The Meaning of Psalm 112
The passage describes the qualities and circumstances that should be present in true believers. It talks about how they will be wealthy and remembered forever, and how good will come to them. Furthermore, the passage notes that if any harm comes to believers, it is part of God’s design and temporary, as righteous people will always be victorious in the end. The psalm concludes by noting that wicked people are destined to fail and have their ambitions come to nothing.
It should be noted that the passage associates religious belief with righteousness. Inline 3, it explicitly indicates that followers of God are righteous, and in line 7, it describes righteous people as “trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112). In doing so, it ascribes qualities such as generosity and perseverance to the followers of the religion while indirectly denying them to others. Ultimately, the passage appears to be saying that true goodness can only be found if one fears and obeys the Lord and that non-believers will eventually meet their downfall.
Church and Parishioners
The passage can provide some indications of how a church or other religious organization should treat its parishioners. For example, the generosity it associates with followers of the Lord can be interpreted to mean that such institutions should not demand money or resources, as those will be granted freely if the need is known. Furthermore, the church should exhibit the same qualities, offering shelter to the poor and continuing its operations regardless of the severity of its situation.
In regards to interacting with attendees and providing sermons, the psalm suggests that the church constantly remind the people that they are righteous and generally better people than the non-believers are. It should adapt to the overall situation and change the nature of the speeches to reflect that the people’s righteousness was the cause of the good times and that their perseverance would help them overcome the difficult periods. Furthermore, the psalm is not opposed to inciting negativity towards non-believers and claiming that they are wicked and doomed to fall.
Market Opportunities
While knowing about the customers, the competitors, and the state of the market, as well as that of the environment, is essential to understanding market opportunities, the information alone is insufficient to succeed in the task. According to Mullins (2013), one should be able to compile the data and analyze it together from a broader perspective. Furthermore, a marketer should be aware of the capabilities of their organization and plan accordingly to avoid overextending.
Many religious organizations have existed for a much longer time than the majority of the world’s companies, which are the focus of the modern marketing development, and have an established image in the minds of the majority of people. As such, it is usually unnecessary to spread awareness of a religion’s existence or its crucial tenets. Furthermore, according to Juravle, Sasu, and Spataru (2016), if a person has been aware of religion for a long time but has not joined it, he or she may have a substantial and private foundation for those choices. As such, a careless and aggressive promotion campaign could lead to backlash and negative results.
Nevertheless, a marketing campaign for a religious organization can succeed, and the proposition deserves consideration. However, traditional methods can be challenging to apply, as this variety of organization does not have the appeal of tangible benefits, like for-profit companies, or of satisfaction, like charitable institutions. A marketer should evaluate the primary attractions of his or her organizations, such as the community or the spiritual support, determine the appropriate population categories, and advertise to them in a non-intrusive fashion.
Church Organization Capabilities
Depending on their nature, religious organizations can offer numerous marketing benefits that can be used both as points of attraction and as tools for advertisement. One quality of religion, as opposed to commercial organizations, is that their audience is usually loyal and exclusive, adhering to the belief system for most of their lives and refusing to follow others. Another is the not-for-profit nature of the organizations that lend credence to their message, as there are typically no ulterior motives such as profit behind the attraction of new parishioners.
Depending on how tightly knit the religious community is, it can be used as a source of attraction for new members. It can provide people with the opportunity to socialize and network, qualities that are becoming more relevant nowadays. Furthermore, the community can provide a means of passive and active marketing. The former can be achieved by having members interact with people and be active on social networks, where the topic of religion will sometimes appear. The latter may be expressed as various social gatherings and charitable events organized by the church, which help spread awareness of the community and the organization.
The not-for-profit nature of religious organizations can be used to adapt their marketing to better suit modern tendencies. Past precedents have convinced many people to avoid giving the church power and to associate its traditional messages with gathering influence. As such, religious organizations should adapt their marketing to reflect the purely consensual and spiritual nature of their message and underline the independence of each member. A noticeable change would significantly contribute to overcoming prejudice and convincing people to join.
References
Mullins, J. W. (2013). Marketing management: A strategic decision-making approach (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Psalm 112. (n.d). Web.
Juravle, A., Sasu, C., & Spătaru, G. C. (2016). Religious marketing. SEA: Practical Application of Science, 4(2), pp. 335-340.