National
Working Group on Worship
Theology &
Discipleship
The Uniting Church in Australia
Paper No. 8
Guidelines for
including Persons
with Intellectual Disabilities in Worship
[especially the Service of the
Lord's Day or Holy Communion]
A Brisbane group of Crossroads
Queensland, a fellowship of people with disabilities, meets
regularly on a Thursday morning for a service of Holy Communion
at the Albert Street Uniting Church in the centre of Brisbane.
This has been happening for over ten years. A majority of the
worshippers would be people with intellectual disabilities, but
when people with physical disabilities have been part of a
Crossroads touring group, sometimes for international travel,
they may continue their participation with Crossroads by
attending this service. [1].
The present leaders, Rev. Heather Palmer
and Mrs Janette Minchin, have raised with the Commission on
Liturgy questions about the appropriate ordering of this service,
the use of certain words and levels of intellectual content. They
are continually experimenting with the best ways to lead this
service so that all may participate to the full limit of their
capabilities. Members of the Commission have joined them on
occasions. The preparation of these guidelines arises out of this
context while drawing also on the experience of others
ministering with different groups of people with intellectual
disabilities.
The ideal is that people with
intellectual disabilities are welcomed as part of any
congregation of the church. A warm welcome and invitation to all
to join in the worship of God, and, as baptised people, to come
to the Lord's table, should enable them to take their place
within the people of God. However, there are several factors for
consideration by leaders of worship when people with intellectual
disabilities are regular participants in services for the whole
congregation, and these factors assume even greater importance
when the majority of the congregation have intellectual
disabilities. They are factors which may also permit a more
profound participation in worship amongst the wider membership of
the congregation.
Words, concepts and language.
There is the recognition by those who
work with people with intellectual disabilities, that much of the
cognitive content of the language of services of worship is
beyond their comprehension. Does this mean that one tries to
reduce the liturgy to a minimum of words which are concrete and
simply understood by many intellectually disabled? The Commission
does not believe that this is the approach to take while
acknowledging that long services are usually inappropriate. The
service/liturgy can be complete without being too wordy.
Language functions at several levels and
is important not just for its cognitive meaning. Because any
congregation will contain people with a range of intellectual
ability, including one comprising mostly people with intellectual
disability, words and concepts should not be reduced to the
lowest common denominator. The spoken word has rhythms and
patterns which people can relate to and participate in. [2]. Rev.
Dr. Wendy Dabourne, from her ministry with people in the final
stages of Huntington's disease, has come to the conclusion that
familiarity is far more important than simplicity,[3] a point
illustrated clearly by the universal use of The Lord's Prayer in
the Christian church. This is not to give a licence for excessive
wordiness but to encourage thoughtful use of the longstanding
words of the service.
One specific matter of concern is the
way that the words accompanying the distribution of the elements,
'the body of Christ' and 'the blood of Christ' are interpreted
concretely and elicit a reaction of revulsion from some. This is
also sometimes noted in thoughtful, sensitive children. Some
leaders of worship have chosen to use words such as 'the cup of
Christ' or say, 'Receive this gift of Christ', when the
difficulty has arisen. Others are wary of introducing new
terminology at this point. The Commission members are not of one
mind.
The language of the service is to be
valued for more than its cognitive content. We are in a society
which treats language more literally than many a previous
generation. It is a society which watches films and TV and
language is often minimal in these. The point is seen in the
comparison between a novel and a screen play based upon it. From
this people argue that we should diminish much of the language of
the liturgy until it parallels such media usage. But in doing
that so much would be lost. Careful use of the language blended
with several other aspects of the ritual will speak far more to
the whole person who offers it as worship to God.
The length of the service
The matter of the length of the service
is important for people with a limited attention span as a result
of disability or illness. The development and movement of the
steps of the service is crucial as people participate and move
with it. All the essential elements of the service can be present
in a service that lasts less than half an hour. Wendy Dabourne
offers this outline for a 15 to 20 minute service as she used it
at the Arthur Preston Centre, Melbourne, with people who have
Huntington's disease.
