My husband is quickly closing in on two years as a pastor. I have learned more in those two years about life, theology, bearing crosses, and receiving blessings than I have in my previous 28 years.
One of my biggest learning curves when coming here was culture shock. I'm a northerner in the south, yes, but that isn't the culture shock I am referring to here. My husband serves a dual parish - one church is an historically black congregation (established in 1898), and the other is a church serving a large number of people with visual impairments (established in 2001).
Black Ministry and Blind Ministry. That is right. My husband probably has one of the most unique Calls in the LCMS. Writing one post about all this would basically be a book, so today I am going to talk to you about what I have learned about blindness.
Close your eyes and walk into a church service sometime. What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel? Do you know when to stand and sit? Do you know every word of every hymn? Are you able to get to your own seat? What about Holy Communion? Could you make it up there and feel comfortable knowing exactly what to do without sticking out?
Maybe you could. Maybe you have been in church every Sunday for your whole life and it has never changed one bit. Most of us don't live in that world, though.
When I first came here, I honestly had no idea why there was a congregation of the LCMS meeting on the grounds of another LCMS congregation. That's right, my husband's church meets in the side building of a large LCMS congregation. My first thought was, "Why don't they just go to church over there?"
Then I met the people. I heard their stories. I listened to their experiences.
Church can be scary. I remember being new to Lutheranism just eight years ago. I didn't know what I was doing, when to stand or sit, how to go up (or not go up) for closed Communion.
And I can see. I can copy what others do. I can read the hymnal. I can fake it. And I was scared.
Our congregation has members who require Braille materials (every word of every service, every Bible study handout, every bulletin announcement, every hymn). Add it all up in your head. The commitment to create these materials is huge, and it would be a monumental task for a church unprepared for such a venture.
Our congregation also has members who require large print materials. Many churches provide large print, but this is even larger - the size needed for also using a magnifying glass held up to the paper.
Our congregation has a piano player who is blind and is losing her hearing. She plays everything by ear, and at times must have someone who knows the tune sing very close to her so she can follow. So, for my husband, there are very few opportunities to introduce different hymns. When he does, he calls the pianist, sings the hymn over and over until she remembers it, and goes line by line. Then, at church that week, we need to sing it a couple times before the service starts because there are many who are not able to see the music notes. We often sing hymns to other tunes that are more recognizable.
Our congregation has members who are blind and are not able to read large print or Braille. Repetition is key. We stick to a relatively simple form of the traditional liturgy. We sing one introduced hymn for a whole season of the church year (usually only one or two stanzas). Everything is done by memory for the most part.
Our congregation does not just follow habit of when to sit and stand, because many are new to Lutheranism or new to Christianity and also cannot read the words on a page. So, my husband directs service.
"For those who are able, please rise."
"You may be seated."
"We will now have the first two rows come for Communion."
"The sermon hymn will be..."
"The words of this verse are..."
And so on.
Our congregation has two members with guide dogs. Did you know that referring to a guide dog as a "seeing eye dog" is incorrect? "Seeing Eye Dogs" come from a particular brand of guide dog schools. Many guide dogs don't come from those training schools. I learned that one in the last two years, as well. One of our guide dogs uses the word "RISE" to stand. She stands during all parts of the service when my husband directs to, "Rise if you are able." She is able, and she rises. It is great.
Our congregation has seven or eight members who use canes to guide them. Did you know some people choose to name their canes? They refer to them by name. My toddlers now pick up sticks all over the place and walk around with them like a guide cane. It is pretty awesome.
Our congregation has many members who ride public transportation. Many ride the local Special Transportation Service (STS) buses. They are picked up at their home at a pre-determined 30 minute window, and dropped off at our church. The bus arrives in a pre-determined 30 minute window after church, and when it comes, they have to go. It may be early. It may be late. But what a blessing to have transportation at all. Many of our members cannot come to church because they are not able to ride the STS due to their home's location, and there is no one to pick them up. What a sad cross to bear. Do you know anyone who would go to church if you picked them up? Please, think about doing it. I have personally seen the sadness that comes with this.
