The Big Tent

Scripture:  Romans 14:1-13

               Traveling entertainers date back centuries and have been a part of numerous human cultures, but in the United States a new, grander version of traveling entertainment took place.   In the late 1700’s Englishman Philip Astley, who was gifted at training horses, took his traveling horses on the road.  His innovation was instead of performing in common areas, he would perform his shows in theaters, and most English theaters at this time were circular in design so he called his traveling horse show a circus.  Circuses with different acts grew in popularity, but when circuses came to the newly formed United States, they began to take on a new life.  In 1828 entrepreneur Joshuah Purdy Brown had the idea to take the circus out of the theaters and bring a traveling venue.  He started staging his circus in a large tent that traveled with his acts.   In the latter half of the 19th century, as railroads expanded across the country, P.T. Barnum super-sized this concept.  Often traveling circuses were built around a specific act, but for his “greatest show on earth”, Barnum introduced the 3-Ring circus.  The 3-Ring circus had a huge variety of acts; to fit it all and the large crowds also required a really big tent.   The big top, as it came to be known, was so popular that it more or less became synonymous with circus. 

               In the late 19th century and early 20th century the circus would often be the event of the year in American towns.   It was the event that everyone was excited about and people flocked to be under the big top.  Under the big top there was something for everyone.   Not only did the show have a wide appeal, but the big top was also a show for everyone.   Rich and poor, young and old; for people of all walks of life there was a place for them under the big top.   I believe this morning’s scripture makes a strong case that the church should also be a big tent.  We are to be a place that has something for everyone, that has a place for everyone, and that is not confined to a building.   When we are at our best, then we are a big tent that people are excited about coming to and being part of.
               This morning’s scripture shows that tension around diversity in the body of Christ was an issue in the early church.   In fact, it was one of the more pressing issues, because it comes up again and again throughout the letters written to young churches in the New Testament.   For the most part, Paul’s letter to the Romans is focused on general concepts.  It puts worth doctrinal ideas like grace, and it lifts up general advice for living as followers of Christ.  However, here in chapter 14 it takes a turn to something much more specific because it seems that Paul is no longer talking about following Jesus in general but is addressing a very specific situation within the Roman church.    It seems that a majority group was not being very welcoming and perhaps even looking down on a minority group within the faith community. 

               The specific issues that are creating this division are related to dietary practices and the observation of specific days.   While the exact details are not made explicit in this scripture, biblical scholars have made some logical, best guesses as to what was going on in the Roman church and what this source of division was.  Biblical scholars tend to agree that the church in Rome that Paul was writing to was a faith community that was made up of believers who came from both a Jewish background and a Gentile, or non-Jewish background.   The conflict here seems to relate to Jewish dietary laws.  We know from Acts and several of the other epistles that when the early church gathered it was often around a meal together.  The issue appears to be that, at least in Rome, the protein options were not terribly kosher.  This could be because the right type of animals were not readily available or it could be that it was a common practice that nearly all the meat offered in the marketplace had been part of some sort of pagan sacrifice.  In a place like Rome, it would have been almost impossible to avoid this.  From a Jewish perspective either of these would have made the meat unclean which is why they stuck with vegetables.  Paul actually states his perspective in verse 14: “I am convinced, being fully persuaded, in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.” 

               It was Paul’s belief that being saved by grace through faith, meant that following certain dietary restrictions was not necessary for following God.  However, for these new Jewish believers who had grown up firmly planted in a tradition that adhered to strict dietary restriction this was a bit much.  It was too drastic of a change from what they had always been used to doing, so they kept doing what felt comfortable for them.  Apparently, this difference in eating habits was causing some friction in the Roman church.  It was leading to the different groups to look at each other with contempt.  It especially seems the majority group, the ones who did not see a need to restrict their diet, were judging and treating the minority group as a lesser type of believer. 
 
               Paul wrote this morning’s scripture to appeal to the Roman church to not judge one another and cause division over a trivial matter.   While we do not know how this issue ended up resolving in the first century church of Rome, we do know that followers of Jesus judging one another and having division over trivial matters has not stopped.   In this morning’s scripture we see the food one eats being used as a litmus test for the strength and authenticity of one’s faith.  Unfortunately, such litmus tests are still used today.  It is all too common to find people making statements that a “true Christian” would never believe a certain way, support a specific cause, or vote for the “wrong” party. 