The Gathering of the People of God.
Call to worship
Let us worship God.
Scripture sentence with seasonal variations.
Greeting
The grace
Prayers of adoration and confession
One prayer, about ten short lines, moving through adoration to confession and petition. Minor seasonal variations.
The Service of the Word
Reading the Scripture
'Hear the word of God.'
One reading, about three verses, up to eight if well known.
'This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.'
The Preaching of the Word.
Prayer One scripture sentence
Sermon One point; about three sentences
'Thanks be to God for the Gospel. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
A fixed form of eight lines covering intercession for the church, the world and the Centre. {includes some personal references as appropriate}
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
Invitation
Scripture, one verse different in Advent/Christmas
The Peace
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Fixed, with seasonal prefaces. The words of the institution were included in full and the elements lifted for the congregation to see.
The Lord's Prayer
The traditional translation.
The Breaking of the Bread
The Communion
Prayer after Communion
three lines, fixed
The Sending Forth of the People of God
Dismissal
Benediction
This is a service without congregational singing, but using taped music instead, particularly afterwards.
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving can, of
course, vary considerably in length. The important steps in it,
even if each is brief, are the opening dialogue, praise of God
for creation and redemption, the 'Holy, Holy', praise for and
remembering Jesus' life, death and resurrection, [the
anamnesis], the retelling of what he did at the last supper, [the
words of institution, used within or just before the whole
prayer], and the prayer for the Holy Spirit, [the epiclesis].
The sermon and the prayers of the people
can vary also in length according to people's attention span and
participation. Crossroads worship leaders in Brisbane find that
the sermon can be five to seven minutes provided there is an
accompanying visual focus and a good story element within it.
Many people have prayer requests in the prayers of the people and
the leader needs to include each one specifically.
The setting, visual symbols and symbolic gesture
The setting for worship, the communion
vessels and cloths, the gestures used by the leaders of worship
when giving the greeting and sharing the peace, dramatic
expression in conjunction with the reading of the Bible or the
message, the use of candles in appropriate ways and other symbols
can help convey a sense of reverence in the worship of God and a
sense of community amongst God's people in ways which enhance
what is conveyed by words alone. The use of colour with flowers,
banners and stoles communicates the feeling of the church season.
Works of art can communicate aspects of the gospel which elude
the words used to explain them. Churches with a style of worship
with a strong emotional and/or sacramental emphasis will speak
more fully to the person with intellectual disabilities than
those where the emphasis is solely cerebral.
Participation in the ritual and the movement of the service
Participation in the ritual wherever the
whole congregation participates is vital, though it is important
to recognise that participation can be also observation in
stillness. Elaine Ramshaw says, 'Most people who are cognitively
impaired can still participate in ritual and find it meaningful,
and in fact many experience it more intensely through its
concrete and symbolic dimensions than do most cognitively
"normal" people.'[4] Some with intellectual disability
are able to use words, others participate without. The Nambour
Crossroads group has participated in the Tenebrae Service on
Maundy Thursday with enablers reading the seven tenebrae passages
and people with intellectual disability extinguishing the candles
after each reading. Some people with intellectual disability will
also have physical disability. Not all may be able to come to the
communion rail, though this is usually of great significance for
those who can.
Music
Music often speaks most powerfully to those with intellectual disability and the use of music which is simple and profound is most desirable. Trite music and words need not be used. Many of the longer hymns and songs of the church will not be suitable, but songs/hymns with a chorus may be most suitable if a soloist sings the verse. Some choruses may be used as a sung response to prayer, e.g. 'O come let us adore him.'
