Randy – Maybe. I’m not an authority of the subject of communication or anything, so if that’s what works for him, and God is using it, then more power to him. Regardless of my own misunderstanding of him, (through less context, I admit), his motives do seem pure, even if I don’t agree with his approach.

If that is the true approach, it comes down to what you value most. For some, it’s entertainment value. Taking the risk of being misunderstood just for the sake of stirring up conversation is a style many have used, but few have done so with much longevity.

For me, it’s like comedy. Many comedians will use sex and profanity for the sake of being funny. A lot of people laugh at them, but mostly, they aren’t the best in their field. It’s the comedians who come along like Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, and others who prove that you can still be funny, and usually funnier, without the cheap, profane content.

Communication is the same way. It’s easy to be sarcastic and controversial, but the communicators who have lasting impact are those who communicate clearly, but do so in an entertaining way. Being entertaining without sarcasm being the driving force of your style certainly requires talent and creativity.

Just as puns are the lowest form of all humor, I believe sarcasm is the most in-effective form of communication, regardless of your goal. It isn’t bad. I’m most definitely a sarcastic person. But when it comes to holding up my standard for the way I represent truth, I leave as little room as possible for those who interact with my message to walk away confused about where I stand. That just seems like a wise idea.

Thanks again to everyone for their comments. My intention wasn’t for this to become a debate on what someone meant, (which is ironic, supporting evidence of what I’ve just written), but more about the actual issue of competition among pastors, which takes place daily, all across America.

Regardless, I’m thankful for the conversation, and am grateful you’re all willing to come here and share your thoughts. Keep them coming!

Not that I think Brant needs any defending, but it’s important to remember that anyone who speaks (or writes) publicly will probably be misunderstood (and falsely accused) sometime in their career. This cannot always be avoided. But even if he his message was misunderstood by some people, at least it brought the issue out into the open where it could be discussed. That is a good thing.

I don’t know Brant personally, so he can correct this statement if he wants. From what I’ve heard from him, it seems that he’d be willing to be falsely accused or misunderstood if it meant that people would take some time to think through these disturbing things that are happening in the church and compare them to the truth of the scriptures.

First, you write so well. I enjoy reading your posts and I could not agree with you more on this one.

The only competition the church should be engaged in is that which saves souls. The Pastor driven church model has replaced the Christ driven church model and this is a shame.

Christ is the brand, not Pastor John Doe.

May God continue to bless you and keep you…

Dorian

Also, regardless of your intentions, (though I greatly appreciate you attempting to make them more clear), clearly not all of your commenters, as you stated, are getting that vibe from you. That’s quite obvious as you read through them.

I’m a fan of Mark Driscoll’s, at Mars Hill Bible Church. He’s a great pastor, with great messages. But a few years ago he ripped apart a popular book, and did so with loads sarcasm. It was funny to many, but really just confused people. Sometimes it can be incredibly confusing and leaves your audience questioning what it is you’re truly trying to say.

Like now.

Yes, complete irony, from beginning to end. I think the idea of “non-competes” in a church context is fundamentally bizarre, and based on a wide range of misconceptions of what “church” means.

And don’t be scared, the commenters are being ironic, too.

Brian, irony needn’t be rooted in humor to be effective. I wasn’t attempting to be funny, any more than you are attempting here to actually be kind.

I don’t have anyone “write jokes” for me, anywhere, of course. Humor is in the eye of the beholder. I do make my wife and kids laugh a lot, so I’m good.

I did comment on the post a while back, ( http://tinyurl.com/br7cq9 ), and my comment is still “waiting for approval.” Maybe he’ll end up here somehow and can clarify for all of us.

Regardless of what he meant, there are clearly plenty who agree with what was written, and that’s the part that concerns me.

http://www.morningswithbrant.com/

And here is the Word FM’s website:

http://wordfm.wordfm.org/a_pgs/pgs_hme.asp