               These kinds of statements are actually a logical fallacy known as the “no true Scotsman” fallacy.  It gets this name from a 1966 philosophy book which in part seeks to define this fallacy.  Strictly defined this is when someone attempts to protect a generalized statement from an example that shows the statement was false by excluding the counterexample.  A simple example is often given to illustrate how this works.  One person states: “No Scotsman put sugar on his porridge”, to which someone replies, “but my uncle Angus is a Scotsman and he puts sugar on his porridge”, so the first person comes back with “but no true Scotsman put sugar on his porridge.” 

            The No True Scotsman fallacy is an attempt to define who belongs and who does not belong to a specific group by a completely subjective set of criteria.  When someone employs this fallacy, it is to say that those who agree with the person belong and those who do not agree do not belong.  This is a fallacy, because the criteria that is being used is not what actually decides who belongs or does not.  This is true for our faith as well.   Conforming to a specific set of criteria is not what makes someone a true Christian.   Earlier in Romans Paul defines what makes someone a true Christian.  In chapter 10 verse 9 he wrote: “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   That’s it.  The standard for being a Christian is loving Jesus. Nothing else.  When we add to that standard, when we complicate it with extra criteria to determine who is a true Christian, all we do is put up stumbling blocks.  We get in the way of people loving Jesus.     What makes some a true Christian is Jesus Christ.  This is Paul’s main point in this morning’s scripture where he wrote: “We belong to the Lord.  For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” 

            It is the grace of Jesus Christ that makes someone a true Christian.   This grace is available to all, and how people come to it are different.   Some are faithfully raised in a church and greatly value the tradition and legacy of living into the faith of their parents and grandparents.  Others came to know Jesus because they hit rock bottom and discovered that there are second chances even for people like them.  Still others found acceptance and love for the first time in their lives at the foot of the cross.   It is in the beauty of grace that these people found the freedom to be the person God made them to be for the first time.  Then there are others who found an answer to the brokenness in the world and found the grace of Jesus because they wanted to join in the work of spreading that grace so that the world can find the healing it needs.   There is not a right way to come to know Jesus.   There is beautiful diversity in the body of Christ, for God has accepted us all.  
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            Now I understand there are real differences in beliefs and sometimes those differences mean we work better apart.  For instance, there are very real and very strong reasons why I am in this pulpit this morning as opposed to preaching next door to the Presbyterians or serving mass one block down to the Catholics.   There are valid reasons why we fit better in one faith community or another, but I do think that Christian communities are at their best when they seek to be a big tent and value the diversity in one another.   This is one of the aspects I treasure about our United Methodist tradition.   By design the United Methodist Church is meant to be a big tent.  At it’s best the United Methodist church is a diverse faith community that welcomes people with different theological, social, and political views.  Even if we disagree on certain issues, we share a common bond in Christ.  Being a big tent church means that even if we may have sharp disagreements about the state of our country, we can still worship in the same pew, we can serve the community standing side by side, and we can call each other a brother or sister in Christ.   Being a big tent church means that even though we may not think alike, we can still love alike.  

            Like a three-ring circus, striving to be a big tent church can be a little chaotic sometimes.  It can be a little messy.  However, there are distinct advantages to being a big tent. At our best, in a big tent church there is a place for everyone.   When we do it correctly, then there is always another chair that can be added around the table.  Everyone is not just welcome; they are affirmed for who they are and who God has made them to be.  In Christ there is grace enough for us all, so there should be space for all of us under the big tent. 

 Because under a big tent everyone is welcome and included, there is also something for everyone.  God has made us all uniquely, gifted us each differently, and called us to make a difference in a way we are best suited for.  At our best then under the big tent, everyone should be able to pursue the calling that God has placed in their life, because we recognize and celebrate that God has a plan for each of us. 

            The innovation of the big top is that it allowed the circus to leave the building and go to where more people are.  In the same way, a big tent church is more than just a building.   We are not a country club that exists for the luxury and comfort of our members.  At our best, a big tent church is not a building, it is the people.  It is the community of faith brought together in unity by the love and grace of Jesus Christ.  That love, that forgiveness, that amazing grace is too big to be contained in any building, so a big tent church is one that goes beyond the walls, to where the people all, reaching out to all so that no one stands alone, and standing side by side we draw the circle wide.

            May we be a big tent church.   May we not pass judgment on one another and be a stumbling block that keeps others from better knowing Christ.  May we accept all of those who God has already accepted.   May we always be big enough to ensure there is always space for one more and may we celebrate the diversity of God’s creation as we celebrate the diversity in each other.   May the big tent of the church truly be the greatest show of love on earth.