Will disability exist in heaven? Part 2: What do we know about heaven?

In case you missed yesterday's post, it might work best to start there, and if you find today's and yesterday's posts thought-provoking, then you won't want to miss the wrap-up post tomorrow. Here's the list of posts:

• Why ask the question? (Yesterday's post)
• What do we know about heaven? (Today's post)
• Will disability exist in heaven? (Tomorrow's post)

First, let me acknowledge that I'm not a theologian, and I'm sure this is not a perfect answer. I am aiming to answer the question of what we know about heaven directly from God's word, but I may overlook key passages. Feel free to point those out or add to the conversation in any other way by leaving a comment!

Second, I'm not planning to address every aspect of what we know about heaven, just the aspects that relate to the question of disability in heaven. If you're looking for info about the streets of gold and about the absence of the sun (because of the presence of the Son!), then I'm sure Google can be your friend to find that sort of post.

Finally, today's post isn't going to answer the question of disability in heaven. That will come tomorrow. Today I just want to identify the verses that help us get to that post. Please be aware, though, that I will bold sections of each verse to highlight some key phrases leading to our answer.

And now, what do we know?

There will be no more tears or death or mourning or crying or pain or thirst or hunger or sorrow or sighing in heaven.

• He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. {Revelation 21:4}


• And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."{Revelation 21:6}


• They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." {Revelation 7:16-17}


• The last enemy to be destroyed is death. {1 Corinthians 15:26} [nope, that's not just the inscription on the gravestone of Harry Potter's parents; they were God's words first!]


• And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. {Isaiah 35:10}

A longer passage along the lines of those shared above is Isaiah 65:17-25:

"For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain
or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,
and their descendants with them.
Before they call I will answer;
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,"
says the LORD.

As we look forward to heaven, it is wise to remember that earthly suffering may be great, but the glory of God is greater.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. {Romans 8:18}

And that faith requires hope in what we cannot see yet.

• for we walk by faith, not by sight. {2 Corinthians 5:7}


• For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. {Romans 8:24-25}

And, as we consider all this, we need to be mindful that we can only have this conversation because of the grace demonstrated in the gospel of Christ. Heaven is only an option because Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection achieved for us what we could not do on our own. Praise be to God for providing his son as the substitutionary atonement for our sins!

• But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. {Isaiah 53:5}


• For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God... {1 Peter 3:18}

Tomorrow I'll give you my answer to the question, Will disability exist in heaven? After having read yesterday's and today's posts, though, I'd love to know the answer to this question: What do you think?


~+~

And if you haven't done so already, go comment on my post about Different Dream Parenting so that you can have a chance to win your own copy.

Will disability exist in heaven? Part 1: Why ask the question?

I bet your knee jerk reaction is no. But it's a little more complex than that. That's why this post will be split over three days:

1. Why ask the question? (Today's post)
2. What do we know about heaven? (Tomorrow's post)
3. Will disability exist in heaven? (Friday's post)

Consider these comments I've found on blogs around the web. First one from a Canadian named Dave who, according to his bio, has worked in the field of disability for 30 years, became disabled himself a few years ago, and uses a wheelchair when out and about around Toronto:

Yes, of course, I've wished to be different than I am. I've wished to be without disability, without any difference at all. I've wished away my birth into the life of diversity that I've lived almost since my first cry. And those wishes are meaningless. I would never have wished away my 'sissy ways' if I hadn't been subject to brutality. I would never have wished away my 'attractions' if I hadn't been in fear for my life and livelihood. I would never have wished away my disability if I hadn't been constantly subject to pitying stares and withering glances. It takes time, you see, to understand that I was wishing away the wrong thing. I should have been wishing away bigotry and hatred and self righteousness. I should have been wishing away conversations like this one - that tell me that pride in myself is a foolish idea. I should have been wishing away a lifetime of discrimination. I wished away, not who I was, but how others reacted to who I was. I wished away, not selfhood, but the actions of hoodlums. I wished away pain inflected, not identity experienced.

Meanwhile, I had a conversation with Rick Smith (aka Noah's Dad) and a couple other commenters about Down syndrome and heaven. I asked if he thought Noah would have Down syndrome in heaven, and a couple of noteworthy responses were:

