Daniel Tharp: Corporate Christendom [Guest Post]

Daniel Tharp is a friend from the mma community, his knowledge of history, and his willingness to be skeptical about the present makes him a trusted voice in my life, though he hits hard with words and fists :)

><> ><> ><>

It’s no coincidence that with the Rage of the small business owner we have the Rage of the church planter. A young man just out of Bible College ( or an MBA in the secular world ) has been equipped for ministry. He has spent his parent’s money or taken out loans to learn the trade and earn a living. He has honed his homiletics and his selling skills, often referred to as outreach. He has learned organizational skills and probably interned at a church. Um…Discipled, I mean. Savvy in all of the latest marketing technology, communications and proper dressing for success, he is ready to start his own business.

As college has become available to virtually everyone, from online classes to for profit universities, people expect a payoff from their education. Why else would you put yourself through and pay money? The American Church has moved away from the missionary sentiment and narrowed their worldview to missions in their hometown. I have to say, there are people who should plant churches that have a niche working with the outliers. Those that don’t fit the mold. However, it seems that every strip mall church I went to had the same formula. Different faces, the same seeker friendly formula. I was shocked to find a pastor friend of mine that had his year’s sermons in a cardboard box. He had bought the series for a year in church from – an entrepreneur. God in a box. Bought and paid for.

From Bible Colleges to the famed tough guy with the spikey hair and affliction T-shirts, Mark aka Angry Tough Dude, Driscoll, there are church planter training courses that you audition for. He says explicity in a youtube video that you either have the look and feel or you don’t. Those that don’t, get sent packing, looking for another line of work.

So like a good business man, you have invested time and money into yourself for education, clothing, merchandising, technology, Sermons in a box. You have cultivated the lingo of the profession and networked like crazy. You’ve thought long and hard about branding yourself in a certain way to reach your target audience.

Like any new business in town, you begin to advertise. Seed money is taken to print up the most eye catching flyer you can come up with. It puts Obama’s campaign tactics to shame. No, wait, you paid someone to do that. A business that serves churches. The church planting package. You skipped the free stuff and bought the Full Service Package.

The School District made you a good deal on renting out the gymnasium. It’s a little rough right now but the market is good for property buyers and in this area of town, people have money. After surveying the town, you knew God wanted you here. The other side of town would scare people off. We are family based.

The music has to be right. You are a promoter and businessman. Your education has taught you how to capture the consumer and make him want your product. Your tech guy is a good man. In fact, all of your employees are perfect. After the interviews, you didn’t know who to go with. After a good long prayer retreat, God has spoken. God bless volunteers. There is a benefit to getting in early with a compa…church. Likely to move up faster.

You are ready to go. You hustle up leads. The best customer is the one who is dissatisfied with the service they received at their current retailer. But you know how to meet that need and your product is superior to your competitor by a long shot. You got the newest most innovative marketing and service in town.

The doors are open for business. You are the right man for the job. Thank God you have Dad’s head of hair. Grandpa on mom’s side went bald at 25. Word spreads and the coffers…I mean chairs are filling up. This new groundbreaking sermon has really hit home with these people.

Your wife is such a blessing. Her beauty is more than skin deep. Meeting at Bible College, you both knew the Lord would bless you in ministry. It’s all coming together. She represents the church so well that sometimes you don’t know who the owner of the business is. Her mothering skills are really attractive to other moms. Perfect time for a women’s group.

Your clientele are really amped each Sunday. You’ve found two point men to start cell groups with. They already have job experience at that other church. But this is where God wants them.

After a year in business, you have established a base budget. This is a good time to expand and get a more permanent home. You have to weigh the pro’s and con’s of this. Right now, you are making enough to start setting aside money for those student loans and a bigger house. The kids are growing and you need more room. It’s obvious that God’s Blessing this ministry. More people, more money to do his work.

It’s time to go legit with this business. You need a board of directors to manage your money. You can’t be bothered with paying yourself and taxes. You have an accountant at church. Thank God for volunteers. He plays the guitar so well and expressed his feeling that God is leading him to minister in music. There is Rod, who owns a construction company. He has discussed possibly teaching on Wednesday nights. He has felt the call since a child but now he has an avenue to use his gifts. All of the jobs were filled at his last church.

After a church retreat you are going to announce that God wants them all to have a spiritual home. Rod tearfully says that he is willing to donate land he owns and give it up to God instead of make a profit from it and he can contract the building. Wow, God had laid it on his heart to do all these things.

You and your wife are so thankful for all that you have built. God was in control. Only he could have brought all of this together. You can focus solely on your passion. Reaching out to your community and continuing to grow ………..You are making money and in control of your Destiny.

><> ><> ><>

Dan Tharp

With a degree in ancient history, I have pursued my two lifelong interests through reading and

writing. Early Christianity and Military History. The last 5 years have challenged me to explore

Good, Evil and War. I have a modern Military Adventure Novel coming out this Fall. ‘The Gold of Katanga’ and early next year I will release ‘The Crimson Cross’, a full length novel set in World War Two. Meticulously researched and written for Sinners and Saints alike, it spares nothing on war and faith. If you are looking for a Janette Oake novel, this is not for you.

