10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
We have each been entrusted, as believers in Christ, with the capacity for hospitality. We are called into community with one another, and we are directed to show Godly love toward each other as members of the body of Christ. But, we are also called to be hospitable toward those who are not Christians, following the direction of the Spirit and using the tools that He ordains, so that we are mindful of needs and equipped to be used of God to minister to them.
In 1st Peter chapter 4, we can read these verses of challenge:
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
A recent Christianity Today article calls it "The Beverage That Fuels the Church." And, I would say that the presence of coffee can be a definite part of a Sunday morning routine at a church site, whether you attend a smaller congregation that has a small coffeemaker, or a church that actually runs its own coffee shop for the attendees.
The writer of the Christianity Today piece, Martyn Wendell Jones, quotes the National Coffee Association USA, which claims, “After crude oil, coffee is the most sought commodity in the world.”
The church Jones attends is Grace Toronto Church, whose primary demographic is young urban professionals. He says "to cater to them, it is necessary to provide something on the order of café quality drinks."
He describes a scene from his church gathering:
Jones also quotes Peter Schellhase, who serves on the vestry of his Episcopal church and helps with refreshments: “‘coffee hour’ is one of the main ways people in the congregation keep up with one another.”
So, there is an aspect of community that is present here, beyond the simple need for a caffeine rush on a sleepy Sunday morning.
The concept of what I would call "coffee as ministry" extends to the way the beverage can be used as an outreach tool. Jones quotes Australian Nathan Campbell, who said, "The sort of tea and coffee you serve is a demonstration of how much you value those walking through your doors and, potentially, into your community.” He writes:
Jones also describes The Camp House in Chattanooga, the vision of Matt Busby for a 6-day-a-week presence into the community there. The coffee shop is the ministry here. Busby sent Jones some photos of the ministry, an outreach of Mission Chattanooga. He says:
Another aspect of this article includes a ministry that has been involved in partnering with coffee growers in Honduras, providing not only distribution channels for their product, but also attempting to address social injustices that exist in that country. There is also the concept of buying "fair trade" coffee, where prices are not deflated due to an abundance of beans, resulting in less money to the grower.
In summary, writer Jones says this:
Take, for instance, John Waller's project, Crazy Faith Coffee Company, which, of course, gets its name from the song, "Crazy Faith." According to its website, when someone receives a box:
Ministry enhancement - that's a broader application of this simple beverage that is enjoying quite a bit of popularity these days. The simple shared cups can promote hospitality, but there's more to the story.
+++++
In 1st Peter chapter 4, we can read these verses of challenge:
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
A recent Christianity Today article calls it "The Beverage That Fuels the Church." And, I would say that the presence of coffee can be a definite part of a Sunday morning routine at a church site, whether you attend a smaller congregation that has a small coffeemaker, or a church that actually runs its own coffee shop for the attendees.
The writer of the Christianity Today piece, Martyn Wendell Jones, quotes the National Coffee Association USA, which claims, “After crude oil, coffee is the most sought commodity in the world.”
The church Jones attends is Grace Toronto Church, whose primary demographic is young urban professionals. He says "to cater to them, it is necessary to provide something on the order of café quality drinks."
He describes a scene from his church gathering:
My own church serves coffee and tea in the cafeteria of the high school building we’re renting after the service ends in the auditorium. I look around: everyone is talking, and almost everyone is drinking from paper cups swathed in napkins for insulation. The scene is one part French salon, one part daycare, and one part indoor picnic. At a glance, it is impossible to tell the specific role played by the coffee, although it clearly gives everyone a common reason for entering the room as well as something to do with their hands...His pastor is quoted as saying, “Coffee is like a comfort blanket that young professionals carry around after the service, and it gives them courage to interact with one another,” adding, “For me, hospitality is guided by the principle that we welcome the stranger as we would welcome Christ. For me, coffee is the way I would welcome Christ.”
Jones also quotes Peter Schellhase, who serves on the vestry of his Episcopal church and helps with refreshments: “‘coffee hour’ is one of the main ways people in the congregation keep up with one another.”
So, there is an aspect of community that is present here, beyond the simple need for a caffeine rush on a sleepy Sunday morning.
The concept of what I would call "coffee as ministry" extends to the way the beverage can be used as an outreach tool. Jones quotes Australian Nathan Campbell, who said, "The sort of tea and coffee you serve is a demonstration of how much you value those walking through your doors and, potentially, into your community.” He writes:
Campbell is also involved in the local coffee scene, which he sees as part of his ministry to the community. “I’m currently starting a social enterprise café with a local social justice organization, which will provide training and workplace inclusion to vulnerable people in our part of the city.Campbell offers this theological angle: "Done well, with attention to the order and detail required, there’s something about the preparation of coffee that is us bearing the image of God and exercising dominion over creation."
Jones also describes The Camp House in Chattanooga, the vision of Matt Busby for a 6-day-a-week presence into the community there. The coffee shop is the ministry here. Busby sent Jones some photos of the ministry, an outreach of Mission Chattanooga. He says:
I see patrons in various states of repose: a typical coffeehouse crowd, smiling and sipping and chatting and typing. The space is warehouse-y, but overhung with chandeliers, in a style that Busy [sic] and his colleagues describe as “Byzantine Industrial.”Busby's church supports a local coffee roaster that actually employs refugees as a means of orienting them to the community.
Another aspect of this article includes a ministry that has been involved in partnering with coffee growers in Honduras, providing not only distribution channels for their product, but also attempting to address social injustices that exist in that country. There is also the concept of buying "fair trade" coffee, where prices are not deflated due to an abundance of beans, resulting in less money to the grower.
In summary, writer Jones says this:
The meaning of the ritual of coffee in the Western church exists only in iterations: Individual communities of believers define it according to their own purposes, needs, and beliefs. For some of those believers, coffee is a simple accommodation offered to friends and strangers alike. For others, it is a means of fellowship under the sign of the age. Still others see potential in it for meaningful engagement with some of the social injustices of our time. The resulting collage of activity renders a definite image when viewed from a height: The picture is of the church performing its mundane acts of transfiguration on everything that it touches and gathers to itself—even coffee.I think of this concept of God's economy and how, as it's been said, He does not waste. Three aspects strike me in this article: coffee can help build community, but also on a larger scale, can be used to build compassionate economy, and can be a tool to enhance ministry.
Take, for instance, John Waller's project, Crazy Faith Coffee Company, which, of course, gets its name from the song, "Crazy Faith." According to its website, when someone receives a box:
Crack it open to discover two bags of freshly roasted, whole bean, fair-trade, organic coffee. Dig a little deeper and you'll discover inside each bag is a real-life, miraculous, story of faith, personally curated by us. Since we believe coffee and stories are meant to be shared, we encourage you to give one bag of Crazy Faith Coffee away each month. You can feel good knowing you're sharing your faith, and quality coffee.And, "A portion of our proceeds will help rescue orphans, sharpen them in Christ, and launch them into full time ministry through Hopegivers International."
Ministry enhancement - that's a broader application of this simple beverage that is enjoying quite a bit of popularity these days. The simple shared cups can promote hospitality, but there's more to the story.
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