• From Valerie: 
  I know you aren’t asking me – but I sure hope my daughter has Downs in heaven – it’s who she is. And I can’t believe that God made some huge mistake when he made her. I think Downs is this world’s problem, not God’s.
• From Melissa: 
  I like this question….and I get asked this sometimes about my son. My feeling about him is that he is so amazing….he is so tender, so funny, so full of joy and love…and not to overlook he is also very smart (very!). My secret hope is that we all have Down syndrome when we get to Heaven. I agree with the other commenter on this question….I don’t believe God made a mistake with my son or that he would be better if he didn’t have Down syndrome. He is the happiest and sweetest person I have ever met.
• From Rick: 
  We have to remember that Down syndrome isn’t like the flu, or a cold, or something. Down syndrome isn’t something Noahs “has” in that regard. We have to remember in the Bible there is a difference between “curing” and “healing.” They are different words, and have different meanings Biblically I’m not to sure Down syndrome is something that needs to be “cured.” However you, and I, and my son (with Down syndrome) and everyone on this planet needs healing…and will be healed in Heaven. If Noah looses his leg in a tragic water ballon accident, I’ll pray for his leg to be cured…and I’m sure it will be healed to perfection in Heaven. However, Down syndrome is all together different then any of that stuff. It’s his entire genetic code. You take that away, you take him away..he’d be a different person. We have to remember that when we say someone is “different’ or “special” or “disabled” we are comparing them to us. Using ourself as the measuring rod of what is considered “normal” or “typical.” The Bible does not say how many chromosomes make a person “normal” or “typical.” (and to be honest I’m not sure it really is that concerned with it. What’s The Bible is concerned with is not how many chromosomes a person has, but who made the person….which of course is God. And so while it’s interesting to think about these sorts of things….I like to spend more time helping people see that all humans are made in the image of God, and just because of that fact alone are valuable, important, and worthy of all of our love, and respect.

Temple Grandin has often remarked that she wouldn't want to be cured of autism because it would completely change who she is. Most Christians I've communicated with in the Deaf community - note the capital D because that's important here, although I don't have time to explain why - think that they will be Deaf in heaven as well.

Conversely, in the final chapter of Why, O God?, Joni Eareckson Tada writes that she will gladly send her wheelchair straight to hell after she meets Jesus face to face in heaven. Many other bloggers with disabilities or with children with disabilities look forward to heaven as a place in which the disabilities affecting their families will be no more. And Jen from Living Life With a Side of Autism wrote here that she would definitely give her daughter a pill to cure autism if there was one, sharing this:

Sometimes, I can see the person Katie could be, sans Autism. There are times when she has these clear moments...out of the fog...where I can see what life would be like for her without this monkey on her back. Autism to me is a parasite. This is something I have addressed before. I don't look at it as a life enhancer in any way, shape, or form. Not for Katie, at least.

Now, in light of all that, reconsider the question posed in the title of this post. Is it as easy to answer now?

Come back tomorrow for my response to the question in part two! 
And if you haven't done so already, go comment on my post about Different Dream Parenting so that you can have a chance to win your own copy. Just go here for that chance!

disability ministry weekly round-up {12-4-11}

It was refreshing to return to church after two weeks of vacation. The road trip from here to South Texas - with a few stops along the way there and back - gave me 3,867 miles in the car with my loved ones and several days with dear friends in Alabama and Texas. I am back rejuvenated (and ready to tackle unpacking and laundry later today!).

Different Dream Parenting {book review and giveaway!} You might have missed this post since I don't usually blog on Saturdays, and I want to make sure you don't overlook it. This book is a great resource to parents and ministry leaders alike, and I have ONE copy for one of YOU!

These Words... Jeneil blogged about Rhema's experience receiving her Bible along with the other second graders at church last week. Rhema has autism and a seizure disorder, and I love that she was included with her same-aged peers in this little ceremony.

Providence Baptist Church's services LIVE If you're one of the families from my church (or even if you're not!) and have to miss a Sunday morning, here's the link to the live service. It seems to be streamed at 11am each Sunday (and that's Eastern time for any of my friends who aren't in the area). I'm not an advocate of online church as a substitute for live, in-person connections to a body of believers, but it can be a nice option when kids are sick or isolated as they prep for surgery.

Registration for our December 10th respite event We have many new families registered, but we still have room for more. Please get the word out, especially if you're in the Raleigh area!

The Mental Health Needs of Kids in Foster Care If your church is serious about adoption (and if you're serious about God's word, you should be), then you need to have your eyes wide open to the links between adoption and special needs, including the ones pointed out in this post.

Fidget Toys: Do they really work? Yes. And no.

'Gold love' exhibit celebrates God, individuality This is an article about an artistic teen with autism who loves God, "despite rarely going to church because of sensory integration issues." Won't you join me in praying for a church to welcome him?

Autism in the Classroom This article, on the Building Faith website, is useful and practical for helping kids with autism in church settings.

Praying for you and your church today! If you have any specific requests, please leave a comment with them, and I would love to pray for you.

Different Dream Parenting {book review & giveaway!}

I don't have a child with special needs, but I do lead a growing special needs ministry at a large church. Because of that, I seek out blogs and books and other resources that can help me gain insight into the families I work with each week. Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guide to Raising a Child with Special Needs is a book that is both useful to me and the families I serve alongside each week.

