So, Send I You....
Like to travel? Enjoy exotic foods and people? Want to have other people pay for you to
live out your dreams? Do you love to live life on the edge of your seat, just waiting for
the next adventure to start? Then try missions! What do you have to lose?!?!
If that was the missions pitch at your church this weekend, how many people do you
think would sign up? Probably more than a missions agency could handle. While those
exact words are not normally used during missions emphasis months, those
expectations are held by more people than you would think who express an initial
interest in missions. No, I’m not saying that people who express a burden for missions
are just in it for the adventure. I’m sure that they are experiencing a call they believe to
be from the Lord. The reality that I am proposing is that there are some who begin their
journey into missions based on an emotional high and hunger for sanctified adventure.
Now, the pendulum swings both ways. While some today may over market the
adventure of missions, there was a time when the suffering aspect of missions was
highlighted. In 1954, what would be considered one of the finest missionary hymns of
the twentieth century was penned. That was when 22-year-old Margaret Clarkson wrote
the song “So Send I You”. For years to come whenever a missionary family was sent
out by a local church, that song was sure to be sung. If you are not familiar with the
original version of this hymn, here is a brief overview of its origin.
Clarkson grew up in Toronto at a time when jobs were scarce. In her earlier years, she
found herself in the far north working in lumber camps and gold mines just to make
ends meet. Reflecting on those early years in the far north she said that she
experienced the deepest mental, physical, and spiritual loneliness imaginable. She
found herself in an area where there was no Bible teaching or Christian fellowship, and
only one or two scattered Christians with whom to engage. While studying through the
20th chapter of John, she came across the phrase, “so send I you”. Reflecting on her
own loneliness and hardships, she drafted a poem that would later become the original
version of the song we know today as “So Send I You.” Here are a few lines from the
song.
So send I you to labor unrewarded, To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown, to
bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing — So send I you, to toil for Me alone. So send
I you — to bind the bruised and broken, O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,
to bear the burdens of a world a-weary — So send I you, to suffer for My sake.
Encouraging, right? While the words to this song are a reality experienced by many
missionaries, they do not make the most attractive slogan for modern-day mobilization.
It’s almost like going to a missions conference with this presentation:
Who wants to sign up to go to a foreign country where you don’t know anyone, don’t
speak the language, and will feel like a child having to be taught how to do things like
buy groceries? Sounds pretty awesome right? If that were the sales pitch at your church
missions conference this year, I doubt anyone would be quick to enlist.
My family and I served as overseas missionaries for about 10 years. When my family
and I were initially sent out to be missionaries in Liberia, West Africa, you guessed it,
this song was slowly sung as we were heroically sent out. To be honest, for years I kind
of hated this song. As a young missionary, I thought... well that is a bummer! Are my
wife and I along with our 4 little kids really being sent out to unrewarded labor, unsought
rebuke, suffer, scorn, and scoffing? I don’t remember all of that being in the brochure.
One thing that the song does well is present the reality that the unbelieving world is a
harsh place to stand firm for Christ. But what Clarkson’s original version of “So Send I
You” did not address was what was to keep a missionary on the field when faced with all
of those harsh realities.
Those harsh realities are faced by missionaries around the world every day. When we
arrived on the field, it was not as we had expected it to be. Our past experiences and
romantic memories of missions trips are what helped to fuel the fire which helps us get
to the field. But, once we arrived what we really needed was to learn what would keep
us on the field now that we were there. Our family experienced pain, suffering, and
hardships. What kept us? It wasn’t our love for the people. It wasn’t our love for the
location. It wasn’t our enthrallment with having the title missionary. What would keep us
on the field was our love for God and the knowledge that He had called us to serve for
His glory and that He had placed us exactly where He wanted us. What encouraged us
was knowing that it was by God’s grace that the ministry would triumph. Knowing Christ
was the one who had conquered gave us the ability to boldly proclaim His Truth without
fear.
In 1963, after gaining more life experience and contact with real-life missionaries,
Clarkson saw that her poem didn’t tell the whole story of missions. She had focused
only on the hardships and suffering of the missionary call but none of its joys and
blessings. Clarkson decided that her original song needed to be updated so in 1963 “So
Send I You by Grace” was released.
1963 version: So send I you — by grace made strong to triumph O’er hosts of hell, o’er
darkness, death and sin, My name to bear and in that name to conquer — So send I
you, My victory to win. So send I you – to take to souls in bondage The Word of Truth
that sets the captive free To break the bonds of sin, to loose death’s fetters — So send I
you, to bring the lost to Me.
