So, I'm on a typical sales trip to Portland, Oregon. I booked a Quality Inn near the airport for my final night's stay, and stumbled onto this very interesting "kingdom business" model. Here's the link to the Quality Inn where I'm staying. Looks very typical, doesn't it?
Here's a link to the "church" that owns the hotel.
Here's a link to a Fox News story about the whole operation. Fascinating ministry. I like it. A lot.
Compare this to MJ's recent post called On 24 Hour Diners.
That is way too wild. If you would have caught that flight, you would've missed it. Not that I wanted you to stay, but that is such a neat business. What an awesome idea.
ReplyDeleteMe
Have you read "Irresistible Revolution, Living as an Ordinary Radical". I got a copy at the library. It wrecked my life last night.
ReplyDeleteI like the hotel idea. A friend of mine has his adult foster care home up for sale. It'd be a good place to do some life-coaching for victims of poverty. Your post got me thinking.
That is a really interesting idea, being self sufficient like that. It must be a neat place to stay.
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteThink about the term, the "hospitality industry." Very interesting term.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't Christ's followers be all over that industry?
This makes perfect sense to me.
I like it more and more, the longer I think about it.
I remember a motel in Ankeny, IA that had
ReplyDeleteobviously Christian pictures hanging in the rooms. Unusual - but neat. I had never seen that before.
This is even better!
What would life be like if "the hospitality sector" was another way of saying "Christian"?
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDeleteJon, I've been chewing on Steve's last comment, about the hospitality sector/Christian parallel.
ReplyDeleteIn thinking about that, my thought is "no way".
The Body at large (I only have reference to the Body in the U.S. in saying this) is in no position nor frame of mind (currently) to be hospitable.
I think of some of the basic premises of hospitality in the service industry, and sadly it's downright laughable.
For example, "the customer is always right". That makes me wince as I laugh out loud thinking about it.
The American body saying "the customer is always right". Guffaw!
There is way too much flavor of "we are 100% right. We have unquestionable business practices. We stand on the absolute, final authority business manual of what we do. It's not a matter of us serving you, rather it's a matter of you acquiescing to us. We know how to run our business. We are running it RIGHT, because we belong to God. God bless our business."
How is it serving others when we mandate that they come under our thumb?
I say this because I have seen links on church websites which say "when you join our church, you agree to come under the authority of our anointed leaders".
Where is the hospitality and orientation toward service in that?
It would require a bunker-busting paradigm shift before the (U.S.) Body at large would be suited for hospitality.
But it can always start with us, and I think it is to some degree. Seems more and more there are situations popping up where dirty feet need washing.
It really bothers me that brick & mortar churches largely don't welcome dirty feet, dirty people. In that environment there is heavily exerted pressure that anyone who enters need to "clean up" as quickly as possible, so that the carpets don't get stained.
And I think when we do this we are missing the mark, badly.
John 330
ReplyDeleteJust wondering. What kind of dirty feet and dirty people are you talking about? Actual dirty feet or people with dirty habits?...or maybe sinners that need to be redeemed? I don't go to a church like you discribed (though I'm know they're out there.) Of course, if someone was blatantly "living in sin" they probably wouldn't be asked to teach Sunday School. :-) jp
jp, I'm talking about unrefined and dirty people, whether this is socially, intellectually, emotionally or physically.
ReplyDeleteThere are taboo topics and taboo people, neither of which are welcomed in church culture. If/when they speak they may be heard briefly, but are then squelched by the "acceptable" constraints of propriety which are in every church in varying degrees.
Churches put the squeeze on square pegs that abrade their round holes. Sometimes covertly, mostly overtly.
hey Jon,
ReplyDeleteNot to change the subject, it's just I don't have your email. Ran across something a few weeks ago that made me chuckle and think of your site.
Found an article in Southwest Airline magazine on a flight, a interview with a music artist who apparently is both very popular but also somehow under the radar.
In this interview, he was talking about all kinds of topics, skipping to and fro stream of consciousness.
One of the things he mentioned was one time hearing a recording of crickets chirping.
The recording had been slowed way down from the normal whir that crickets make. When slowed, it sounded like four-part harmony, with distinctive soprano, alto, tenor and bass parts being sung.
He also noted that the particular melody these crickets were chirping "sounded like the melody to Jesus Christ Superstar", this fellow said.
Thought that was pretty stinkin' cool, and wanted to pass along to ya. Take care, JTT
ha, didn't know SWA's magazine was online. Here's the article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spiritmag.com/features/ft2.php
It would be fun to have dinner with Tom Waits sometime. I'd love to hear a recording of the crickets.
ReplyDeleteJon