I first met Jolene Philo eight months ago, when she was speaking about "Reconciling Dreams and Banishing Guilt" at a special needs ministry conference. I sat front and center during her session and took copious notes; I still refer back to that packet often and recently scanned it so that I could have easy access to it electronically.

What I like best about the book is the clear outline and practicality. While raising a child with special needs, parents won't be able to luxuriate, book in one hand and chilled beverage in another, by the pool. No, they might instead be looking for one specific section that relates to their struggles in that moment. To that end, this book is organized:

• Diagnosis: From Ambushed to Advocate
• Hospital Life: From Confused to Confident
• Juggling Two Worlds: From Chaos to Calm
• Long-term Care Conditions: From Trepidation to Triumph
• Losing a Child: From Loss to Comfort
• Raising a Survivor: From Fragile to Fearless

From the standpoint of a special needs ministry leader, this is helpful because each parent doesn't have time to describe their emotions and circumstances in as much detail as we'd both like. Just as stretching out with a book by the pool isn't likely, neither is a sustained conversation for many of the parents I work with each week. This book is that sustained conversation for me when I need it.

When I'm supporting a family through a diagnosis or helping one of our pastors do so, I turn to the first section. Visiting a family in the hospital? There's a section for that. Loving a family through the loss of a child? That's here too (though if you're like me, you'll need an entire box of Kleenex for that section). Understanding parenting realities for these families? Yep, that's covered in depth.

If that wasn't enough, the appendices include several prayer guides, each lasting thirty days and including a Bible verse or two and a prayer stemming from that passage:

• Thirty Prayers of Dependence
• Thirty Prayers for a Hospital Stay
• Thirty Ways to Pray for Your Family
• Thirty Prayers for [Your Child's] Educators and Therapists
• Thirty Prayers for Grieving Parents
• Thirty Scriptures to Pray for Your Children.

 I use these prayer guides to help me focus when praying for the families at our church as well, so they're not just for parents!

And not only did I want to share with you how valuable I think this book can be, but I'd also love to share a copy with one of YOU! You can join the giveaway in five different ways:

1. Leave a comment on this post letting me know why you'd like a copy. (For example, are you a special needs ministry coordinator? a parent of a child with special needs? a Christian who would like to be better equipped to support friends who have a child with special needs? is it for you? your church library? a friend? a pastor?)
2. If you have a special needs ministry established at your church, leave another comment with your church name and city and website.
3. Follow the blog using one of the options on the right side of the page, and leave a comment stating "I followed your blog!" (Or, if you already follow it, add a comment telling me, "I already followed your blog!")
4. Subscribe to the blog by entering your email address in the box just under my picture on the right side of the screen, near the top, and - you guessed it! - leave a comment saying something like "I subscribed!" (Or, once again, "I already subscribed!" works too, if that's the case.)
5. Go to The Works of God Displayed Facebook page, and "like" it. And then - once again - leave a comment with something like, "I liked this blog's Facebook page!"

That's FIVE different entries if you are willing to do each one AND leave a comment for each entry. And, because I want the word to get out about this giveaway, I'll offer an extra entry if you blog or tweet or post on Facebook about this giveaway, including a link to this post. The more, the merrier when we're getting the word out about a helpful resource, right?

The giveaway ends at noon Eastern time on Friday, December 9, so don't delay!

I was provided two copies of the book from the publisher, one for my review and the other to give away to one of you! I was not required or ask to write a positive review, just an honest one.

Disability ministry: It's not just for churches in the big city

According to this report recently released by the US Census Bureau, disabilities among children are more likely to be found outside of metro areas.

Here are some noteworthy quotes from the report:

• "About 5.0 percent of school-aged children living in metro areas across the United States had a disability (Figure 1, Table 2), compared with 6.3 percent of children living outside metro areas. Children, both inside and outside metro areas, were more likely to experience cognitive difficulties than other disability types (Figure 1). Approximately, 3.8 percent of children in metro areas had a cognitive difficulty while 4.8 percent of children outside metro areas had a cognitive difficulty." 
• "Children living outside metro areas were also more likely to have hearing, vision, and ambulatory difficulties than children in metro areas."
  
• "Fourteen states—Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vermont—had lower disability rates for children living in metro areas compared with those living outside metro areas. Nebraska and Wisconsin were the only states with statistically greater disability rates among children in metro areas compared to those outside metro areas."

Why bother bringing this up? Well, my observation has been that most established disability ministries can be found at churches in or near a metro area. According to these statistics, though, they are just as needed - if not more so - outside of metro areas.

I know families who travel long distances to attend our church and others, simply because that's how far they have to drive to find a place that will welcome their family member with special needs. And I know other families that have given up on finding a local church that will love and embrace them.

This is a great need.

Thankfully, we have a great provider.