Our Stories: Connections to God Through One Another

RESOURCE LIBRARY UPDATE:

In the three months since Autism Consecrated put out the call for presentations, we have noticed something interesting.  In the same way most of what we do tends toward the personal, the human and the deeply subjective, so too has our pursuit of assembling a symposium on autism and spirituality.  Our in-person event, “Autism Through the Eyes of God” never made it past the first planning meeting, thanks to the worldwide pandemic.  Our next thought was to shift our focus to the online platform, sending out an open call for presentations which we intended to curate and post in a freely accessible resource library on our website.  The result?

Barely anything.

But in the meantime, we have engaged behind the scenes of the website in multiple conversations about autism, spirituality and disability theology which keep coming back to the same theme: OUR STORIES.

In the broad scheme of looking at autism’s belonging in the Body of Christ, there is no formula to disseminate, no paradigm to discuss, other than that of merely being human.  There is nothing more fundamental to building an inclusive spirituality than to be with each other and enter into one another’s stories.  The act of being-with invites us to draw closer through empathy and mutual vulnerability, and to experience God’s presence – first in one another, then in our midst, and then in the depths of our own heart.

Anything beyond this runs the risk of being formulaic, impersonal and not able to fit the actual needs of the person in front of us… or the needs we ourselves have.

We have known this since the inception of the Mission of Saint Thorlak and its expansion into Autism Consecrated.  We have often repeated our catch-phrase when asked what is needed in our churches to accommodate autistic people: “less programming, more relationship.”  Likewise, when I was offered the task of writing St. Thorlak’s biography, I opted to tell his story as a person rather than give another academic treatment of his achievements or attempt to parse out those aspects of historical record which suggest he had autism.  Historical fact is relevant, but in presenting St. Thorlak as a man to whom we can relate even eight hundred-plus years after his lifetime, it seemed most relevant to simply tell his story.  What good are facts without a personal reason for wanting to know them?  That same question applies to any and every person, autistic or not, who approaches our faith communities.  What good is gathering facts, diagnostic labels, symptoms, needs, accommodations – without a personal reason for wanting to know them?  Chances are, if we get to know the whole person first, some of those other facts quickly become superfluous, even if that flies in the face of what we have been told are “best practices to follow in helping autistic people.”

In truth, we hoped to gather essays and video presentations discussing these points.  It hasn’t happened.  We did, however, receive a number of submissions of personal stories, which is, frankly, exactly perfect.

For the academics among us (including myself, I confess), there are discussions and academic papers in the field of disability theology which are accessible in book format, formal presentations and websites online.  We are striving to continuously maintain and add titles of interest in our Further Reading section, to keep those conversations going.  Furthermore, we actively welcome reaching out to other like-minded groups and individuals for dialogue, discussion and input to our resources.  One such organization, the Kairos Forum, is headed by Cristina Gangemi, whose research ties directly in with the point we are making.

And so, once again, we extend to everyone here a call to contribute.

Wanted: OUR STORIES – How have we encountered God?  What helps, or hinders, us from encountering God in our daily lives, or our faith communities?  How would we describe our spiritual lives?

Format: However we best share ourselves.  Words, visual art, music, or any other channel of expression.

What to do: Send them to Autism Consecrated along with a signed Release Form (required for any submission to be posted).

We will begin posting stories soon where our Resource Library would have been.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Call For Submissions

Autism Consecrated Resource Library Call for Submissions

April, 2020: Autism Consecrated is pleased to announce an open call for submissions for publishing on our website’s Resource Area, social media and video channels.

Our goal is to invite people from across all communities, worldwide, to share their insights, ideas and testimonies in an effort to create a comprehensive resource library accessible by anyone with an internet connection. Whatever your background may be, if you have thoughts toward achieving Autism Consecrated’s vision “to realize autism’s belonging in the Body of Christ,” we would love to share them far and wide! Read on to learn more about the goals of the conference and what we look for in submissions.

Types of Submissions

As every person has their own personal communication strengths, so too are we looking for a diverse array of submissions.  The manner in which you communicate best is the one we are looking for.  Audio, visual, video and written submissions are all welcome.

Who May Submit Presentations

The short answer is, “anyone!”

That said, here are some more specific examples of who might be interested in participating.

Autistic People and their Supporters

There are few presentations as valuable as those which come from direct, firsthand expertise.  In fact, it would be impossible to build a resource library to address the needs of the autistic community without having its foundation in the autistic community itself!  What are your spiritual needs?  What are the practical challenges to being autistic Christians?  What ways does autism enhance your faith and that of your community?

Key Players in Faith Communities

What have you seen that affirms – or, would affirm –  the value of autistic members in our faith communities?  How can we foster such initiatives in our own and in other communities?  How does the perception of the community encourage autistic people to fulfill their potential in the Body of Christ, even when autism at times appears to interfere with this purpose?

Clergy and Administrators

What are the successes, as well as the challenges, you have seen in meeting the spiritual needs of the autistic community?  What supports do YOU need in serving the autistic community?

Scholars, Theologians and Essayists

How do we reconcile autism’s gifts and challenges with Sacred Scripture, Church Tradition and the theology of disability?  How can we discuss this in ways that include, accept and invite people who may feel unworthy or incapable of participating in worship and community faith activities because of autism?

What we are looking for

Diverse topics

While there will be some overlap expected, we are hoping to get a variety of responses from many perspectives so that our library can truly become a resource for the wide, wide community.

Practicality and positivity

Submissions should reflect hope, encouragement and possibility.  While there is a time and a place for addressing grievances, our library is intended to go beyond identifying problems into generating and offering solutions.

The Gift of your Expertise

Autism Consecrated is a website, not a business.  While we are glad to have this be a mutually beneficial opportunity for professional exposure, and we are aware that many contributors have legitimate reason to promote their talents, the primary reason for contributing to our library is to offer your particular expertise as a gift to others and other communities.  If promotion is the main thrust of your submission, please consider a more appropriate venue to publicize your work.

Respectful Language

“Realizing Autism’s Belonging in the Body of Christ” is the banner under which our website resides.  Although we are Christian in our beliefs, we respect everyone of all abilities, backgrounds and traditions, and we ask that submissions show that same respect to one and all.  We reserve the right to edit or refuse submissions that do not consistently uphold the inherent dignity of every person as a child of God.

Selection Process

We will review submissions in the order in which they are received, and strive to notify you of selection status in as short a time frame as circumstances allow.

Format Details

Submissions may be in the format which best reflects your communication style, so long as they are generally coherent and able to be accessed by the worldwide online audience.  Length is at your creative discretion.  As a general rule, the more efficiently you convey your key message, the better the chances of reaching your intended audience.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email us at autismconsecrated@gmail.com and we will respond as soon as we are able.

Ready?  Set?  SUBMIT!  All submissions become the property of Autism Consecrated and must be accompanied by a signed release form in order to be considered. 

Submit your contribution and signed release form to:

autismconsecrated@gmail.com

Thank You!

-Aimée O’Connell, Co-Founder of Autism Consecrated