In the Name of Love

In 1st Corinthians 9, Paul highlights a key component to reaching people with the gospel, and that is
identifying with them, attempting to build a relationship. He writes:
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

We see here that Paul is emphasizing servanthood, humbling ourselves before others.  Acts of service can communicate a powerful truth about the One Who laid down His life so that we might come to know Him.  He was a proponent of finding common ground with others, not compromising the gospel, but building a bridge through which truth can be shared.  Sometimes a methodology or program can be helpful to provide structure, but we can also recognize that ultimately, humility and love, driven by the Spirit, are powerful in winning people to Christ.

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In John 7, we find that Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  In the midst of this large
crowd gathered, He proclaimed the message of salvation in Him. We read:
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Around a month ago, Bono came to Bonnaroo, and the iconic band U2 headlined its first-ever U.S. music festival in its 41-year history, according to a report on The Tennessean website.  Bonnaroo, by the way, is a massive music festival that takes place annually in Manchester, TN, between Nashville and Chattanooga.  Check out its website and you'll see names in addition to U2 such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper.  And, that's just the first line.  Just a side note - 2 out of the 4 top acts have Christian overtones in their overall message.

But, the Christian message had a more direct delivery at a place on the Bonnaroo site called "The Jesus Tent."  It's an outreach of First Baptist Church of Manchester and supported by the local association and state board of missions.  A Baptist Press article quotes David Evans of the Tennessee State Board of Missions, who has served as one of the leaders of the project:

"I can honestly say that I have not found a better, or easier, place on the face of the planet to share Jesus than at Bonnaroo," said Evans, "and I blame the Holy Spirit for that. Before we even get to the tent, the Holy Spirit is at work, preparing the hearts (of the attendees) for what's in store."

The article notes, "The Jesus Tent attracted long lines as participants at Bonnaroo line up for free snacks and other items provided free of charge by local churches." And, this year, according to the article, "there were approximately 200 spiritual decisions, including conversions, rededications and prayer requests."

Baptist Press reports that:

Those who visit the tent are able to pick up the free goodies in a "no-strings-attached" environment. They are not greeted by counselors, nor do they have to sign up for Sunday School.

Rather, the sharing of the Gospel takes place outside the tent, as volunteers fan out into the open fields that surround Great Stage Park. "The goal is not for us to sit in the tent and have people approach us," Evans said. "We want to go out into the crowd and bring our message to them."

According to the piece, Jake Dorak of the church "said the tent's popularity is due, at least in part, to the word-of-mouth endorsements from the campers at Bonnaroo."  There have been between 15 and 19 thousand visitors yearly for the past three years; the tent is open 24 hours a day.

The Tent started in 2001 as an outgrowth of the church handing out bottled water to motorists visiting the event - in the early days, traffic was a nightmare in the festival area.   Traffic patterns were improved, but the church wanted to have a presence with the festival - in 2006, the "More Than Music" tent was launched, and the name was changed to the "Jesus Tent" in 2015, because that's what concertgoers called it, anyway.

Here is another example of Christians seeing an opportunity for ministry, desiring to lift up Jesus in the midst of a large event.  A couple of things come to mind: first of all, think about the simple roots of this outreach - handing out bottled water to motorists; and of course, you can consider how the physical water can be a tool through which people are introduced to the true, spiritual, living water of Christ.  As believers, we have the chance to bring the refreshment of the Spirit to people who are thirsty.  We can be convinced in our hearts that Jesus can refresh us by His Spirit; when we are tired and our souls are parched, we can avail ourselves of His touch.

I also have to think about the rebranding - year after year, as those ministry volunteers staffed the tent, it became known as the "Jesus Tent."  Not the "snack" tent or the "sunscreen" tent - the "More Than Music" tent came to be known for Who was being lifted up.  We can also become known for Who we are lifting up.   We can utilize a variety of tools, but ultimately, it's important that Jesus is seen in us.  And, the Bonnaroo ministry team is not ashamed to be identified with our Lord.

Central Alabama's own Christian music festival is back in Verbena next month - this year's En Fuego event features For King and Country, Tenth Avenue North, Plumb, I Am They, Seventh Day Slumber, and Tori Parris.  Learn more about this free event at EnFuegoInfo.com.