Anti-Ableist Liturgies

Part I: Adapting your Order of Worship and Liturgy

Why does language matter?

From the United Methodist Revised Social Principles:

We lament that the church has often stigmatized and discriminated against people with disabilities by imposing labels with negative connotations, by failing to make space in church life for the full range of God’s people, and by interpreting words such as “blind,” “lame,” and “deaf” in pejorative ways. Because of this, people with disabilities are frequently dismissed or undervalued, both in the church and in civil society. (Basic Rights and Freedoms, section H, pp. 38-39, adopted 04/2024.)

There is still significant ableism and stigma against disabled people in the church as well as in society, and the church is called to help overcome this bias. Ableism is reflected whenever assumptions and value judgements are made about what is “normal” or “typical.”
Ableism is the negative bias and discrimination towards persons with disabilities that limits full participation through attitudinal barriers (e.g., lack of disability awareness and hospitality), architectural barriers (e.g., stairs, narrow doorways) and programmatic barriers within faith communities. Ableism is prejudice against disabled bodies in preference of normal bodies. (Resolution: Overcoming Ableism and Audism, Petition Number: 20845-CB-R9999, adopted 04/2024)
Many people are unaware that ableism even exists as a form of discrimination.
Words can hurt and make people feel excluded from your congregation or event.
Worship must incorporate respect and justice for all.
Negative language around disability perpetuates stereotypes and treats diverse persons as the “other.”
Within the Body of Christ there is no “other” – we are all one, siblings created in the image of our loving Creator.

Avoiding common ableist pitfalls in liturgy and language

Don’t try to avoid the word “disability.” Disabled people are part of the wonderful diversity of our world. Words like “special needs” and “differently abled” imply that there is something wrong with having a disability, and that a euphemism is needed to make disability palatable.
Note that most people want to be referred to as themselves, not labeled in a way that implies that their disability is the most important thing about them. Don’t use “victim of,” “stricken by,” or “confined to” as these statements make negative judgments; disabled persons do not consider themselves victims.
Many professionals and some individuals with disabilities suggest the use of person-first language (e.g., “the girl who has cerebral palsy,” or “the person who has had a stroke”). This is not incorrect, but not always preferred.
As disability pride evolves, more members of the disability community include their disability as a core part of their identity. For instance, most Deaf people want to be called Deaf, not “a person who is hearing impaired,” and many autistic adults choose to claim that identity. This is called “Identity First” language. When in doubt, always consult the individuals involved.

General language guidelines and suggestions

The English language has an abundance of words. There is no need to use disability as a metaphor. The following are examples to help you find a more descriptive way to convey what you are trying to say:

Instead of “crazy” try mixed up, unsettled, or chaotic.
Instead of “blind to” try oblivious or distracted.
Instead of “deaf to” try inattentive, ignoring, or disregarding.
Instead of “crippled by” try hindered, weighted down, or impeded.

Similarly, language that implies that everyone has full use of their limbs and sensory organs will exclude some of us. Rather than “open our eyes to” you might use “open the eyes of our hearts.” Each of us have functional spirits, souls, and hearts through which we access and praise God.

Avoid use of overly theological or intellectual language so you are inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities, aphasia, dementia, or for whom English is not the first language. If you do use an unfamiliar word, explain its meaning when you introduce it, building a metaphorical conceptual ramp so that everyone understands.

Refer to the Plain Language Quick Reference Guide in the Resources section below for more details.

Movement within the service

Request that the congregation “Rise in body or spirit” instead of “Stand as you are able” which focuses on ability and makes remaining seated awkward.
Offer an alternative if kneeling at the communion rail is the norm in your congregation, and explain ahead of time how to access communion if coming forward is problematic.
“Be in an attitude of prayer” allows for people who need to keep their eyes open to watch the speaker’s mouth or the sign language interpreter.

Songs

Many United Methodist hymns and songs have problematic language. For instance:

United Methodist Hymnal #57 “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” includes the verse:
“Hear him, ye deaf; his praise ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ; ye blind behold your Savior come, and leap, ye lame, for joy.”
Note the asterisk by that verse with the note “*May be omitted.” While some people believe that all disabilities will be taken away in heaven, many others cannot imagine life without their disability and feel erased or censured by this verse.
Newer music isn’t always better. The final verse of “You Are Mine” ends:
“I will call your name, embracing all your pain. Stand up, now, walk, and live,”
implying that people who cannot stand or walk aren’t really living.
Another example is the song “We are Called” (The Faith We Sing #2172):
“We are called to be hope for the hopeless, so all hatred and blindness will be no more.”

Disability-inclusive hymns from The United Methodist Hymnal:

#89 “Joyful Joyful, We Adore Thee”
#111 “How Can We Name a Love”
#114 “Many Gifts, One Spirit”
#140 “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
#593 “Here I Am, Lord”

Disability-inclusive songs from The Faith We Sing:

#2032 “My Life Is in You, Lord”
#2051 “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry”
#2223 “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”
#2225 “Who Is My Mother, Who Is My Brother”
#2228 “Sacred the Body”

For a more thorough annotated list, see the Songs and Hymns section of the Disability Ministries website.

Scripture texts

If you have a choice of translations, the Common English Bible often uses more contemporary language. On the other hand, some texts like Luke 14:13 read identically across translations:

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.”

If you select this text, be prepared to address the archaic language.

If you choose a healing text, remember to explain that healing is not the same as curing, and healing often means restoring someone to their community after exclusion.

Resources

For more information, see:

Books for deeper study:

Kathy Black – A Healing Homiletic: Preaching and Disability (1996)
Nancy Eiesland – The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability (1994)
Bethany McKinney Fox – Disability and the Way of Jesus: Holistic Healing in the Gospels and the Church (2019)
Amos Yong – The Bible, Disability and the Church: A New Vision of the People of God (2011)

Download the PDF here: Google Drive version

Part II: Checklist for Proofing Your Order of Worship and Liturgy

I have used the following list to search for and replace ableist language:

References to blind, deaf, or lame as metaphors or synonyms for sinfulness.
Phrases referring to “the disabled” as a homogenous group of people.
Anything that “others” people with disabilities by using “us” for non-disabled people and “them” for disabled people.
The phrase “the least of these” without acknowledging disabled members present.
Actions that assume everyone can see, hear, jump, etc.
Outdated terms: “crippled,” “handicapped,” “victim,” “wheelchair-bound.”
Mental health diagnoses as metaphors, e.g., “our schizophrenic attitudes about…”
Stories that reduce disabled persons to objects of pity or “inspirations” for daily tasks.
Stories praising able-bodied people for being kind to disabled people.
Mentioning disability or diagnosis when irrelevant or without permission.
Creating false hierarchies among disabilities.

Search methods I used:

Completed a word search using find/replace.
Had Disability Ministries committee members and disabled persons review.
Read materials aloud to hear how language feels.

I checked for ableist terms and issues in:

Scriptures selected
Liturgy (even from reputable sources like the Book of Worship)
Songs (all verses)
Order of worship
Sermon or meditation
Any readings

Deaconess Lynn Swedberg, updated 6/26/24