COVER STORY “No ‘Refugee’ in ‘Refugee‚’” by Fletcher L. Tink The plight of refugees resonates loudly in the consciousness of Christianity. From the expulsion of Adam and Eve to the wandering of the Israelites, from the flight of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to our own recognition that we are citizens of another world, Christians have a heritage that identifies with those who are nomads without choice. What is our God-given responsibility to them? Read this story now

FEATURES

• "The Church’s New Welcome Mat," by Gary Sivewright. We struggle with “dancing with Jesus – resting in His arms, swaying in the ebb and flow of His goodness and grace.

• "Musalaha – The Search for Reconciliation" As conflict in the Holy Land makes headlines almost daily, how should Christians sort out the complex issues of refugees and homelands? We asked a young woman who works daily with Palestinian Christians and Israeli Messianic Jews about the quest for understanding, peace, and reconciliation.

COLUMNS

• Essay: "I’d Rather Dance," by Ron Benefiel. To be Christian is to have integrity–to be authentically, truly Christlike in every sense, every day, every way.

• Gen X: "Changing Places," by Frank Moore. To be honest with you, I want to be more like my students. They believe that God calls them to change the places where He puts them.

• Heartbeat: "A Faith Family," by Bill M. Sullivan. A deep sense of gratitude and pride comes from knowing a family of faith exists both around the world and in a variety of settings. It’s one of the many gifts that come from being connected in an organized network – our Nazarene faith family.

• Editor's Forum: This month’s forum answers questions about Job and overworking the word holiness.

• In the Mirror: "We’re Not in Kansas Anymore," by Martha Bolton. In a way, for the time being, I guess we’re all refugees. Our home is in heaven, and we’re not going to feel satisfied until we’re there.

• Portraits: "Fausto Rocha: TV, Politics, and Glove Compartments," by Debbie Salter Goodwin. Through every open door and several hundred glove compartments, Fausto Rocha has used his voice to broadcast the good news of God.

• The Deeper Way: "Qualifying for Ministry," by Terry Read. Acts 8 records the first major persecution of the Christian Church that forced a massive refugee movement, a catastrophe by any common-sense reckoning. But the unpredictable happened. The refugees became evangelists.

• Change Agent: "Will You Just Hurry Up?" by Jon Johnston. When it comes to tolerance for change, life is best seen as a highway. Others’ speed need not dictate ours, nor should ours determine theirs.

• Touching: "Hard Lessons, Tender Heart," by Doug Runyan. “ When I complained about all of the attention we were getting from the needy, a staff member reminded me, “Well, we wanted people to know we’re a church.” Ouch!

• Interconnected: "Walk Your Child, Not Your Dog," by Larry Hull. What are we demonstrating to our children about the care of God’s temple, their bodies?

• Family Tree: "Stretching Hearts, Nurturing Servants," by Rick and Bonnie Ryding. Stretching our hearts will extend our boundaries, expand our cultural awareness, and make us feel at home in a world of diversity.

• Commission: "Don’t Die too Soon!" by James H. Diehl. What kind of Christians would we be in this high-tech information age if we didn’t read anything but a newspaper and a sports magazine? The Holiness Movement is weakened by pastors and laypersons who haven’t read a book for months.

• Holiness: "Sanctification: A Dangerous Doctrine?" by Rob L. Staples. A wrong conception of sanctification allows a believer to assume “once sanctified, always sanctified.”

NEXT MONTH – Compassion: Loaves–and–Fish Living

• "Compassion: The Way of Holiness," by Dwight Swanson. From the Early Church, where believers held all things in common, to the inception of the Church of the Nazarene, when Bresee called Christians to a unique ministry to the poor, Holiness people have always been concerned for the disadvantaged and outcast. It is a call based on Christ himself: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”