn once in 25 minutes, and, she did an awesome job.  I took pride in doing it when I first purchased the house, and could do it ten years ago.  I cannot pay anyone because no-one will give me a job.  Hum.  Is it me saying or doing something wrong? And, the person I had to help was taken by the worship leaders, go figure. 

The Charge is to the Church

Jesus went out to those the church was not serving.  He went out and healed the sick and raised the dead.  Just look at how much time he spend in the field versus at church. 

Think about it like this; for the past two to three years, or more, I have been a part of various divorce care groups.  Generally, the people whom start attending these groups have nothing to do with the church.  They are not members, but, most often the groups are hosted by a church.  They are not “hit over the head” with the bible and preaching, but, in part and pieces, the Word of God is delivered to them.  Throughout the years, I have seen many come to know God through these groups.  So, think about this, a disabled person, that elderly person in a wheelchair at a nursing home; that young person in a nursing home or rehab facility whom could be in college; and that grandma or grandpa in their home, are all connected to family and others.  And, if you help them, then, others will immediately see your good work.  Whereas, if you help those whom you are just related to you or are well off anyway and “can help you” with a loan or two, etc, then where is the blessing. 

I am missing a picture here.   I do not see the church actively involved in helping the elderly.  How many churches have trust funds and oversight over the church member whom became frail and elderly and needs a little help with managing there affairs.  Here in the US we are quick to say there are agencies and associations for that.  But, I thought that agent should and had to be the church. 

For example, I attended an employment group at a local church, and a member was there whom was ready to go oversees to share his gift and ministry abroad.  I asked him for help with a job, and, quite naturally he Googled it and said there are a lot of agencies that “help people like you”.  And, I responded, “Isn’t that supposed to be the church?”. And, he just did not get what I was saying, “Is not the church here to help the disabled?”, clueless and totally missed the point he did.  Here in the land of abundance, the US, we have so many resources, that we have nothing.  Nobody wants to muddy their hands.  I talked with a pastor about a feeding program, clothing ministry, etc, to help those that do not have, and, the response was “we got burnt helping some”.  The burning is the blessing.  The blessing is helping someone and seeing the transformation from a stinky person with one outfit to a full fledged contributor in the church and society, with a new stable family and job, because someone cared to help.  I see it often with the “graduates” from divorce care.  The look raggedy and complaining and broken up when they start, but leave fully commissioned and blessed.   I miss it with the ministries I was a part of in New York. 

Can you see the glory?  Would it be glorious?  Two to three rows of wheelchairs, canes, crutches, elderly; all on the front rows worshipping God.  Homes the church owns to provide for the homeless and disenfranchised.  Wheelchair vans to bring them to the services. I remember the dedicated rows and plaques labels on them in the church with Mother’s names on them up to the fourth row back. 

Side Track/Reflection

I have a dog, and, she often just wants to go out for a car ride;  she knows she may just ride for a bite, but, she knows she may end up at a park or visiting others.  Usually, if I do not call her to me to go with me out the door, she will just watch me go.  Other times she is fed up with being inside and wants to go out, and bum rushes me to the door.  I cannot tell you how many times I have gone into an assisted living facility and/or nursing home and the people just wanted to get out for a few minutes.  They just wanted someone to spend time with them.  For them, just riding to McDonalds was an awesome treat.  For them, being picked up to go to the Family Dollar Store is the best blessing you can bestow.  It is not much.  Perhaps just starting with a once a year campaign and see how that goes.  Try once a year to get all the wheelchairs and elderly and disabled into the church.  See if God will Bless you.  Or, Go to the local nursing home, drug treatment place, assisted living and help someone or have a service there, once a year, and see if you will not be blessed. 

The other subject is this.  Often, God has placed people, believers, in places and positions of authority.  That includes positions where they make hiring decisions.  Try, once a year, to hire one disabled person, see if God will Bless You.  Do not say, there are agencies for that.  I say, if that were the case I would not be unemployed for the past six years. 

I am not a fan of employing persons within the church on salary.  I believe and was taught to believe that the church should be run by volunteers.  My belief was instilled that the church was run by volunteers, but, at least once a year you would spot light that person and take up a love offering for that person, so the church can be a blessing to that person.  But I know some churches are so big that they must hire people to help run church based programs.  My challenge to you is to hire someone with a disability, mobility impaired, partially stroked individual, and see if God will Bless you.  If He does not, ask yourself, Would that be the will of God, to have a disabled person serve, someone whom “needs a place at the King’s table”.  I heard of a wedding wherein the invited guest did not show, and someone was commanded to get the cripple/lame/outcasts and invite them to the feast.  

Think about it like this, those people, the disabled, with those “government checks” in the US often live at or below the poverty level.  If God has blessed you to be able to go to Starbucks and get a $6.00 coffee, do you think blessing someone else with one would be in His will?  Share your blessing and I am sure God Will Bless with More.  How many people, poor people, people in wheelchairs, do you see when you go to the Holiday Play?  What would happen if you blessed someone by taking them with you?  Is that the will of God? 

The charge then is to help?  Can you help Me?  Can I help you?  Can I sit at your table and share a meal with you?  Hum? 

Can you see the vision?  Can you see the church filled with people with disabilities.  This is dedicated to Sharlita Wilkins, a child of God that can hardly talk and fend for herself; and Liz, and all the missionaries whom God out to take care of those that have less than them; and, this is for the churches whom are about to minister to the disabled.  God is Good. 

I charge you all and challenge you all not to just send an offering but to go out and get someone and help them.  Help them attend a church service once a year.  Help them to go to the Family Dollar Store, or the Park, or Supermarket.  Help them to participate in some activity.  Help and invite them to work in the church.  Do not rely on the government, they do not have the charge.  See the Glory I have seen.  Help somebody.  Help Me.  God Bless. 

For more information visit:

http://www.reyoadvocacy.com/

http://www.reyoadvocacy.org/

http://www.isaiahrosen.com/

The vision is to have a ministry with vans and people to help those elderly and disabled come to church.  I am focusing on the Eastern Part of NC.  If you can help then let me know.  The vision includes setting up a collaboration of community churches to identify persons in need and help them as a group.  Can the churches look past their denominations to help the cripple person and the homeless person and the ones the court system failed, etc. Churches united with a Purpose.