This month, I'm reading 'My Body Is Not A Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church' by Amy Kenny.

In this book the author invites the reader to think about how abelism has infected our churches and the assumptions that we make about how welcoming our buildings, the language in our liturgy and even our own ways of speaking and praying are.

Amy Kenny is a Shakespear scholar and lecturer who and she is disabled. She writes about her own experience in church and with the well meaning people in it.

I have been challenged by her experience and come away grateful to have learned from her.

You might know that in 2024 we had an Accessibility audit done of our building in which we looked at some of the things that we can do to make our building more accessible, including having signs with braille in proper locations (this was done at the work party in June), more accessible parking spots and accessible doors that open for people in wheel chairs and using walkers (we have been talking about this at council for the last few months).

If you would like a copy of this review, please ask Marnie.

But recently I have also been thinking about the language that I and we use in our liturgy and prayers. Who and how do we pray for? Do we pray that we might learn as a community to be more welcoming ? Is some of the healing that we seek to rid us of the assumptions that we make about others?

And it would seem that this conversation is timely. This past summer a resolution was passed on the Tenents of Disability Theology which you can see here. 

This resolution asks the Council of General Synod to initiate a process for the wider church to study prinicples of ability and inclusion based on another book called 'The Disabled God, by Nancy Eisland.

I wonder if this is something that you have thought about?

How might this conversation impact our ministry at St. Anne's?

See you on Sunday.

Marnie

Readings for next Sunday include:

JEREMIAH 1:4-10; PSALM 71:1-6; HEBREWS 12:18-29; LUKE 13:10-17

Here is the link to the readings for Sunday

We will be holding a Food Safe Level 1 training in the Church Hall on Saturday, August 30 from 9am - 3pm.

If you are interested in participating in this training, please call the church office to register.

The cost is $50.00 - all costs will be covered for sandwich volunteers.

We are collecting new backpacks and school supplies for children and youth in Richmond.

If you are able, donations can be dropped off at the church office on Sundays or during office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 8:30am to 1:30pm.

If you have any questions, please speak to Marnie or Sharmila.

Join us at Beth Tikvah for a powerful, interactive workshop led by Melaney Gleeson-Lyall and Anne Wicks, exploring the shared history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Open to teens and adults; suggested donation $20.

Please sign up outside the church office.

https://bethtikvah-ca.shulcloud.com/event/kairos-blanket-exercise.html

Watch this space for the many ways that you will be invited to participate in the Season of Creation this year.

If you would like to know more about the Season of Creation, you can watch this short video