Facebook me, if you blog, lets exchange blogs and if you write, lets share !

http://taskforceintrepid.blogspot.com/

http://theeagleswillgather.blogspot.com/

Guest posters over my vacation

I leave tonight for Zion National Park. A week of camping with my wife is definitely needed and cherished, especially in such a beautiful setting. There will be some canyoneering, some hiking, and lots of kicking back around a fire, resting. But I would not be able to enjoy my time away know that I was depriving you, my dear readers of intellectual stimulation...

Ok, I would be able to enjoy myself, and I am not that stimulating. But this gives me an excuse to have some wonderful people post on my blog.

Over the next few days you will hear from among others, my eldest daughter, my brother the atheist comedian, and some dear friends from around the interwebs. I hope you will tune in, comment, and maybe even argue a bit. Just be nice, cause when daddy gets back you don't want him to be in a foul mood.

rev

Another amazing thing

How do we focus so much attention on sexuality, yet miss the incredible mountain of proclamations about the poor, and social justice. The truth is Jesus says way more about what you do with your wallet than what you do with your genitals. Could this be another one of those issues where we need to get the railroad tie out of our eye, before we can have any legitimacy when talking about other's sin? I think it might be.

It is one more instance where making the blind see seems more of a miracle if its spiritual rather than physical.

rev

What continually amazes me

Is how we religious people can read the gospels, watch the way Jesus responds to the heretics (Samaritans), sinners (wine bibbers, sexually immoral, sabbath breakers), poor (self explanatory), marginalized (sick, lepers and slaves) and compromisers (tax collectors) with love, and his physical presence.

And how he responds to the religious people of his day, especially the leaders and devout disciples.

AND FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THE WHITE WASHED TOMBS, AND THE SNAKES, THAN JESUS FRIENDS.

and yes I am preaching to my own self righteous self

rev

Sorry I missed a few days

Been a busy weekend, and week. I am getting ready for my vacation. My wife and I are going to Zion National Park for nine days of camping, hiking, and enjoying one another. We need this time to reset, to prepare for the next year, and quite frankly to rest.

I will be posting more today, and til we leave but I am trying to get guest posters for while I am gone. If you would like to post a blog here, please comment on this thread and we will work it out.

thanks

rev

Radical Discipleship (is there any other kind?)

My friend Simon Moyle (non-violence teacher and activist, Jesus follower), wrote an interesting article yesterday, or actually today since he is ahead of us by 14 or so hours. READ HERE In it he asks the question as to weather you can be a "casual" disciple. Or whether you can separate those that have a "special" calling, from those that are supposed to live a fairly normal life and maybe support some of these radicals.

Now Simon is way more "radical" than I. And there are other folk that are more radical than he. Its not a competition, but an orientation towards following the radical, revolutionary Jesus.

My whole life I have been a bit of a radical. I would jump off the top of the monkey bars in kindergarden, just because it was scary. I bull fought at 15 years of age. I skateboarded in swimming pools and vert ramps, and was a mma fighter. I like radical, I am inclined towards radical. And I naturally would place this inclination towards my faith.

Following that reasoning, I wanted to live in South Central, or North Long Beach, or some where really "hardcore", when we returned to America. I really want to be... radical. But the truth is, most of this is my ego. Ego and pride are not the way of Jesus. Through a series of dreams and the interpretations of these dreams by community members, and circumstance, we wind up in a neighborhood that is in between, not hardcore, but not sleepy suberbs. The Popeyes chicken on the corner does have bullet proof glass, but we don't have gang violence next door. And I am convinced we are where we are meant to be. And we are living as faithfully as we can to the radical call of Jesus in our present place. We are sharing our breakfast on Sundays with the homeless in the park, we are cultivating a small community garden, we are living in a shared housing situation, learning more about open purse living. We are doing stuff that is heading in the direction of radical, and to be honest, we want to be more so.

So, what is my point? My point I guess is this: Following Jesus is a journey, and it is our direction that is really the point. There are differing gifts, and differing applications. We will not all look like Jarrod McKenna, Shane Claiborne, or Simon Moyle. But we cannot stop our journey by saying, "well I am just not called to that" Ours should be, for everyone of us, a constant challenge towards a more complete following of Jesus, which calls us to radical love, radical confronting of the powers, radical opposition to oppression, and radical deconstruction of the kingdoms of this world. It is this orientation towards becoming more like Jesus, that is the goal.

