Timothy Tennent, the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, wants Ukrainian pastors and Christian leaders to think about how to be a faithful witness for Christ in the midst of a war–torn country.
In a lecture to Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, provided as part of Beeson’s partnership with UETS, Tennent spoke about “Missio Dei and the Public Mission of the Church: Proclamation, Justice, and Witness in a Wounded World.”
Tennent said Ukrainians have been an “inspiration to the world” in the face of the Russian invasion and reminded the pastors they are called to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not in a generic way, but in their particular context of war and oppression, as many other Christians faced before them.
“We recall those sacred words from the first century when ‘The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:41),’” Tennent said. “We remember with fresh poignancy those words of St. Paul in Philippians 1:29, ‘For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.’”
The concept of missio dei is that the basis for the mission of God lies within the Trinity and flows out of God’s heart and initiative, not only as an action or ministry of the church, Tennent said. However, the church must recognize it has been ordained by God to reflect the Trinity by taking part in missional work.
“Central to a biblical vision of God’s mission is that God does, in fact, work in and through His church and that it is central, not ancillary, to His mission,” Tennent said.
God’s work of salvation also does not stop at the cross and resurrection, Tennent said, but “continues to unfold in God’s ongoing initiatives at Pentecost and in the life of the church in the midst of a messy, broken and war–torn world.”
Tennent went on to say once the church understands the Gospel, forgiveness becomes possible.
“Loving your enemies is not even possible until we see this whole conflict as an invitation into the wounds of Christ,” Tennent said. “It is only when our own wounds get pressed into His that the church can find space to forgive.”
Justice, likewise, is also part of the missio dei. Proclaiming the love and grace and forgiveness of God is possible because God has set things right and vindicated Himself and His own, Tennent said.
“The missio dei reminds us that the work of God in the world is not instrumentally accomplished by the church or by the State but is ultimately the work of God and it is only eschatologically realized,” Tennent said. “We will not see full justice in our lifetime. Yet, God always speaks, even in silence, and reminds us that He will someday set things right, wiping every tear from our eyes and vindicating the faithfulness of Jesus in whom we live and abide.”
Tennent reminded those listening that our God “takes the worst evil this world can produce and uses even that for the greater work of the Gospel.”
“Out of the ashes of this tragic conflict will emerge a Ukrainian church which would not have been possible without the forging fires of this conflict, which have brought together Christians here in ways unimaginable,” Tennent said. “The mystery of iniquity is indeed great, but there is a deeper mystery before the dawn of time, which is the mystery of the Gospel. We take heart in knowing that, even in our pain, even in our sorrow, even in our suffering, we know the last headline will be: ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. Amen.”