Mark Stephenson

Author Wendy Wassink told me that you can support the Blades by voting for them to win the Aviva Community Fund Contest.  To do so, log onto the website and vote for The Blades.  You can vote 15 times/once per day. The BLADES idea number is ACF17144.

Greg, Well said. Good example about the stigma that we heap on the heads of many people, such as your example of people living with mental illness who in turn believe the stigma and fill with shame. If we are going to present that wonder of the new life that comes through the work of Jesus Christ, we need to see Christ not only as Sacrifice for our sin, but also as Reconciler between us and the Father, Healer of broken lives, Cleanser of shame, Victor over the powers of evil, Restorer of shattered relationships, probably more. That gives a much deeper sense of what he meant when he said that he came to bring life to the full.

Yeah, an author claiming that "redemption" has little meaning in pop culture hasn't looked at pop culture much. In the first 20 hits on Google, one can find Redemption High-Rye Bourbon (92 proof), Redemption Belgian Pale Ale, and Redemption, a movie about people who make their living in New York redeeming cans and bottles. More meaningfully, one finds "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," and a plenty of other books and movies claiming that they are stories of redemption. These latter examples come a lot closer to the biblical ideal, though most illustrate a redemption that takes place through human effort, canny skill, or luck. Still one could do much worse to learn what "redemption" is than watch the Shawshank Redemption. It's all about hope fulfilled, and isn't that at the heart of the Bible's idea of redemption too?

Technology in church life must allow more people to participate in worship, not fewer people. As an example of technology that cut me out, I had to quit looking at the song lyrics at a church because I grew sick to my stomach from the rapidly moving background. Here are some ideas for increasing participation: John Frank has written many excellent pieces on using technology for usability and accessibility including these two: Optimum Readability of Computer Projected, Printed, or Internet Text and Using Computers For Inclusive Worship. Also, not only should church leaders think about sound amplification, as another comment says, but also they should consider hearing loop systems which dramatically improve involvement in worship by people with properly equipped hearing aids. See A Baker’s Dozen Frequently Asked Questions about Hearing Loops. I wrote an article about churches that have used technologo to enhance participation by people with visual impairments include bulletins and newsletters in Braille, and a ministry that offers free theological books and commentaries for people with visual impairments. That article is part of an entire issue of our newsletter, Breaking Barriers, that discusses various uses of technology to enhance involvement in church life.

Bill, I'm no lawyer, so I don't know whether the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) act trumps Washington law, but the ADA says, "Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls." In addition, "Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. . . . Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."

So the national law says that any dog that's out of control, or one that someone just likes having as a companion but is not a service animal, does not have to be allowed into a public facility.

Welcome Norm. Unlike Karl, I have no words of wisdom for you. Just hearty thanks for taking on this work, and a prayer for God's blessing on you in it.

An article reviewing President Barak Obama's remarks about mental health in a speech made on June 3, 2013, says, "The president also pointed out that persons with mental illnesses statistically are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators, and the vast majority of gun violence in America is not linked to people with mental problems. 'I want to be absolutely clear the overwhelming majority of people who suffer from mental illnesses are not violent,' he declared."