The Methodist hymn writer Jane Marshall poses a question every Christian ought to have the privilege of asking: What gift can we bring, what present, what token? What words can convey it, the joy of this day? When grateful we come, remembering, rejoicing, what song can we offer in honor and praise? (The New Century Hymnal, # 370)

A church that is accessible to all is a church in which everyone is affirmed as a steward of the abundance of God’s joy. We all have a gift to bring, a song to offer God in honor and praise.

Instead of abundance, however, far too many operate with assumptions of scarcity. There is not enough – not enough money, not enough time, not enough ability. This is particularly challenging for persons who are regularly told by others that they do not have enough.

Not enough vision.
Not enough hearing.
Not enough intellect.
Not enough stamina.
Not enough strength.
Not enough coherence.
Not enough memory.
Not enough youth.
Not enough beauty.

Elevators, ramps, signers, large print, Braille, as critical as they are, only make a difference if those who have access are also affirmed as stewards of the abundance of God’s joy rather than seen as persons who don’t have enough to enable them to bring a gift and sing a song, in honor and praise.

What’s at stake in this is not only the integrity of ministry found in each of our local churches or even our denomination. The integrity of the whole church rests on this as well. Our ecumenical commitments have helped us to discover this truth as they have explored the various ways in which the body of Christ is divided. Addressing racism, sexism, homophobia, and the exclusion or demeaning of persons with disabilities is as critical to restoring a sense of wholeness to Christ’s church as is our work on division resulting from differing interpretations of sacraments and the ordering of ministry. Early in the 1980’s the nine member churches of the Consultation on Church Union reminded us in strong and urgent ways that physical access to facilities is an indispensable starting point, but it is not enough. Subtle patronizing of persons with disabilities, the refusal to receive such sisters and brothers as full human beings and contributing members of Christ’s body, is a form of apostasy.

In those early conversations of COCU people like Harold Wilke and Virginia Kreyer took leadership roles. Today we must ask, has the gift the United Church of Christ offered to our ecumenical community been received in our own church’s life? Are we perpetuating notions of scarcity? Is our “accessible to all” church still burdened with the assumption that some people don’t have enough of whatever it is that enables each of us to bring a gift and offer a song?

Jane Marshall teaches us that we bring our gift and offer our song out of the abundance of joy, God’s joy. It is a joy beyond mere happiness, a joy rooted in the wholeness of God in Christ overflowing in the lives of all the baptized. The challenge of the new century for an accessible church will be more than architectural; it will be theological. We must move beyond the apostasy of a belief in scarcity, either for all or for some, and claim the faithfulness of a recognition that in Christ there is abundance for all. Then, out of that abundance, all may ask themselves, what gift can we bring, what song can we offer, and an “accessible to all” church will become a church offering to God true honor and praise.

From the UCC DM Newsletter Archive