2016/9/26
This is a post for my blog that is absolutely later than it should have started. But here it is. Faithmatics. What does that mean? And why is it named that? Well I wanted a clever name. And as a man of faith, I wanted this at its roots to be about Jesus. But in my pursuit of making coffee a regular hobby for myself, I also wanted this space to be open for my hobby. In coffee there is an aspect of the coffee called aromatics. The smell and stimulation of the beans. I hope that this content is stimulating for you as a reader. But I also hope that it is a space full of truth in the Word, as the -ic in aromatic means 'of or pertaining to'. And that's why this blog is named what it is.
So for my first content, I'd like to start with the concluding statement. Church is like a coffee shop. What does that statement mean? What does it entail? And why? But hear me out. My inspiration came from a coffee podcast, where they said that coffee shops are people focused, and it's language is coffee. What if we made out church to be people focused, and the language we spoke through was Jesus. Because that's what a church is about in the end. Jesus. Coffee shops like churches have programs. They have hours of service. They have people serving, and they have places to sit and loiter. And all of this culminates into one thing and that is community.
Coffee shops are community, just like how churches are community. And there are many levels of participation from its guests. Some are coffee connoisseurs themselves, looking to find the next cup or coffee for their enjoyment. Others just want to use the shop for a good space to study in, and others just want to make a quick trip in and a quick trip out as they continue on in their busy day. But whether you're there for a quick drink, or are going to be there for hours on end, there is one thing that is shared between all those people. The time you get with a consumer as a barista is available from the moment they enter until the moment they leave. You are largely responsible for the experience they receive from them walking into the door, to them ordering, or asking questions, for them receiving their cup of coffee, to greeting them as they walk out the door. Sometimes you can't help their experience get better. Maybe they just ordered the wrong drink, maybe they have had a bad day, which affected how they felt about the overall experience at your shop, but maybe, just maybe, they felt dissatisfied by the kind of service that they were given by you.
You forgot to say have a nice day, or seemed annoyed that they had so many questions to ask you. Or the greatest transgression of all. You allowed them to have the minimum experience at your shop. Without a word, without a thought, without any more effort than just the bare minimum to serve, you gave them what they ordered, and let the opportunity to make conversation slip out the door. The opportunity to share more about coffee, or the opportunity to ask them about their day, or to wish them well, or ask them to come back again, because you would be excited to serve them. When the hospitality of a coffee shop disappears, something goes wrong with the kind of service they gave to offer.
Now let's take it back to the church. There is so much opportunity to talk to someone on a Sunday, and welcome them into your community. They might be looking for a church, some just visiting because their friend forced them to come, and others might be just visiting. But just like a coffee shop, it would be a waste to just let them come in and walk out without taking hold of the opportune moment to share about Jesus with them. Share about life with life, share your story with them. Don't be the coffee shop that will just let people walk in and out without notice. Be the coffee shop that cares. The one that looks forward to the next visit from your customers.
And so I'll end with a challenge statement. The goal of what I've written about. Hopefully something easy to remember. I pray you will carry it with you as you go about in your week.
Church, is like a coffee shop. Its focus is people. Its language is Jesus. And we are its baristas.
References (Because most of the time when I think about something it's based on something else I heard or read first): timestamp @ 10:40 - end: http://www.thecoffeepodcast.org/episodes/2016/9/2/e48-haters-gonna-hate-part-1