A website: e-learning for special populations

Here is a description of a resource for both parents and teachers seeking to bolster their children’s education. There is also a link to a site which addresses the training of teachers. Students with disabilities,  gifted students, and other student populations which face special challenges can find help at this site.

Source: 

http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/e-learning-2011-specialpopulations/index.html

a whole community

St. Stephen the Protomartyr

  Remembering the Shut-Ins and the Hospitalized

“St. Stephen’s is a caring community of Orthodox Christians.  When one of our members is hospitalized or unable to attend services because of health or disability, we are not a whole community.  But for parishioners to reach out to their fellow parishioners, they need to know who those parishioners are.  Please make Fr. Victor or anyone on Parish Council aware of anyone who is hospitalized, ill, or a shut in, so that the information may be shared within the parish.”

from St. Stephen’s Orthodox Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.ststephenscathedral.org/

image from http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2010/12/homily-i-on-st-stephen-protomartyr-by.html

Orthodox Christian Thanksgiving

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

from the Crafty Contemplative

Orthodox Christians take the imperative “pray constantly” very seriously, and rejoicing and giving thanks are aspects of it.

John Sanidopoulos two years ago in his weblog addressed the United States of America’s Thanksgiving holiday in terms of it’s appropriation by Orthodox Christians. He briefly gives a history of Thanksgiving in America and a summary of our way of participation in it, as well as a number of resources which also address Thanksgiving. One of them is the Akathist of Thanksgiving which has been shared here every Thanksgiving since this weblog has existed. To access the post:     http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/11/orthodox-christians-and-thanksgiving.html 

And recently, Fr Stephen Freeman put Thanksgiving in Orthodox Christian perspective with his post “A Life of Thanksgiving“ on  his weblog Glory to God for All Things: http://glory2godforallthings.com/2012/11/11/a-life-of-thanksgiving/ 

The Akathist of Thanksgiving:  http://preachersinstitute.com/2010/11/25/the-akathist-of-thanksgiving/

image from http://craftycontemplative.wordpress.com/category/orthodox-crafts/ 

Novak Family Foundation: “Pick Up Your Cross and Follow Me”

Among the grants given by this Orthodox Christian family is one to the Metropolis of Chicago, which funded a new ministry for children with disabilities, entitled,

“PICK UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME”

 

On Saturday October 30, 2010 this ministry held it’s first retreat, entitled “The Liturgy through Your Senses.” The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago published a document which describes the day of the retreat. To Access: Pick up your cross.doc

Here is an account, with pictures, of another event sponsored by this ministry in 2011, and an anticipation of the second retreat. http://chicago.goarch.org/journal/2011/8/10/pick-up-your-cross-and-follow-me-right-to-fanari.html

 

As further news of this ministry comes out, it will be shared here.

Home Page of the Foundation: http://novakfamilyfoundation.org/Home_Page.html

 

Image of Cross from http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/june-26-isabel-florence-hapgood-ecumenist-and-journalist-1929/ 

St. John Chrysostom

November 13 –

The Feast of St. John Chrysostom

^{The spiritual fathers [Parish Priests (as well as godparents, Sunday School teachers, etc.)] and the parents of children with disabilities are called to “give alms” in a sense much greater than the giving of money (though not to the exclusion of such giving!) – they are called to raise up their spiritual and natural children to be all they can be- to socialize them- with God’s help and by His power- into active participants in the family and the Church (and through the latter, ultimately, into the Kingdom of God). St. John Chrysostom (which means golden-tongued) had much to say about this.}

^{The late John Boojrama of blessed memory also emphasized the importance of interaction- at Church and at home- with the symbols of the community- the sacraments, icons, the readings and the prayers- which illumine more and more as they are handled, experienced, and practiced.}

^{St. John Chysostom’s sermons also provide a wealth of insights for those called to provide socialization to persons with disabilities, whether mental or physical, young or old. The following quotations from St. John Chrysostom and commentary on them are from my (the editor’s) thesis:}

^{“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Our model, Jesus, reveals the true dimensions of almsgiving. “And we all, [. . .] beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18). The lifelong struggle from egocentrism toward consistently reflecting the likeness of Christ through love is the process of Theosis, salvation in its ultimate sense. Our call to love impels us to do all that we can in order that those around us also find their place and role in the Church, the Body of Christ, the Ark of salvation, including those one might deem “less honorable [and] unpresentable . . . On the contrary, the parts of the body which are weaker are indispensable [and are given] greater honor [. . .] that the members may have the same care for one another” (emphasis added) (1 Cor. 12:22-25). ” (pp. 1-2)}

^{In his expository homilies on 1 Corinthians and Matthew, St. John Chrysostom preached on several passage that directly involve the subject at hand, the Church and her members’ ministry to the least of these, and their place in the Church. In his homily 5 he addresses the text, “not many mighty, not many noble [are chosen. Rather,] God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise” (NPNF, 1, 12, 5, on 1 Cor. 1:26-27, 22, c.1). St. John says, “persons of [. . .] great insignificance [are chosen] to pull down boasting” (23, c.2). He warns the self-confident that faith saves, not reasoning ability (24, c.1). Lines of reasoning can lead one into subtle traps away from God. The Faith, received with trust, is a sure foundation (25, c.1). As the Lord says, we must become like a child. In this respect, persons with developmental disability may have something to teach. (9-10)}