So for some of us that are out on the fringe, the truth is most likely that we have embraced this crazy discipleship maybe sooner, maybe through our personality, or maybe because of great teaching and mentors, and we need to stand strong in our calling. But in that we need to gently call people to take steps in the direction of Jesus, and His radical cross carrying way, with lots of grace and encouragement. NO ONE, INCLUDING THOSE "RADICAL DISCIPLES" CAN STAY WHERE THEY ARE, WE ARE ALL CALLED TO KEEP DRAWING EVERY CLOSER TO JESUS AND THE WAY OF THE CROSS

I hope that makes some sense

rev

A few words about staying married

I hope this doesn't hurt anyone, but I thought I would share a few things that my wife and I have learned, and practiced sometimes well and sometimes not so well over our 23 years of marriage.

1. Marriage is sometimes very difficult, and we need help. Be honest with yourself, and others, and ask for help when needed. It doesn't mean you are weak, it means you are trying hard to be a consistently growing relationship

2. Two halfs don't make a whole, own your own shit, and deal with it. Two wholes make a whole, encourage each other in your personal growth.

3. Quality time comes from quantity time, make time for each other. Even if it means your pocket book suffers. My wife and I have one day a week that is our together time, our churches even learned do not call John and Raquel on date day unless it is an emergency, and you can't reach anyone else. This time is so important.

4. add on to number three, go away once and a while, we try and get two weekends, and one week long camping trip a year, just the two of us, nobody else. We need to reset, and its hard to do that in the middle of life.

5. be committed to fightings as hard as you can to make it work, and then trust God.

Now let me say that if you are getting abused, then get the hell out of there. In fact I will come help you move out.

And, this should not bring any guilt, if you have been divorced or are really struggling, I get it, its all love. Just sharing what has helped Raquel and I get through some really tough times, and share some great ones.

rev

Cancel Church Challenge (great stuff is happening)

In my original post about the Cancel Church Challenge I probably seemed brash, obnoxious, and arrogant... well that might be because I am brash, obnoxious and arrogant. But it was also because I was a bit ignorant, and a bit inspired. Now ignorance and inspiration can sometimes make people seem a bit jerkish, so please forgive me. And I really mean that, please forgive me.

I really do believe that this is an inspiration that I need to follow up on. For years I have been practicing a discipleship that sees worship as a daily laying down of our lives for others, following the path of the cross. And I think that this idea of challenging our conceptions of what worship is, and what the body should be about, is crucial to us being the church in our world.

But what I have learned the last two days is that many churches have already heard this call, and are practicing this idea. That even some of the biggest churches like Saddleback, have been doing this for years. This makes me happy, I am trying to get some people to post on their experiences, and ideas for the future. I am trying to put together resources so that others can join in this idea, and we can live a more holistic worship as part of our discipleship.

Another thing I have learned is that I may have been a little bit unclear about the purpose of this challenge. It isn't just to do social justice work. Many churches do social justice work every day, of every week. Many churches are doing work feeding people, clothing people, sheltering people, providing health care. My challenge is to call churches that aren't doing these things to dip their toe in and start growing in this direction, but more importantly, to challenge the idea of worship and fellowship in all churches. The idea is to see these activities not as addendum to our church program, but as part of our worship and discipleship, to move past the hearing of the word, and singing of God's lordship, to the actual practice of both as our communion with each other. I hope that makes sense.

I know I am banging the same drum, over and over, but I really feel, in the midst of my being, this is my word for the church right now, please pardon my immaturity as I seek to express that. And also, please pardon my "marketing" as I just want people to hear.

rev

Oh Mary Dont You Weep

Well I try and sing, and play a bit of guitar. I was really nervous and didn't do so well at first but it gets better so wait for it... atleast Merrady sounds wonderful :)

This was at Under The Covers, last Sunday of the Month at Que Sera in Long Beach



rev

Cancel Church to Be the Church on Sunday

So yesterday I issued a challenge. I was expecting some churches had already done what I was talking about and was glad to hear that some, including Saddleback, already do it regularly, (thanks Rick Warren for responding). What I thought I might do today is give some ideas on how this could actually work at your church, with or without it being an official thing, (yes I am advocating gorilla Christianity).

First, set a date. Be realistic about it, give yourself some time. But make a firm date and figure out what needs to be done before hand to make it a very successful program. Think about the issues that might come up and deal with them before hand. Do some teaching on the call of Jesus to care for the poor and the marginalized. Do some teaching about worship as service, submission to God, and sacrifice.

Second, make sure you do the work to provide opportunities for people to join in. Do something at the church, during service time, provide coveralls or something for those that might not have heard, or are visiting. A car wash and maintenance is a great idea in the parking lot. Maybe set a clothing drive, a food drive or somthing. Speak to a local aged care facility and see if you could do a concert, a dance, or a checkers tourneyment. Do an outdoor movie night in a poorer neighborhood. Do a huge block party, with jumping castles, waterslides, and pie eating contests. Have an awesome band play. Go sit down with homeless folks and share a meal, don't just serve them, eat with them, ask their names, hear their stories.

Third, make sure you have some time for reflection afterwards. Some counselors to help get through some issues that come up. Some time for testimonies.

And lastly...

please add your own thoughts. I am trying to get a few people that have done this to post their own ideas and reflections as guest posters.

rev