Nazarene Compassionate Ministries

I picked up a magazine from church the other day. It is the publication of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. It tells the stories of those who have dedicated themselves to the cause of the poor, to combat injustice, and love mercy. This particular issue traced the history of compassion within the Church of the Nazarene. From the very beginning, the Nazarene Church was at the forefront of what we call ‘social justice’ issues. Our founder, Phineas Bresee, preached on the first Sunday of the first Nazarene church in Pasadena in 1885. He alluded that the only new occurrence of this particular movement was “its determination to preach the gospel to those in need, and give the poor a church where they could feel at home.”

A friend of mine was telling me why she particularly liked this magazine. It gives her hope. It gives her hope that there are people whose lives are so in tuned with the heart of God that they can’t help but help those in need. We don’t see much of this anymore. I work at a food pantry every Tuesday. It has been truly a blessing to be able to serve in this way. Recently, I have been more cognizant of Jesus’ words, “What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” Despite some smelling of alcohol, some who are angry, and others who are ashamed, I am beginning to see the face of God. There is an unexplainable love at this place. It is not easy, but it is love being worked out.

I mention this only to quote one of our earliest General Superintendents: “Pure religion always has and always will have two faces, purity and service. To neglect service in the welfare of others is to demonstrate a lack of purity. Holiness people should be pre-eminent in social service. This is what chiefly characterized the Early Church- their uniting service to bless their fellow men and care for their widows and fatherless children.”

I am thankful for this magazine. I am glad that it is being published by my church denomination, but I feel as if its very existence points toward our lack of understanding. The Nazarene church’s major publication is a magazine entitled “Holiness Today.” It deals primarily with issues of ‘purity,’ and by purity I am talking of issues of the heart. So we have created a separate magazine to deal with issues of service and social justice. At some point in our past, we have gradually gone from the recognition that holiness works itself out into compassion to the separation of purity from service. We now echo the dualism so prevalent in today’s culture. This magazine isn’t the only indicator. The Nazarene church began and flourished in the inner-city. We are now a church of middle-class suburbanites. One of the goals of the Chicago-Central district was to establish a Nazarene church within the Chicago city. So, there was not one Nazarene church among 4 million people. Astonishing.

I say this both as an indictment and a hope. I hope that we can once again recognize Jesus’ face in the face of others. Let us recognize that there is but one gospel that encompasses the social and the spiritual, and they are inherently related.