The Big Tent

The Church is a Big Tent. We are diverse. We are complicated. We are redeemed. We are broken. We are in Christ. We are in ourselves. We are thoughtful. We are (to quote Robin Williams in another context) "One taco short of a combination plate".

Most of the time I can celebrate this Big Tent. It is consistent with what Paul describes as the Body of Christ. I appreciate what diverse denominations bring to the Table of God. I sometimes describe Lutherans as "Inside every Lutheran is a Baptist trying to get out!", meaning we want be more expressive about our faith but culturally we are a bit repressed. I also describe my faith as Lutheran by confession, but a Mennonite at heart. The peace witness of the Mennonites and Quakers, the commitment to social justice of the Methodists and the new evangelicals, and the high liturgy of the Anglicans and Roman Catholics are inspiring, at least to me. And so we go.

I had the occasion recently to communicate with a friend who had been led by God and chosen to leave the ELCA, and he and his congregation have chosen to realign with the LCMC, or as he says, "the ELCA has significantly shifted". I respect the actions of his faithful conscience. In reflecting on his decision, I responded:

As I have ministered in the Church, I have always been intrigued by the question: What does it mean to be the Church? One of the conclusions for me has been that the Church is a Big Tent! Diversity is a great gift as it allows for various expression to co-exist, yet it also presents challenges of conscience and ethics. Then you throw in the "crazies" who hate in the name of Jesus, and, my 0 my, the mix can be contentious!

This reality leads me to ask: Where is our common ground in Christ? So we have differences. Can we love Christ enough to love each other enough to love the world enough, together? This is the great opportunity and challenge of the Church Universal. We must give common witness to Christ in the world in the Spirit of Christ's love. I like what Dorothy Day says: "Love is the measure". The greatest challenges and joys in my ministry have been making that love happen amidst the diversity of opinion, culture, and confession. I also like what John Howard Yoder says: "The alternative community [of the church] discharges a modeling mission. The Church is called to be now what the world is called to be ultimately". Or Gandhi: "You must be the change you want to see in the world".

What kind of church are we? Are we a church that allows for the Spirit of Christ to guide our interpreation of the Word, or do we have a Wahabbi-like literal constriction of God's Truth? Are we a church that weds Word and world, that understands our task as being an alternative community, that envisions a "new order" (Jim Wallis), posits an "upside-down kingdom" (Donald Kraybill), or is "in a state of permanent revolution" (Jacques Ellul)?

Our common ground in Christ is to reflect the transforming nature of the Reign of God. When we do this inspite of our diversity, and because of it, we are doing God's work. When we allow our diversity to spew hatred, to divide for the sake of pride, we are doing the work of the Devil, prostituting the reality of Christ, watering the ground of hypocracy, and giving credence to an unholy cynicism. I hear echoes of Bonhoeffer: "There is no salvation outside of the Confessing Church".

The Church is a Big Tent. Now, what is our color? Our character? Our witness?

Peace!
Ron