This updated version is wonderful. It expresses the reality that we are to go as
ambassadors for Christ boldly proclaiming His grace to the world. Clarkson expressed
well the truth that God’s Word is the only Truth that sets captives free and breaks the
bondage of sin. Even in the face of the hardest trials, Christ's name is proclaimed and
the lost are pointed to Christ
Are you considering missions? I hope you are. Are you considering becoming more
active in your community for Christ? I hope so. If you are considering missions, let me
do you this service and tell you that hardships, difficulties, and heartache awaits. It’s a
reality with which you have to wrestle. The better reality to wholeheartedly embrace is
that when we are sent out, we are sent out being strengthened by the grace of God, we
are sent out armed with the inspired Word of God, and we are sent out bearing the
name of Christ in whose presence darkness, sin, and death are overcome. Our love for
God is what drives us to experience hardships, if necessary, to see His kingdom
proclaimed. The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautiful. Christ is worthy of all glory and
honor and the proclamation of His Truth is the core that drives ministry.
So Send I you to labor in God's vineyard. By God’s grace, we strive to seek the lost.
When we toil for Christ, we never find ourselves alone. We are equipped by the Holy
Spirit for battle and in Jesus' name, the victory is won.
Washington, D. C.; New York, New York; London, England; Mumbai, India; Nairobi, Kenya; Moscow, Russia; and now Paris, France. What do all of these cities have in common? Well, in the light of the tragedy of last week, the answer is obvious to anyone who pays attention to world events: all of these cities have been sites of international terrorism in the past fifteen years. The threat of terrorism continues to grow. And since September 11, we know it is no longer isolated to “over there.” Those of us old enough to remember know exactly where we were when the airplanes hit the Twin Towers. However, all of these cities have something else in common for me: I have visited each of them since 9/11. I have toured some of these cities extensively and repeatedly. Now, with the addition of Paris to the list of international cities targeted by terrorists (twice in recent months), the possibility of my being in the middle of an attack is greater than ever. Of course, the United States has an extensive anti-terror team that works diligently to keep these incidents out of our country, but in reality, no one is completely immune from this kind of a threat.
It used to be that most ministry servants had a reasonable expectation of never being in harm’s way. Relatively few western Christians faced any kind of real world trouble. However, in the current situation, all that has changed. Nearly every missionary or Christian worker who travels abroad has to be vigilant. No longer is danger restricted to those who plan to work in closed or restricted access countries. Now ordinary missionaries who simply leave the United States face the very real prospect of being caught up in some international chaos. Terrorism, it seems, is here to stay—until Jesus sets all things right.
How might we process living and serving in this world plagued with random acts of terrorism? Do we need to live in fear and allow these threats to paralyze us from ministry? Should I curtail my international travels lest I leave my wife a widow? Should I avoid London, Paris, New York, Nairobi or Washington? I plan to be back in Nairobi this summer.
Several comforting truths come to mind from Scripture as I ponder this state of affairs. Christians need not fret about living in this world at this time, though they may need to be more vigilant.
God directs our steps. Psalm 37:23 reminds believers that “the steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.” What a comfort to know that God knows and plans our path, even through this sin-cursed world! Does this mean that all believers will be preserved from all evil in every case? Not at all. But what it does mean is that if God chooses to send a believer along a path where evil happens, there is some divine purpose intended in the journey. Our hearts ache for the city of Paris as it recovers from this wanton act of barbarity. Undoubtedly, there are some there who know the Lord who can point others to Christ during this time. We need to pray that the believers caught up in all of the chaos will shine as lights in the midst of darkness.
God walks with us always, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Psalm 23:4 reminds us that like a shepherd, God goes with us through the valley; He does not abandon us to the valley of darkness. Jesus gave a similar promise to His disciples when He sent them into the world: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). As I travel globally in the service of the Lord, I “go with God,” via con Dios. I know that He will be there with me, and in His will, I need not fear. For what it’s worth, this has been part of the reality that many missionaries have clung to down through Christian history, as they have left their homelands to go unto parts unknown bearing the banner of the cross.
As Christians, God has appointed our days from beginning to end. How often have we reminded the lost that they all have an appointment to stand before God? The truth is, we all do—lost and saved. I remember a number of years ago, I was visiting with a brother from India in the aftermath of the death of missionary Graham Starnes at the hands of Hindu radicals. The brother had invited me to India, and I wondered about the safety of this friend in India. He looked at me and said rather soberly, “Don’t worry Jeff. If it’s God’s will for you to come and die in India, then you will die in India!” My immediate response, rather humorously, was, “If it’s God’s will for me to come and die in India, then I’m not coming!” Of course, I was joking. Who am I to think I can “cheat death”? I know that my days are a part of the divine plan. In His time, I have an appointment to stand before Him. This does not give me liberty to act foolishly, to tempt God with wanton disregard of the consequences. It does mean that believers are secure in the will of God until such time as God deems our mission complete and calls us home—be that from my easy chair in Plymouth, Minnesota, or riding a subway in some international city while serving the Lord.