Our congregations has members who have been blind since birth, some who went blind after a traumatic event, and some who have diseases who caused blindness slowly throughout their lives. The variations of how they interact in a "seeing world" is varied. When I first came, it was somewhat hard for me to know how to handle the non-verbal communication that happens or doesn't happen. Eye contact, facial expressions, and body language - the keys to how I (and most people) have grown to communicate are very different. Do you announce when you leave the room? Do you let people know you are back from the bathroom? I do now. It seems common to me. If I didn't, I may leave someone talking to an empty room or enter a conversation without their knowledge. Did you know eye contact is more than just seeing? Blind people can tell when you aren't making eye contact. Your voice changes, it may face a different direction or show a disinterested inflection. Did you know some blind people roll their eyes at you? Yep, they make fun of you non-verbally, too - like when the pastor makes a sad stab at a joke. They roll their eyes and give him a pity laugh.
While sitting on the front porch of a member's home recently, I was talking to her about how when we first showed up I was sure people were going to want to touch my face. You know, I am sure you have seen some movie or heard some story about blind people who feel people in order to see them. I was shocked that no one has ever asked to touch my face. When I told her this, she laughed. As a woman who has been blind since birth and attended a boarding school for the blind, she said she would never ask to touch anyone's face. She considers it a very intimate gesture, and would only do it to her own children.
When our youngest child was born last year, we had her baptism five days after birth. Part of the joy of a new baby in a congregation is seeing how sweet and tender children are. I worried about how to allow others to experience her without exposing her to so many people at a young age. One of our blind members said, "Can I touch her foot?" It was like music to my ears - the perfect moment. So, every member who was unable to see her, got to touch her little tiny feet. I still cherish those visions in my mind. I probably always will.
Blind people are like everyone else. They have unique talents. They have unique personalities. They have unique ways of bearing their crosses. But most of all, just like me, they have unique sins. They need a savior. They need to be told about how He healed the blind and the deaf. They need to hear about how He died on a cross for them. They need to be given His Body and His Blood for the forgiveness of those unique sins.
And my husband is blessed to be the one to do just that.
And I am blessed to be the one who gets to watch it.
The monetary needs of a congregation with so many unique physical needs is great. Many of our members survive on disability or a hard-earned wage at a local military factory that provides jobs to people with disabilities. It is a government sponsored facility, and it is a great use of government funds. It provides a daily task and the ability to earn your own way to people who may not have that option elsewhere. But like everywhere, people are being laid off, and the people are seeing less hours.
If you are interested in supporting blind ministry in our congregation, we would be very appreciative. And so would our church members.
Here is what you can do:
1. Pray for us. Pray for my husband. Pray for the needs of the blind and the disabled. Pray for the needs of those in your own community who need special services.
2. Provide financial assistance. Add Abundant Life Lutheran Church to your mission gifts. Host a fundraiser in honor of blind ministry. Any amount of assistance would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in sending funding, please write checks payable to Abundant Life Lutheran Church and send to my husband's main office at 204 N Little Texas Rd, Kannapolis, NC 28083. You may also contact my husband at pastorstout@yahoo.com.
3. Follow our page on Facebook, titled "Abundant Life Lutheran Church," and keep up to date on our services, our people, and our focus. Visit our website at www.abundantlifelutheranchurch.org.
4. If you are local to our congregation (Charlotte, NC), provide rides to the blind. Bring them to our church, take them shopping at Wal-Mart on a Saturday, or treat them to a lunch out at a restaurant. Provide meals for our Thursday night Bible study. Join us for a service and experience it through your own eyes.
5. If you are not local, seek out ways to make your own church more accessible and welcoming to those with special needs. Offer a ride to someone in your congregation who is not able to come by themselves. Make sure everyone is able to participate in your service. God's Word is for everyone.