Preparation
Those who have not grown up in the life
of the church will need help to participate. Deacon, Rev. Leanne
Leggett, recounts her experience in preparing people from the
Rydalmere Campus for the Developmentally Disabled to participate
in weekly services of Holy Communion. [5]. The group were used to
only a sing-a-long but came to participate in specially organised
communion services at the Centre for Ministry at North Parramatta
and other local churches with great joy and enthusiasm.
Rev. Janet Dawson, reflecting on her own
involvement in these services refers to the principles of
planning as follows:-1.developmentally delayed people are to be
treated with love and respect; 2. the standard movement of the
liturgy [gathering people into the presence of God, providing a
safe place for the divine/human encounter through both words and
symbolic forms, and then guiding them back into ordinary time and
space] had its own integrity and would not need to be altered; 3.
we would incorporate rituals and music with which the Rydalmere
people were familiar, e.g. the skill of greeting people
incorporated into the passing of the peace. She concludes that
this ministry is both possible and rewarding, but it is also time
consuming and emotionally costly. 'The presence of our Rydalmere
guests freed members of an academic institution to worship and
proclaim the gospel in its profound simplicity.' [6] Wendy
Dabourne writes too of the detailed work of preparing an
institution for such regular worship to occur in that setting.
[7]
There is also the need for the one
leading worship to prepare fully. This involves preparation for
what is said and done and working with others to be included. But
it also includes the personal preparation in prayer. Again Wendy
Dabourne writes, 'The ministry was grounded in prayer, both mine
and other people's....the ministry included the prayers of a
fellow-minister who has profound experience of an unusual and
severely disabling disease...' [8]
Confirmation
It is Uniting Church understanding that
the baptised people of God are to be encouraged to come to the
Lord's Table. Confirmation is not a prerequisite. However the
question is asked about material to help prepare people with
intellectual disabilities for confirmation. This has now been
done in several places with the adaptation of material according
to people's ability. Their faith in Jesus Christ can be expressed
in more simple language than that of the confirmation service
vows and they can take their place as confirmed members of the
church. Others, who are members of the church through baptism
anyway, may learn to participate at the Lord's Table without
undertaking the formal preparation and rite of confirmation.
The perspective of people with intellectual disability
The opinion of people with intellectual disability was canvassed at a gathering in South Australia. They were asked what was most important to them. We understand that Rev. Marie McDonald referred to this in an address to deacons and deacon students in South Australia and the responses are summarised as follows -
1. God food [communion]
2. Music [such as Taizé responses, simple, repetitive and easy to learn]
3. Candles
4. Bell [so that people knew when church was on] and
5. Angel's dress [alb] representing 'God
being there'.
Conclusion
The approach recommended here is not the
stripping of the service to a few words which would be within the
cognitive reach of most of the people with intellectual
disabilities participating in the service, but to see the service
as a whole through which God may communicate in various ways and
by a variety of means to the people as they offer their worship
through a range of human activities and rituals. It is not a
reduction of the liturgy but an expansion of the means available
through which people offer their worship to God.
Footnotes
[1] The late Bishop Ian Shevill was one such participant after experiencing a stroke, but able to travel through the support of Crossroads.
[2] When leading Sunday worship at Goodna which was attended by several Crossroad members who lived at Parkhaven, an Endeavour home for people with intellectual disabilities, I and the whole congregation were always aware of and encouraged by the participation of one member who had little language but who joined loudly and heartily in every hymn, congregational response and prayer with a rhythmic utterance.
[3] Wendy Dabourne, an unpublished paper entitled 'When Words Fail - Ministry with some adults in the later stages of Huntington's disease.' p.7.
[4] Elaine Ramshaw, 'Ritual and Pastoral Care', Fortress Press 1987 p.78
[5] 'The Gifts of God', Newsletter of the Weekly Celebration of Communion Movement, Volume III No I.
[6]. Rev Janet Dawson in a letter to me in relation to material for this article.
[7]. Wendy Dabourne. op.cit.
[8] ibid.
Geraldine Wheeler,
Commission on Liturgy.