Christians must not be needlessly troubled by the terrorism of our world. Yes, things are getting worse and the dangers are coming closer to home. We should heed the warnings to be vigilant. But we should continue to serve the Lord fearlessly as He provides opportunity, trusting that He will direct our steps as He goes with us through our journey. At the appointed time, we will stand in His presence and not one day earlier!
This essay is by Jeff Straub, Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. It was originally published “In The Nick of Time” on November 20, 2015.
This week I have been participating in an annual training conference for cross-cultural missionaries. I serve as the Africa Director for a mission agency, IBMGlobal.
This year we have missionary candidates heading to South Sudan, Costa Rica, the jungles of Peru, Zambia and Liberia.
I’m always challenged by the interaction with men and women who are committed to taking the gospel around the world. The workshops are incredibly refreshing.
Mark Vowels, is the missions prof at BJUniversity. On Monday Mark brought workshops dealing with cross-cultural ministry, strategy and cultural adaptation.
On Tuesday Dr. Sam Horn helped us with a theological foundation for suffering and trials that will enable us to minster to others in their pain. Later in the day we discussed managing conflict biblically.
The Wednesday sessions with Dr Dave Doran focused on principles for evaluating what is acceptable and not acceptable in the host culture and the implications of this on indigenous ministry.
Neal Cushman and Steve Stadtmiller handled the nuts and bolts of ministry in the Thursday sessions: Developing a field strategy, Deputation, Funding & the Family and Ministry.
This has been a great week of fellowship and ministry refreshment. I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve with this board, the churches sending these missionaries, and the faithful men and women heading out to serve Christ.
The Great Commandment states that we are to “love the Lord... with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.” The Great Commission states that we are to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” to everyone, everywhere.
Thomas Ragland was a missionary many years ago in the land of India. From his experience he shared the following three lessons concerning the work of missions:
1. Of all the qualifications for mission work, and every other work, love is the greatest (I Cor. 13).
2. Of all methods of attaining to a position of usefulness and honor, the only safe one is purging our hearts from worldliness and selfishness (2 Tim. 2.21).
3. Of all plans for ensuring success, the most certain is Christ’s plan – becoming as a corn of wheat, falling into the ground and dying. (Jn. 12.24)
This is what Jesus Christ did over two thousand years ago. He lost His life and his fame. He went around over the world talking to men and women, taking little children up in His arms and ignoring what the world thought was important. He lived His life for others and to accomplish the will of His Father. And in the end, he lost His life!
Though he lost His life, He has found it again in the millions throughout the ages who have received His message and become His followers. Christ was motivated by love. He lived a life of selfless devotion to the Father and to others. He died and in dying offered life to every person in the world today. Jesus then commissioned us – you and me - to go with His love and the message of His life to “everybody, everywhere!”
Will you get involved by praying, giving and going?
Pastor, get in touch with us personally! It is a blessing to talk with a pastor in a supporting church and it is abundantly clear that he actually knows who you are and can interact with you about what is going on in the ministry - he reads our prayer letters and is informed. Don’t forget communication is a two-way street!
NOT EVERYTHING CALLED MISSIONS IS MISSIONS. My understanding of missionary work is formed by the Book of Acts. The clear pattern there is evangelism, discipleship, establishing churches, and training pastors / elders. When I came to my present pastorate I studied the list of supported missionaries and discovered that of 16 entities only two were on this program...
At no place is the tension between the various views of God’s sovereignty been highlighted more clearly than regarding the matter of personal salvation. Again, all orthodox believers would assent to God’s sovereignty in this area, but their respective understandings of it would be considerably different.
The relationship between God’s sovereignty and the tasks of evangelism and missions is often the central point of tension. Although there is ample evidence from church history that belief in God’s sovereign control, even over the bestowal of salvation, provided the kindling for the Great Awakening and the modern missionary movement...
Though officially a part of Tanzania, Zanzibar has its own government and run the island in a semi-autonomous way. Zanzibar has a few "Christian" churches these include Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal congregations. There is an underlying level of Islamic resistance and persecution of "Christian" religions.
