Social Concerns and Compassion Ministries

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” --John 17:1-5 (NIV)

One of the main tasks for the Board of Social Concerns this year has been to establish and work towards a thematic goal for our Conference in the area of Social Action. As a board we decided to develop a communication that gives our Conference churches a biblical foundation for having a social conscience, attempting to answer the question, “Why should we be involved in social action/social justice?” We came to consensus on producing a contemporary, relevant video that seeks to energize our churches to be more outwardly focused and compassionate.

Recently, I was sent an unsolicited email that had a link to a video posted on YouTube called, Revival Hymn. It is a collection of preachers or evangelists as they speak about revival. One of the speakers on the video lamented that we, meaning the church, have embraced humanism and its assumption that the chief end of our being is the happiness of human beings. His forceful point was that we are to do everything, not for the happiness of man, but for the glory of God. I don’t know exactly what we in the Wesleyan tradition think of the Westminster Confession of Faith, but the shorter catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” To which the answer is asserted, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The second question is “What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?” Answer: “The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.” That resonates with me and I think is certainly a Scriptural truth.

Jesus’ prayer listed above gives us a clear picture of His motivation in doing what He did. It was to glorify God. Our contention as a Board of Social Concerns is that we need to be involved in social action, first and foremost, for the glory of God. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount said, “Let you light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Corinth, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). As a Board, we believe that bringing glory to God is our overriding motivation for social action.

Secondly, we are to be engaged in social action because it is God’s heart to do so. One of the most well known and beloved Scriptures give us a clear picture of God’s heart. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” God loved and so He gave...” Paul confirms this in his letter to the Roman Christians, “But God demonstrated His love to us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The covenant God made with Abraham was “that all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:3). Jonah’s frustration with God was that he “knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). In case you think his blessing is just about salvation after death, Jesus says, “I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Lastly, we need to be involved in social action because God demands it of us. Those Scriptures the Westminster Confession mentions, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, affirm such a response. Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” John connects the dots for us between God’s love and our love for others. He says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16ff). James, in his epistle says much the same in chapter two, but lest we think God’s desire is just about love for brothers and sisters in Christ, James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

At last year’s Annual Conference, we encouraged our churches in six areas of focused action. Our main area was encouraging churches to go on mission trips to the gulf coast for Katrina relief. We did have at least four different groups from our Evangelical churches make a trip. Those trips turned out to be awesome for those folks. We were disappointed in that a Conference trip scheduled for the end of February had to be cancelled due to a lack of interest. This situation does bring to our attention the difficulty of promoting corporate ministry on the Conference level. This year, rather than having set programs or Conference sponsored programs; we are encouraging churches to engage in social action on their own initiative. At least for now, the Board has come to the same conclusion as that of the Board of Church Extension regarding church planting, that local churches will do a better job of accomplishing the work. We desire to support churches in any way we can, and will bring ideas and challenges to the Conference churches throughout the year, but we
hope that each church will develop a deeper compassion for the needs within their own community. We hope and pray that each church finds that wonderful balance of mission, passion, gifting, and opportunity.

May God bless you and your community in your efforts for God’s glory.

Respectfully submitted,
Rev. Stephen Blikstad
Director, Board of Social Concerns and Compassion Ministries

Phone: 503-590-5683 • Email:stephen@trinityc.org