The Great Omission
The Books and the Bagels is a blog series from CWI (N America) that sets forth some useful books with review, and some conversational stories from the world of Jewish mission, with or without the Bagels!
Book Review: Seeds and Stars: Resting in Christ for Great Commission Service E.D. Burns (Founders Ministries)
As I began to read this book, I felt there was a tinge of ‘cynical old man’ in his writing style. When I got to the end, I concluded there was a lot of the ‘cynical old man’ in his writing – and much of it was warranted!
With decades of ministry experience in bicultural, foreign language, and least-reached contexts, Burns comes to the reader with some experiential authority and not a little ‘warts and all’ of church and ministry awareness.
This is a no punches pulled must read for all engaged in pulpit and para-church ministry. In this short book review I can only highlight a few areas (with teasing quotes) to draw you into a full read of something that I hope will not simply make us more cynical of others, but radical with ourselves.
Seeds and Stars is available from Founders Press.
Ministry is theologically driven
Recognizing, (as I often say) that missiology grows out of theology, Burns presses the issue regarding real spirituality (not bare sentimentality). ‘Theology is the root, missiology is the fruit, and spirituality is the sap.’ (p4)
As he draws out later, that inner divinely worked godliness, is far more important (even the sine qua non), than some worldly methodology. He speaks of grace filled doctrines and grace fueled disciplines, not just as catchy word themes, but as the very essence of Christian ministry.
Doctrine (be it shallow or substantial) effects every practicality of our labors. With an understanding of the ‘doctrines of grace’, we can go forth with a right approach to our ministry service. It is not our job to turn a world upside down. It is the gospel that does that.
He rightly and helpfully draws forth two kinds of gospel servants: ‘the bleeding hearts’ and ‘the burning hearts’. The bleeding hearts find their purpose in the dire needs around them and are usually ‘cause-driven’. The burning hearts instead are roused by ‘a doxological need’ and sustained by an ‘eschatological truth’ (P18). In other words, the desire for God to be worshipped by every tribe and tongue, and aware that God’s promises assure this ultimate reality, the burning heart is ‘truth-driven’.
It simply boils down to having either a pragmatic or principled approach to ministry. (We may even suggest that the theology of Arminius or Calvin might even be behind either the bleeding or the burning heart.)
And sometimes the bleeding heart has some selfishness within; wanting success, with our name on it. However, biblical gospel witness usually demands anonymity, lest any man should boast.
‘Most mobilizers won’t divulge the facts: that the unreached and resistant nations are replete with silent graveyards of gospel witness – biographies unwritten, names unknown, and faces forgotten… They have nothing to show for their ostensibly useless, fruitless venture – no church plant, few disciples, no completed Bible translation, no fan base, no book deals.’ (p39)
He continues with some searing cynicism, ‘Our methodological pragmatism is seductive. Catalyzing fast-cycle movements is a better return on investment – all to the glory of God, we assure ourselves.’
Biblical Missiology or Business Methodology
He has seen it all. ‘In the decades of my missionary service, I have seen utter devastation in the wake of Christian leaders who don’t hold to the doctrines of the absolute sovereignty of God, original sin, and justification by faith alone. I have witnessed the wreckage of lives bulldozed by a prophetic mysticism, the flattening of distinct masculinity and femininity, critical theory’s woke religiosity, spiritually abusive control addicts, and every other profane union of biblical truth with cultural compromise’. (p48)
New methods are tried. Seminar after seminar is held for more radical service, more healing, more initiatives, programs, and projects. And he summarizes, ‘the power is in the seed, not the seed thrower’. He even chastises those not only who have faith in their faith, but faith in their faithfulness. Now he’s coming close to home!
‘In gnostic moralism, the object of your trust is the contractual guarantee that specific steps, techniques, or principles, when fully practiced will produce the desired outcome. So not only do you trust in the prescribed process, but you also trust in your performance of that process.’
The claim that the world will not care about our gospel until they know we care about them, and that they will know we are Christians by our love, and we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ; Burns debunks all of this. He rightly points out that we are not called to be the salt of the earth, as an imperative. It is instead an indicative: ‘You are the salt of the earth’. (P131)
Activist or Ambassador?
‘Christians are never called to be activists. Never. The world and its broken systems are not ours to change or transform. We are pilgrims.’ (P133)
‘The mission of the church is not an activistic mission. It is essentially an ambassadorial mission.’ (p142)
What a relief to the war-weary servant of Christ. Yes to faithfulness, rather than success. But do not even have faith in your faithfulness. Act, indicatively, as salt. Act, indicatively, as an ambassador. He, is the faithful one, and it is He who shall do it.
But then an ambassador displays some indicative characteristics. The doulos of Christ exhibits a life full of grace fueled disciplines that lead to godliness. This, real spirituality, is one of the great missing jewels of the 21st century church and missionary laborers.
Sentimentality or Spirituality?
He rightly points out that some views of spirituality are just pure sentimentality wrapped in Christian-ese. At best it is sloppy terminology, at worst, it is bare mysticism.
‘The gospel as internal experience claims that Jesus lives inside our hearts, and its up to us to make him feel welcome and spend time with Him. However, this is a different Jesus than the Bible reveals. Of course, this is probably just imprecise, hasty language describing the Spirit’s indwelling presence. But we need to be clear with our words… Theological words have meaning, and theological ideas have generational and eternal consequences… One generation’s sloppy terminology is another generation’s test of orthodoxy. This is why creeds and confessions are of utmost value for guarding biblical meaning.’
Amen, and Amen!
We in CWI (N America) are committed to burning hearts, with biblical missiology, sowing seeds, knowing the power is in the seed, not the thrower.
And yet while not trusting even in our faithfulness for results, we seek to be faithful, to Scripture, to substantial, creedal Christianity, to disciplined spirituality, knowing that ‘without holiness, no man shall see the Lord’. As an ambassador, we desire ultimately to see our King.
Go, read, mark, and learn, from this excellent resource on Great Commission Service.
[You can order E.D. Burns’ “Seeds and Stars” on the Founders Press website for $19.98, here.]
STEPHEN ATKINSON
Director, Christian Witness to Israel – N America.
