Phil, you have it right concerning hearing impaired people.  I only hear
parts of our messages in church.

earlier, Vicki and The Rors, wrote:
> > > Throw Away Christians
> > >
> > >
> > > By Phil Scovell
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >      I have discovered a class, or group, of people, born again
> > > they are, members of the Body of Christ, yet the church has thrown
> > > them away.  Strangely enough, I have learned how much God loves
> > > each and every one of these throw away Christians.  It goes
> > > without saying, but I will say it any way, Jesus died for them,
> > > shedding His blood for their sins, and was bodily resurrected for
> > > them, too.
> > >
> > >      These special groups cover a wide range of personalities and
> > > a variety of physical conditions.  Some are in wheelchairs for
> > > whom ramps are conveniently constructed in order to get these
> > > pitiful souls up and into the church building.  Unfortunately, for
> > > these people, none of the bathrooms have been modified to handle
> > > wheelchairs, So, extra faith is required of these folk to hold it
> > > for several hours until they get back home or to wherever they
> > > live.  These special folk are such a blessing to the church, too.
> > > It makes you thankful that you aren't in a wheelchair.
> > >
> > >      Another category of these special Christians with special
> > > needs are hard of hearing.  Little, if any, regard is given to
> > > their inability to hear through the Public Address system to
> > > accommodate the hearing loss these people have nor have any
> > > special accommodations been made to the amplification system which
> > > would allow them to wear earphones or to even plug in to the
> > > system, if using implants, so they could hear better.
> > >
> > >      If you are totally deaf, on the other hand, you are in luck.
> > > The larger ministries have taught sign language and so the
> > > services are then translated for the deaf.  If you so happen to
> > > wish to attend a church without a translator, then you are out of
> > > luck.  The hard of hearing, and the totally deaf, are such a
> > > blessing to the church, too.  It makes you thank the Lord for your
> > > own hearing ability.
> > >
> > >      The elderly have their own Sunday school class.  This is
> > > nice, of course, because then all those that the church brings in
> > > from the nearby nursing home can sit in their own class without
> > > disturbing the mainstream body of believers.  Especially if they
> > > smell funny and those bussed in from the nearby nursing home
> > > always do.  Yet, even these elderly people are such a blessing to
> > > the church.  It makes you thankful for the youth we have.
> > >
> > >      This special class and seating arrangement in the church
> > > service for the elderly is very much like Sunday school for the
> > > children, of course, so it seems logically that the elderly would
> > > have their own class where they won't be a bother to others.
> > > These same children, since they are so disruptive, have junior
> > > church immediately after Sunday school.  This is their own little
> > > church they have while their parents are out in the auditorium
> > > having their big church service.  In this way, church workers, who
> > > never get to sit in on a Sunday school class or church service,
> > > get to teach the children for a good three or four hours each
> > > Sunday.
> > >
> > >      Although it is rare, some of the mega churches have
> > > discovered blind people read Braille instead of print.  Since
> > > blind people don't need to see, their little group of eight or ten
> > > sit on the back row where those ungodly large Braille hymn books
> > > are easily stored.  This has really brought the blind community
> > > together, we are told, and the church is able to minister to them
> > > better when they are all grouped together.  Additionally, there is
> > > the added blessing of the camaraderie which occurs among these, to
> > > be pitied of all handicapped peoples, just because they are now
> > > grouped together.  They are such a blessing and encouragement to
> > > the rest of the church as they sit back on the back roe with the
> > > large Braille song books and singing right along with the rest of
> > > the church.  It makes you thankful you aren't blind.
> > >
> > >      Closely related to the blind group of special Christians, are
> > > the Path Finders group.  These are the mentally retarded bussed in
> > > from a local care home.  This group also gets to sit in the back
> > > of the church because they often become disruptive during the
> > > service and have to be taken out by the special workers.  Thank
> > > the Lord we are not like them and have mental normality.
> > >
> > >      Finally, there is a silent group of people who rarely are
> > > considered.  They don't have their own special hymn books nor are
> > > they assigned a special place to sit in the service.  Furthermore,
> > > they have no special Sunday school class of their own to attend.
> > > We notice their tears they often shed during the preaching and
> > > teaching of the Word but we just figure they are being moved by
> > > the Holy Spirit to tears.  We would never once consider that
> > > something else might be wrong.
> > >
> > >      We have also noticed that this silent group of unnamed people
> > > often are going forward during the altar call for specialized
> > > prayer.  Again, we have no idea why but just assume they have
> > > tender hearts toward the Lord.  We have heard they have some
> > > special problems but we have never talked to them, other than to
> > > say hello when coming or going to the church, and they look like
> > > people who prefer being left alone anyhow.
> > >
> > >      Eventually, your curiosity gets the best of you and you ask
> > > one of the church leaders who this silent group of people are.
