Bulletin 12.29.24

 When we sing the praises of someone loving, we inevitably refer to the person’s ability to give love. As our accolades praise giving love, the ability to receive love fades into anonymity. Do we believe the capacity to receive love is a given and not worthy of acknowledgment?  

- Psychology Today, “The Lord Art of Receiving"

The vocation of the Christian community is to learn to love God and in coming to love God, learn what it means to love and to receive love from all of its members.

 - John Swinton, Becoming Friends of Time: Disability, 

Timefulness, and Gentle Discipleship

Disciples of Jesus Christ live from a particular posture and status. As adopted children and indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, disciples are welcomed into the secure, adoptive love of God. This indwelling is brought upon the disciple solely through the work of God and not reliant on the capacities or efforts of the disciple. The gift of adoption is something to be received, not merited or achieved. It is from this place, living with the indwelling Spirit of the Son, that a life of discipleship is lived. In opposition to the limited nature of the arguments above for God’s work overcoming, or working in spite of, a person’s profound intellectual disabilities, a new imagination of evangelical discipleship is needed to recognize that people with profound intellectual disabilities exhibit a vocational calling of reception. All that can be done in life with Christ is to receive. This is true not only for people with profound intellectual disabilities but for all disciples of Jesus Christ.  

Phil Letizia, Held in the Love of God: 

Discipleship and Disability

The Gospel According to John 1.12-16 

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

(Prayer)