^{Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). St. John Chrysostom comments that jostling for position, vanity, and ambition are foreign to the childlike disposition; children are generally uncomplicated and humble, and eager to be taught (NPNF, 1, 10, 58, 360, c.1). St. John says the Lord means by “children” men who have these qualities, who are similarly “simple and lowly, and abject and contemptible in the judgment of the common sort” (360, c.2). To the Lord’s warning that it is better to be drowned with millstone around one’s neck than to cause “one of these little ones” to sin (Matt. 18:6), St. John says, “for many feeble-minded persons have suffered no ordinary offence from being treated with slight and insult” (360, c.2). (p. 11)}

^{Persons with developmental disability typically exemplify, into their adult years, the childlike qualities Jesus calls for, and are thereby icons by which these qualities may be learned. But often their simplicity is despised, for cleverness serves to advance selfish ambitions, which retain a fierce grip on the heart unless the cross and the Kingdom are seized with violence. They thus suffer neglect to the detriment of their sense of belonging and their development, and those who neglect them, unless they repent, face the judgment of God. (p. 11)}

^{St. John Chrysostom says, “In the spiritual marriage [. . .] our Bridegroom hurries to save our souls.” Whether a person is ugly, or an outcast, an ex-convict, disabled, or burdened with sins, the Bridegroom tends to their healing (Bapt. Instr., 28, h. 1.15). He pours upon them His gifts, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, who is active in the weakest members of the Church. (p. 16)}

^{St. John Chrysostom says that just as priests have a flock to feed, “[. . .] every one of us also [. . .] are entrusted with a little flock [. . .].” He speaks chiefly of the family; the man is to lead his sheep “to the proper pastures.” St. John exhorts him to seek, from the beginning of each day, to single-mindedly “do and say something whereby he may render his whole house more reverent.” St. John also directs the woman to seek “that the whole household may work the works of Heaven.” (p. 19)}

^{“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). St. John Chrysostom, in the explication of this admonition, in order to combat the “bad example from popular entertainments,” says, “Let us give them a pattern to imitate; from their earliest years let us teach them to study the Bible.”The Bible characters would become their models, and Hannah, who “commended Samuel into the hands of God,” would be a model for the parents. “(p. 19)}

^{from “St. John Chrysostom and the Socialization of Persons with Developmental Disability” Patristic Inspiration for Contemporary Application” by Bill Gall. To access, click on THESIS}

Voices from Russia: Concerning disability

This a very popular Russian Orthodox Christian blog and the author has categorized “disabilities.” And so one gets a “peek” into one Russian Orthodox Christian’s approach to persons with disabilities. And it will be a big peek; the pictures are huge. Here’s the site:

http://02varvara.wordpress.com/category/disabilities/

EDAN & the Middle East Consultation on Disability (WCC)

Orthodox Christians participated in this consultation. There are eight points elaborated on in the following document; the eighth lays out the goals that they are committed to work on. Access the document here: http://www.oikoumene.org/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan/resources/statements/25-06-06-edan-middle-east-consultation.html

EDAN – Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network

home page http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan.html

about http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan/about-edan/how-edan-is-organized.html 

Newsletters http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan/newsletter.html 

Resources http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan/resources.html 

history http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan/history.html

contacts http://www.oikoumene.org/en/programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/people-with-disabilities-edan/contacts.html 

Seventeen Outstanding Orthodox Christian Disability Resources

Our Lady of Tikhvin Icon

Its hard to choose among the many wonderful efforts that are being undertaken in the Orthodox Church around the world, but here are seventeen to start with. In the RESOURCES there are many more. 

Five Ministries

 An effort by an Orthodox Parish Church,  the Tikhvin Icon of Our Lady Temple: providing 3-D icons for the blind and sign language for the deaf: http://rt.com/news/church-deaf-blind-moscow/

An Orthodox Monastery’s effort: homes and medical treatment for children and adults: http://www.obitel-minsk.by/obitel-minsk_mid538.html 

Comprehensive training toward a productive life in Lebanon: http://www.al-kafaat.org/

Respite care, day care, and permanent accomodation in Australia: http://www.estia.org.au/ 

Challenge Liturgy in various North American Greek Orthodox Christian Churches: http://www.archangelmichaelchurch.org/challenge.htm 

Eight Essays

Father Stephen Plumlee’s essays: The Handicapped and Orthodox Worship  http://www.oca.org/RHArticle.asp?SID=15&ArticleID=65 & Some Practical Suggestions for Parish Ministry To People With Special Needs http://www.oca.org/RHArticle.asp?SID=15&ArticleID=64 

Matushka Wendy Cwiklinski’s Church and the Child with Invisible Disabilities  http://www.oca.org/RHArticle.asp?SID=15&ArticleID=251 

Fr. John Matusiak’s The Accessible Church http://www.oca.org/RHArticle.asp?SID=15&ArticleID=55

Fr. Stephen P. Tsichlis Children With Special needs and the Orthodox Family http://www.stpaulsirvine.org/html/specialneeds.htm

Alana’s  How Can the Church Minister to the Chronically Ill? http://morningcoffee.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-can-church-minister-to-chronically.html 

 TEXTS IN ENGLISH | THE GOLDEN THREAD OF FAITH: MENTAL ILLNESS AND … The Soul: an Interview with Dr. Marina Busigina

Khorea Frederica Matthewes-Green’s Loving a Child with Autism – Writings – Frederica.com 

A workbook, a booklet, a book, and an episcopal summary

 Inclusion Awareness Day Workbook – Inclusion in Worship

 The Body of Christ: A Place of Welcome – Light & Life Publishing … The Body of Christ: A Place of Welcome for People with Disabilities by Fr. John Chryssavgis.

  Alan Philps – The Boy From Baby House 10

Disability and Communion | Standing Conference of the Canonical …  Orthodox  Bishops In the Americas

Image from http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/06/appearance-of-holy-tikhvin-icon-of.html