Michael Sorrell Lighting the Way
By Lora Parsons
The Ashland Beacon
When getting ready for church on a Sunday morning, most congregations are full of folks who have laid out a dress, matched up a tie to pants, chosen the right accessories, and picked out shoes to match. Sometimes those same families roll into church parking lots having had to fight through frustrations, fashion failures, and feelings we might not associate with faith, fellowship, and the love of God. We might hope to look our best, but often find that our best isn’t up to front-cover-magazine standards. We fight to find ourselves in a pew nonetheless and smooth our rumpled outfits and outlooks so we can try to focus on a better way. While these are the “normal” things that all church families struggle with occasionally, some families in attendance have another whole set of struggles to deal with. Though their struggles may be different — and in many cases even bigger than we might imagine — that struggle also makes their triumph an even bigger celebration.
This week’s road leads us to one such family — the Sorrell’s — whose journey to Sunday morning church has a few more curves than others but a view worth exploring, just the same! Michael is one of Robert and Bertonya Sorrell’s four boys, who regularly go to Meade Station Church of God. His family’s challenge to be in the sanctuary is unique. Michael was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when he was four years old.
His mother says developmental speech delays had led them to First Steps for speech and occupational therapy when he was 17 months old. The combination of specific treatments for ASD and speech delays early on contributed to Michael finally communicating around his sixth birthday. Until then, he had been nonverbal. Mrs. Sorrell credits “loving and patient teachers and therapists” with his annual improvement. He went through the Russell Independent School system from beginning to end.
As with most students who live with ASD, one of the challenges that Michael’s family has learned to deal with over the years is change. That’s where Sunday mornings at a larger church can sometimes present issues. If the order of service is different, they try to give Michael a heads-up which has been relatively easy to accommodate since the Church’s Administrative Assistant, Sara Tackett, is family.
When the sanctuary will be arranged differently due to an event or special service, his family can tell him about the alteration ahead of time. Mrs. Sorrell shared that “church was a struggle in his younger years.” She cites perfumes, a moved podium, special music guests, reordered microphone covers, and even changes in the microphones being used as all being problems for younger Micheal. But, 21-year-old Michael has overcome many of these challenges.
He’s not just overcome them; he’s learned to thrive. When the parking lot services during the height of the COVID pandemic ended and the church moved back inside for morning worship, he started helping his grandmother, Frances Sorrell, with what many would call a “small” job. She would light candles on her way to the front of the church to take her place at the organ she’s faithfully sat behind for more than 53 years. When service was over, it was Michael’s turn to do what quickly became his job — blowing them out.
Since then, his job has grown. Having mastered blowing candles out, Gran (as he calls her) began teaching him how to light the candles before service starts. A visit to the morning worship service at Meade Station Church of God will allow you to watch him work, lighting those two candles (and straightening microphones and/or swapping their colored covers). He then sits back down in his seat, ready for church until it’s time to blow the candles out again.
In the hustle and bustle of trying to get one’s family into their seats … while shaking hands and speaking to folks not seen since last Sunday, it would be easy to miss the work he does at church. Michael quietly does the job with his back to the congregation, not seeking any attention or recognition. He leaves his seat in the second row, walks up to the front, and lights two candles — that many folks in the congregation might notice flickering throughout the service. By most standards, it would be considered a small job. But, if you look closely enough, you might just see the job for what it really is. Michael is an example of faithful service. He’s an example of serving without the need for payment, reward, or public accolades. He’s the very definition of the word “meek,” which Jesus, Himself, commanded us to be.
While Michael’s struggles in social settings like church have regularly stood in his way, his own strength and his family’s support have enabled him to persevere through the difficulties that he’s faced so he can overcome them. He’s the epitome of what service to Jesus looks like — showing up, silently getting the job done, and showing up again to repeatedly serve without fanfare — week after week, which turns into month after month, which leads to year after year.
It’s not just inside the walls of the church building that one might see the impact that young Michael has on our community. As an avid Lego builder, he loves to assemble various kits to either donate around town or give as gifts to people he knows. He donated a camera, for example, to Powell Photography, a parrot to Bert’s Pet Center, and flowers to the Flatwoods and Russell Middle School libraries, where he likes to volunteer. His friends and family members have been recipients of Lego jewelry boxes. He also enjoys assembling jigsaw puzzles, to donate to various community organizations. His heart of service and giving nature are easy to see if you know where to look.
The wisdom of his mother, Mrs. Sorrell, recognizes that: “He loves having a job and a purpose, as everyone does.” Whether at home preparing these donations, or at church lighting the candles and straightening up the mics, one thing is undeniable: Michael is the example for all of us of Jesus’ servant leadership.
Michael may not be a man of many words, but his is certainly a life that we would be wise to emulate. No matter where our paths may lead and what we might find our hands working on, it would behoove us all to carry a little bit of Michael forward with us, faithfully working in the same way at every task we face. Our world flickers a little brighter, and we find a spark of appreciation for the differences we offer when we take the time to really look. Those fortunate enough to know Michael would tell you he brightens their world, leaving in his wake a beautiful candlelit road for us all to follow.
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