In 2007, I wrote an article on Compassion stating that compassion is an essential element of what it means to be Christlike in the world. The Church of the Nazarene’s identity is rooted in compassion and justice. For more than 100 years we have found ourselves either in the center of compassionate responses to those within our communities or at the periphery of the compassionate response of organizations we consider ourselves friendly with.

As a denomination we declared in 2007 that our mission was and is to “make Christlike Disciples in the Nations”.  As I reinstitute this blog forum, it is apparent to me that we have no disagreements on whether we believe as a denomination we should engage in matters of compassion and justice. It is a foregone conclusion that it is our biblical duty to respond practically and compassionately to human need in the name of Christ. So whether we respond as a Compassionate Ministry Center, the structure utilized by some organizations as a result of the separation of Church and State laws, or whether we respond compassionately within the traditional church structure, the important issues is that we respond.

The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have moved us to respond. The many affiliated organizations providing critically needed mentoring programs to at risk youth, the countless churches and community organizations providing food, clothing, shelter, and emergency funding to those in need, or those who are tending to the sick or imprisoned, or advocating and meeting the needs of the strangers within on borders, all of this speaks to Christian’s responding practically to needs surrounding them.  So what’s the point?

There are many other benevolent organizations that provide the same assistance the church provides in her various organized forms.  What makes us different? In my opinion, I believe it is the motivation behind why we respond.  I believe, we respond because of our identity in Christ: this is what Christ would have us do. We respond because we are missional. We understand that we are called to look for what God is doing in the world and partner with the agenda. Reggie McNeal in Missional Renaissance states, “External focused ministry leaders take their cues from the environment around them in terms of needs and opportunities. They look for ways to bless and to serve the communities where they are located” (McNeal, Kindle eBooks, location 331-37). As the church we are an expression of the heart of God. This is what it means to serve; this is what it means to be missional. Compassion and justice are an integral part of our identity because it is a part of Christ’s identity.

So then, what practical implications does compassion and justice have on being a 21^st Century church called to live out of her Wesleyan tradition? Are we truly different from other benevolent non faith-based organizations? If we are, how do we celebrate and grow in who God has called us to be as His representatives in the world? And can you recall any instances of how we have demonstrated compassion or justice as an expression of what we believe? I believe it is in the reflection of our brightest moments that we may see glimpses of what God can and is doing through us. Can we dare to dream again?

Let’s talk about it!

Over the last few days I have had some interesting conversations around the use of the term Social Justice.  Some are strong proponents of the use of the term while others have said that while they agree with what it means conservative evangelicals have issues with the term and what it may connote.

What are your thoughts?  Let’s talk!

The following excerpt was written by David Hilfiker:

He is a medical doctor, writer, author, and actively served in of our Compassionate Ministry Centers, Community of Hope - Washington DC, in its early days.

By David Hilfiker

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have too much; it is whether we provide enough to those who have too little.” In the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke these stirring words to the American people—words that echo the biblical perspective on society’s responsibility to the poor.

That may seem like ancient history. In fact, it was only a generation ago that U.S. citizens and elected leaders believed that a societal commitment to the marginalized was integral to who we were as a people…. The new paradigm (actually a very old paradigm dating back centuries to poorhouses and debtor prisons) is that the poor have only themselves to blame for their poverty. All that most poor people really need is a kick in the pants. Society has little responsibility to them. Worse, most Americans are convinced that government is incapable of helping the poor, and that social programs only make things worse.

Jesus warned us we would always have the poor with us—not to lull us into resignation at the inevitability of poverty but to remind us of our covenantal obligation to respond with compassion and justice. Our society today is the richest the earth has ever known, yet millions of our U.S. sisters and brothers live in poverty, struggling for survival and basic human dignity. If we are to respond faithfully, we must understand their struggle—and what it demands of us, rich and poor alike….

Share your thoughts?

Let’s Talk!

As a child my parents always admonished, “Choose your friends wisely”. At other times, they would remind me, “you are known by the company you keep”. As I grew and learned for myself, I came to understand that their words of advice were another way of teaching me consequences of guilt by association. It is not unusual to be judged according to the company you keep. Who strives to be found guilty by association? Usually if you are guilty, you would prefer to be caught red-handed, in the act so to speak rather than accused because of a mere association. However, guilt by association is a reality for all, and I dare say, it is a reality for the Church, for Ministry and for the Christian life, based on the choices we make. I cannot help but remember my parent’s advice but with a slight variation. What is wrong with being found guilty by association, if it is the right association?

In the Acts of the Apostles, both Stephen (Acts 6 & 7) and Jason (Acts 17:1-9) were found guilty by association. Both chose to align themselves with a person and a movement that was unpopular resulting in accusations and even persecution. Stephen was noted as a man who was full of wisdom, faith, and the Holy Spirit. Although they tried hard to malign his reputation as one who spoke blasphemous, he spoke with eloquence and authority declaring his knowledge and allegiance to the Christ. Jason was accused of being a sympathizer to Paul and Silas and their claims of Jesus as King. In both instances, these men had to choose if they wanted to be found guilty by association; or would it be better to deny their associations and be found innocent?

We face the same decision as the Church. The church is called to proclaim the same Spirit that Jesus declared in Luke 4 as he quoted the proclamation of the prophet Isaiah (chapter 61). This same Spirit has been given to the Church.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” – (Luke 4:18-19 NIV)

Through Compassionate Ministries and Social Justice, the Church associates itself with Christ’s compassion for the poor, oppressed, and the marginalized. The association is not only for giving voice to the voiceless but it is also to work on behalf of those who suffer at the peril of unjust systems and to declare liberation, —the year of the Lord’s favor.

