The Church and Disability: The Weblog disabledChristianity, is a compilation of selected blog entries from the first five years of the weblog. It was written in response to requests to have the weblog material in a more accessible form. Entries are grouped into several categories including, the church, ministry, and people with disabilities. I write in a style that is often very confrontive of the church. I continue to be saddened that the church can exist as it does and have very little awareness of people with disabilities in the community or very little desire to enfold them into church life. There is a potentially huge ministry to people experiencing disabilities and their families if the church would just step up to the plate, follow its scriptural mandate and be Jesus to the community. It is my prayer that this book will enbolden people with disabilities and their families and provide the ammunition they need to confront their own church with its responsibilities. Perhaps, someday, the church will be obedient and serve all people, desire all people, love all people.
The Orchard: A story about political engagement in modern times, is a fantasy about a world inhabited by trees. The Orchard council is about to have a vote that will change the course of the Orchard for the forseeable future (sound familiar). Four trees come together with a plan for going before the council in order to influence them in their vote. They get the idea of recruiting a famous old tree to act as their spokestree to advocate for the Oat (Orchardman’s trees) position. In the process, they get caught in political intrigue that nearly derails any hope of having a voice in the deliberations. While developing their consensus, they try to recruit other trees from the various Oat positions on political engagement, only to be frustrated by the disarray of those those who claim to be following the Orchardman. It is political fantasy at its best, and is as fresh in its ideas as today’s newspaper. It is in this novel that McNair first introduces the idea of “tolerantism.” Readers will be entertained, but will also begin to look on their faith and that of others in a very different way.
The Light Team is a fictional retelling of the Gospel story in an old West setting. In the midst of telling the story of Iaman (Jesus) in a fresh way, the dialogue between the characters asks questions and provides possible answers about issues surrounding the life of Christ that Christians have long wondered about. What were day to day interactions between Jesus’ followers like and about? What might have been happening in the demonic world, behind the scenes as Jesus rose to prominence and experienced his Passion? What might his followers have been thinking as the events unfolded? The Light Team is mostly fiction, but is based upon the truth of the Gospel. Hopefully it will cause you to reexamine Jesus’ life and ministry. It will also provide new insights into being a follower of Jesus.