I have been a pastor for twenty years. Over the last two decades, God has allowed me to serve in various roles, and I am thrilled to have spent the last five years serving as a member of the Joni and Friends team. I have seen the Church at its best and at its worst. I have seen people loved, and I have seen people shunned. I have experienced healthy staff transitions and ones that were more on the dysfunctional side. I’ve come to realize that all my years of ministry have left me with more questions than answers. Today, I’d like to share some of these questions and pray that it will prompt you to assess your own life and ministry involvement.
What if we were completely surrendered to Christ, trusting him fully with every aspect of our lives?
What if we took Jesus at his word and loved everybody?
What if I spent more time on my knees than on my soapbox?
What if it was more important to build a relationship than establish a legacy?
What if my time was better spent serving my family than serving myself?
What if experiencing heaven on earth has little to do with my feelings but more to do with how much grace I give to others?
What if our churches were havens of safety for families affected by disability?
What if the platform was not reserved for the gifted and powerful, but was available for all who love Christ?
What if we spent less time worrying about our image and more time getting messy as we do life together?
What if my blessing and abundance is meant to bless others?
What if I took “pray without ceasing” more literally and invited God into the daily details of my life?
What if I actively attacked my selfish humanity, rather than passively comparing myself to others?
What if disability ministry was more about friendships than programs?
What if making space for people who are different than ourselves became the norm?
What if we all learned to love people where they are, rather than expecting them to fit in?
What if we could all experience the tremendous blessing that comes from serving others?
What if slowing down to converse with my friends who have verbal impairments was truly good for my soul?
What if my friends affected by disability actually knew God in a way that I could only imagine?
What if being irresistible required there to be less of me and my preferences, and more of Christ in me?
What if Jesus meant it when he said one of our greatest gifts is to simply provide a cup of water?
What if Jesus set an intentional example by performing the majority of his miracles for people affected by disability, and he wants us to follow him in this way?
What if we could love people, welcome people, build authentic communities, and see people affected by disability fully belong in the Church?
What if God is calling you to be the catalyst of change in your community?
What if God is asking you to step out in faith, make a new friend, and lead an authentic community built on Christ that compels people affected by disability to fully belong?
What if…?
Mike Dobes has been in pastoral ministry since 1997 and is currently the Manager of Church Relations for Joni and Friends.
I hope to recover enough that I can visit or call on those who are chronically ill or disabled. I fight depression being alone a lot. But people in church don’t call or visit. I manage to get to church with my husband pushing my wheelchair…that’s the only time I use it because there’s a large sloped ramp that leads from the door to the sanctuary. So they think I’m fine just because I’m there. It is so frustrating. I want to shout “The nerve pain and numbness in my leg hasn’t gone anywhere and may never go anywhere,” which is hard to do when people start out by saying it’s so nice that I’m getting better. I’m not getting better. And I usually walk with difficulty with a walker. I feel so guilty having these feelings. But, as Joni said in one of her books I read, suffering needs fellowship. I don’t know how to ask.
Thank you for your response, JB. Your story reminds us why we do what we do – we are continuously praying for more churches to open their doors a little bit wider. And not just on Sunday morning, but as an authentic community that truly does life together and embraces everybody. We are praying for God to provide you a circle of advocates who will not only support you and your husband, but will also help pave the way in your church for greater awareness and understanding. Many people speak out of sympathy, but it often takes true empathy to bring about community. May God strengthen you, overwhelm your husband with grace, and fill your life with healthy friendships.