Singing About Disability
I'm going to be focussing for a little while on how communities of faith handle disability. One of my favorite quotes — and I don't even know where I found it — is this:
"That guy those Christians follow was a carpenter. You'd think they'd build a few more ramps in their churches."
That's why I was so happy when a friend pointed me to this awesome hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. You may know the tune as "Though I May Speak" — and you can watch a youtube version here.
When Hands Reach Out
O WALY WALY 8.8.8.8 ("Though I May Speak")
When hands reach out and fingers trace
The beauty of a loved one's face,
We thank you, God, that love relies
On gifts of grace not seen with eyes.
When fingers spell and signs express
Our prayer and praise and thankfulness,
We thank you, God, that hands can sing;
You bless the silent songs we bring.
When broken bodies will not mend,
We thank you, God, for Christ our Friend.
In him, our healing can begin:
He welcomes all the wounded in.
And when the ways we learn and grow
Are not the ways that others know,
We thank you, God, that we have learned
Your love's a gift, and never earned.
Your Spirit gives us differing ways
To serve you well and offer praise.
When all are joined as one, we'll be
Your able, strong community.
Biblical References: John 15:15; 1 Corinthians 12
Tune: Traditional English melody ("Though I May Speak") (MIDI)
Text: Copyright © 2001 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Through the Roof
A Blog Supported by the Mosaic ministry of Third Church, ECO
"Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on." (Mark 2:3-4)
About: This is a blog about accessibility, intimacy, and community. About being welcome. It’s also about bringing up The Boy. He's 10 years old and has cerebral palsy. Also popping up are The TeenGirl, who just turned 13, and The Mom, who is awesome. It's written by The Dad. It's my words, my view. Other people will think differently and have different opinions. Good.