> > > You are told that this group has been unofficially classified by
> > > the church as "those to whom only the professionals can handle."
> > >
> > > I could continue with other segments of society but you likely
> > > have gotten the picture by now.
> > >
> > >      Scattered throughout these various groups, are little girls
> > > who have been molested or raped by family members or friends and
> > > relatives.  Little boys can also be found in the church who have
> > > been sodomized but as is the case with the little girls, they
> > > have been threatened or ignored if they did tell someone about it.
> > > Now, most of those children are adults.  Some in this silent group
> > > have suffered from traumatic childhood experiences and although
> > > they daily experience anxiety and panic attacks, they have no
> > > understanding of the nature of the cross they must carry.  When
> > > seeking counsel from leaders of the church, they often are
> > > referred to "The Professionals" and told they will be placed on
> > > the church prayer list.
> > >
> > >      Some of these people suffering from various forms of
> > > depression have ungodly nightmares the would frighten the average
> > > Christian beyond emotional stability.  Others cry themselves to
> > > sleep at night because of the sadness that tries to crush the life
> > > out of them.  Others, although they would never admit such to
> > > anyone, even hear voices.  Some have not only considered suicide
> > > but attempted it.  They never told anyone why they were missing
> > > from church for the last three weeks and no one noticed anyhow.
> > > Some of these people in this special silent group, are told they
> > > are in advanced stages of emotional and mental illness.  This
> > > group are on medications for sleep because otherwise they are
> > > awake all night.  Others are on antidepressants and antianxiety
> > > medications for their depression.  Some are on even stronger
> > > medications classified as psychotic or psychotropic mind altering
> > > drugs.  These are the more mentally ill people, who, amazingly
> > > enough, seem to function in life relatively normally as far as
> > > anyone can tell.  Holding down a job, caring for their families,
> > > driving a car, mowing their grass, reading their Bible, serving in
> > > the church, and other activities that seem perfectly normal, are
> > > all conducted by these silently hurting people.  If people knew,
> > > on the other hand, they had done as the church leadership had
> > > recommended and gone to "The Professionals" with their problems,
> > > and were now diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or with
> > > schizophrenia tendencies, or told they have Obsessive Compulsive
> > > disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, or they are clinically
> > > depressed or manic depressive, or if they have ben tested and
> > > found to be bipolar, or, as is the case for some who have been
> > > brave enough to tell their doctor that they heard voices and now
> > > have been determined to have Dissociative Identity Disorder, which
> > > is multiple personalities, the church wouldn't come near them.
> > > Well, they don't come near them anyway.  These silently hurting
> > > people are throw aways, right along with many others, for whom
> > > the church chooses not to minister.
> > >
> > >      My ministry, on the other hand, is to these silently hurting
> > > and forgotten people.  I pastor them and pray with them.  I cry
> > > for them, making myself available for them 24-7 and pray for them
> > > on my own times alone with the Lord.  They call me in the middle
> > > of the night and get me out of bed because they are afraid.  They
> > > call me when I'm eating my breakfast or lunch or supper and I
> > > talk to them as they cry and tell me how frightened they are and
> > > how they want to kill themselves.  If they have multiple
> > > personalities, I talk to them when they call or if one of their
> > > personalities emails me, I email them back and attempt to comfort
> > > them.  I schedule regular appointments of prayer times with them
> > > so the Lord can continue to reach into their lives of fear and
> > > guilt and shame and loneliness and anxiety and pain to heal them.
> > > How long do I continue to minister to them?  Until they are whole
> > > and healed from everything.  Is that possible?  If it is not, you
> > > are serving the wrong God.  Aren't these people crazy people?  No,
> > > they are hurting people whom the Lord not only wants to heal but
> > > can and does.
> > >
> > >      If you are one of the suffering silent people and need
> > > ministry, call me.  If you are a pastor and need ministry, call
> > > me.  If you are a pastor's wife and are trapped by fear and
> > > there's no one to tell, call me.  If you are a pastor or
> > > missionary or church leader, and find yourself addicted to
> > > pornography, call me.  If you are a mixed up confused mom who is
> > > hearing voices in your head and you want to kill yourself, call
> > > me.  If you've been raped or molested and can't seem to find
> > > comfort after all these years, call me.  If you are sexually
> > > confused about your identity, call me.  If you have nightmares, if
> > > you are suicidal, or if you've attempted suicide, call me.  If
> > > you've lost a loved one and the grief is over powering and it just
> > > doesn't get any better, call me.  If you are an obsessive
> > > compulsive, call me.  If you have committed the unpardonable sin,
> > > call me.  If you doubt your salvation, call me.  If you have
> > > become involved in an affair, call me.  If you are a throw away,
> > > call me.
> > >
> > >      I am not a professional but I am an intercessor.
> > >
> > > Phil.
> > >
> > >
> > > I Flew Kites With Jesus
> > > www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >

John

   Whatever you delete today, you desperately need tomorrow