Product Branding

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:1-6 ESV). Many years ago I was a part of an advertising group. It was called a “Local Marketing Group.” It was composed of the Dealers and/or General Managers of most of the Chevrolet dealerships in the DFW market area. One of the topics we discussed was product branding. That is the process of advertising that makes the product so recognizable that when a consumer sees an image they automatically think of a specific product. One of the best examples is the “Golden Arches.” Just about everyone who sees that symbol knows that they represent McDonalds. That’s branding. In one of our meetings we heard from an author named Faith Popcorn. Faith Popcorn is well known to people in marketing. In fact, Fortune Magazine called her "the Nostradamas of marketing." She has a phenomenal track record for predicting the future trends that are going to effect our lives. In her book, she listed several trends. One that was very intriguing she called anchoring. She described the search for something we can count on to anchor our lives in an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable world. She said, "There is a new trend about the inner spirit called anchoring. The search for life's anchor is a must for filling the void that so many are feeling. We're looking for ourselves, our lost souls. A relationship with the divine, may be the ultimate expression of anchoring." Does that sound like anything that's going on inside of you? I think we know that the anchor is going to be a person, an anchor relationship that we know will be permanent. Often the word "anchor" wouldn't describe our relationships for the most part. Many relationships today would better be described as superficial, disappointing. The result is a deepening loneliness. The writer of our reading today states the “branding” strategy of Christianity. We ought to be known as people who love one another. If ever there was a need for us to support and encourage one another; it is this day in which we live. What is your relationship to others? How does your church practice “anchoring”? It really is not just an advertising ploy. It is the heart of the Gospel. We should be known as a people of love!