As we begin another year and the first year in the denomination’s second centennial, it is time to reflect and ask what associations will we be found guilty of keeping? Will we stay with the masses and do little to address the needs of those who are often overlooked in our society? Will we passively sit on the sidelines when it is convenient and less threatening, for to speak would be to risk association with an unpopular view? Will we not only feed the hungry and clothe the naked but also ask why they are hungry? Why are they naked? Will we not only visit the sick but also ask why they do not have adequate health insurance? Will we not only visit the prisoner but also ask have they been imprisoned, unjustly? Has the system treated them justly or are they at the mercy of a system like the one almost used against the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:3-11)? Will we speak and defend the stranger in our gates, or will we wait in silence to see what the popular voice clamors for? Will we advocate for those treated as modern day lepers , those infected with HIV/AIDS, or will we continue to allow this pandemic to only affect the international image of women and children while the women of our North American cities affected every day continue to be infected at pandemic rates. Will we ask why is this happening? Will we through education and advocacy, help to recover sight for those who are blinded by the complacent attitudes of the masses.

Jim Collins (2001) in his novel Good to Great says, “Good is the enemy of great”. Will we settle for good, when God is calling us to great? “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline” (Collins, 2001).

I dream of Compassionate Ministries in the Church of the Nazarene as a integral part of every church, regardless of size. Compassion is a condition of the heart. It is not based on the size of your church or the amount of resources you have. God has given each of us the ability to show love and compassion for each other. I find myself asking why we call some of our churches Good Samaritan churches, as if it is an option. We are all called to love our neighbors and hence we should all be Good Samaritans. Like Discipleship, it is not an option or an upgrade on a lifestyle. I envision a Church that will to speak truth boldly to power like Stephen in Acts Chapter 7. The Church engaged in Social Justice, will require that she speak God’s standard of justice in the marketplace. Surely if we engage these matters as I have said we will be found guilty by association, but whether we do or not, I am sure, somehow we will still have the same outcome. For in the end, we will all be found guilty by association.

The question then becomes, with whom will you choose to associate? As we turn the corner to a new day, a new year, a new century we must be deliberate. It will not happen by chance. For the Church to live out Luke 4:18-19, we must be intentional whether by region, district, or local church. It will take the same virtues given in Acts 6:3 to reside in our leaders and laity: full of the Spirit, wisdom, and faith. What remains is when and how will we begin. I am ready, are you? I welcome your thoughts.

Let’s Talk!

Does the Church, in all its forms (compassionate ministry centers included) have a responsibility to address or advocate for social justice in society?  Many believe that our civic structure demands a separation of Church and State. Yet, Scripture says “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other‘ (Zechariah 7:9-10).

Do we have a responsibility to engage in social justice?  For many, Compassionate Ministries is synonymous with Social Justice but in actuality, they are different. Justice is about ‘rectification’ –making things right. 

Who is called to speak to hunger, homelessness, joblessness, unfair business, and trade practices?  Who advocates for the stranger and alien within our gates?  Who is called to advocate for the stewardship of God’s resources? Who is called to challenge systems of inequity?

If the Church is not called to speak to justice, then who does?  Who is called to bear the light of Christ in the world, if not the Church?  Moreover, if not us, then who speaks for the defenseless?

Let’s talk!

This blog is a new venture for me, much like my current role at the Global Ministry Center here in Lenexa. Although I have been here for a little more than a year, I have intentionally spent the first year traveling to meet many of you (both Compassionate Ministry Centers and Churches) and learn how you serve the underserved and marginalized of your communities and how I might best support you in ministry.

While the road trips are not yet finished, I felt it was time I began to share openly with all of you some of the things I am seeing and perhaps some of the disconnects I see with where the church began, hence the name of this blog, Courageous Conversations.

Let me state it clearly, this blog is not a forum for complaining but rather a forum to discuss openly and honestly, how we can steer this ship called compassionate ministries to accomplish the very goals stated in our Manual, and more importantly, mandated by God to the Church. I have heard it said that change is inevitable. Times will continue to change and if we do not change accordingly, to keep pace, time will change us.

So, here is the question I want us to consider. I have included the section of our Manual that speaks to our responsibility to the poor. I have highlighted a particular section for your consideration. Feel free to comment on any or all of it, but what I want to know is the the following:

• Is this statement still relevant to the Church of the Nazarene? If so, how do we reach these goals with today’s challenges? Times surely have changed.
• What does solidarity with the poor look like today? Have we settled for mere charity or are we in pursuit of equality and justice for the poor? If we are pursuing equality and justice as a denomination, what does it look like?

Let’s talk!

903.4. Responsibility to the Poor

The Church of the Nazarene believes that Jesus commanded His disciples to have a special relationship to the poor of this world; that Christ’s Church ought, first, to keep itself simple and free from an emphasis on wealth and extravagance and, second, to give itself to the care, feeding, clothing, and shelter of the poor. Throughout the Bible and in the life and example of Jesus, God identifies with and assists the poor, the oppressed, and those in society who cannot speak for themselves. In the same way, we, too, are called to identify with and to enter into solidarity with the poor and not simply to offer charity from positions of comfort. We hold that compassionate ministry to the poor includes acts of charity as well as a struggle to provide opportunity, equality, and justice for the poor. We further believe that the Christian responsibility to the poor is an essential aspect of the life of every believer who seeks a faith that works through love. Finally, we understand Christian holiness to be inseparable from ministry to the poor in that it drives the Christian beyond his or her own individual perfection and toward the creation of a more just and equitable society and world. Holiness, far from distancing believers from the desperate economic needs of people in our world, motivates us to place our means in the service of alleviating such need and to adjust our wants in accordance with the needs of others. (2001) (Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:7; Psalms 41:1; 82:3; Proverbs 19:17; 21:13; 22:9; Jeremiah 22:16; Matthew 19:21; Luke 12:33; Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:10