Coffee shop ponderings

Coffee shop ponderings — startled

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

Have you ever gotten yourself so focused on something that you didn’t hear someone approaching you…and when you finally noticed them or heard them you nearly jumped out of your shoes?  Well…that kind of happened to me today…not literally though.

I was in the sanctuary this morning working on my sermon as I do every Thursday morning before I leave for Coffee Choices.  When I returned to my office my secretary said, “Pastor, did you forget something?”  I immediately started searching my brain trying to figure out what she was talking about.  I got everything in for the bulletin and did all my usual Thursday stuff.  And then she said, “M called wondering where you are this morning“.  Then it hit me…it’s September…and it’s my month to lead Bible study at the apartment high rise and the assisted living facility.  And here’s the sad thing…I wrote about the fact (on this blog on Tuesday) that September is here and wondered where the summer went…and September still snuck up on me and “startled” me.  I called M and apologized and she understood.  I just hope my little old ladies forgive me.

September really is here.  I just hope I don’t forget anything else.

-edh-

Coffee shop ponderings — hospitality

/ The Pastor / 6 Comments

Many of you know that I spend a lot of time at my favorite coffee place, Coffee Choices.  Part of the reason is because I really like coffee, especially the variety of flavors that Coffee Choices offers (Black Raspberry and Blueberry Cinnamon Swirl are my favorites).  Another part of the reason I spend so much time there is the hospitality that they practice.  When I set up camp at my favorite table by the front window on Thursdays to eat lunch and write my sermon, I never have to get up.  They always make sure my cup is full and that I have everything I need (they treat all the customers that way…not just me).  The hospitality keeps me coming back.

In the Romans text for Sunday, Paul urges the church in Rome to “practice hospitality”.  And this is more than making friends and family feel welcome in your home.  But practicing hospitality is making people feel welcome, valued, special, etc when ever and where ever you are.  If, upon my first visit to Coffee Choices, they were not hospitable, I probably would not have returned again, but because they make me feel like a valued customer I have no problem giving them my business.  And because I have developed relationships with many people down there through hospitality, I have had many fruitful and inspiring conversations.

Imagine the impact we could have on people if we showed that same hospitality to all people at all times and in all places.  What if we made people feel like they are to most valued and special person in the world.  People would stop and take notice and want to be around you.  And the more people are around you, the more opportunities you have to show the sincere love of Christ to them.  But don’t let your hospitality be for selfish reasons, as Paul says in Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere“.  And when love is sincere, people will notice.

The people down at Coffee Choices are not putting on an act to get people to come back again, their hospitality is sincere, and THAT brings me back again and again.  Let YOUR love be sincere for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

-edh-

Coffee shop ponderings — God’s “good” plan

/ The Pastor / 6 Comments

Here I am…posting my coffee shop ponderings from outside of Coffee Choices.  Actually…I never made it there today to write my sermon (I did make it there this morning for coffee though).  I usually start writing the sermon in my office and finish it at my coffee shop, but today was different.  I got on a roll and couldn’t stop typing.

On Sunday I am continuing my sermon series on Romans by preaching on chapter 8 verses 26-39.  I started pondering and praying about verse 28 where it says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Upon pondering this verse I started thinking how this verse is often misused (or at least used in the wrong situations).  The times I have heard this verse used is when someone is facing a devastating disaster or disease diagnosis or something else devastating.  And in times like those, Romans 8:28 is the last verse I want to hear.  If I am mourning the lost of my house and possessions because of a tornado, quoting Romans 8:28 almost sounds like that God planned this disaster so he could do something “good”.  At the moment that is not comforting.  After the fact I may be able to look back and see the good that came from that disaster, but not right now.

I think this verse is used because of our insatiable desire to explain everything.  If we can’t explain it in scientific or logical terms we chalk it up to God’s divine plan (“I am not sure why this happened, but God is going to do something good thought it; it was God’s will.”)  Telling a parent, who’s child just died, that it was God’s will is often not the right thing to say.  Or trying telling them that God will do something good though that death.  You might get an angry response in return.  But who knows how they will look at death later on down the road.

Instead, I see Romans 8:28 as a proclamation of grace.  The “good” God is working towards is nothing else than our reconciliation through Jesus Christ.  Ever since the Fall, God has been working to reconcile creation back to himself.  And it is only though faith that we can recognize this “good”.  Sometimes the “crap” of this world can cloud our faith so we cannot see God active in our lives.  But after the dust clears, then things begin to clear up.

In a simple phrase, quoted by a friend of mine on Facebook, “It’s all grace!”  And that is so true.  God IS working for good, but let’s be careful how and when we use this verse.  We might do more harm than good.  Instead, share with people how God has gotten you thought difficult times.  Talk about God’s amazing love and how he never left you when you were going to a tough time.  Let people see the “good” for themselves after the dust has cleared.

What are your thoughts on Romans 8:28…especially in the context of verses 28 – 39?  Do you think this verse often gets misused?

SIDE NOTE:
There will be no “Coffee shop ponderings” next week as I will be on vacation up north.  Actually, there might not be a whole lot of activity from me at all next week, but you never know.  In the mean time, I look forward to reading your thoughts here.  Take care and I will catch you later.

-edh-

Coffee shop ponderings — My A/C dreams out the window

/ The Pastor / 7 Comments

I always feel humbled when I talk to someone who says they read my blog (I am usually READING comments from people not HEARING comments).  And that was especially true last night at our church council meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting I lead a brainstorming session with the crew (which included a number of newly elected members) do devise some goals for the year.  The catch was that they needed to think in terms of Christ’s mission in the world.  Too often we get caught up in our own agenda and not with Christ’s agenda.  I wanted this group to be more than a group of people meeting to talk about money and little projects around the church.  I wanted them to think of themselves as a ministry team…working to advance Christ’s mission in the world.  I want to move away from a business meeting model to a ministry meeting model (I am still trying to formulate this new model).

Anyway…after the brainstorming session the small groups choose their top 3 or 4 goals they came up with and shared them with the whole council.  The goals that the groups came up with were great.  Some of them include:  (1) Reach out to the inactive members and the new people moving to town; (2) get more people involved with worship (especially the children); (3) pray more; and (4) read the Bible more.  There were other good ones as well, but these jumped out to me…with the addition of one other…

…one of my parishioners/council members said as a goal “Install an air conditioner in pastor’s office” (currently I am without A/C).  Of course I thought that was a great idea.  Then the person who was writing these goals on the white board asked (with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye) “How does that advance Christ’s mission in the world?“.  To that question another responded, “It helps with pastor’s sermon writing process.”  [The next comment made me laugh] To that response, my parishioner writing on the board said (with still a smile on her face and a larger twinkle in her eye), “Sermon writing…I read his blog, he writes his sermons down at Coffee Choices.” Everyone laughed.  I guess I had that coming…bye bye, A/C 🙂 

Oh well…that is a small price to pay for the privilege of working with such a great and talented group of people with a mission focus and a heart for Jesus.  And I hope this doesn’t sound like I am sucking up to get my A/C because what I said is true.  What is important is Christ’s mission.  But if my comments help get me A/C, then so be it.  Who am I to say that A/C in the pastor’s office is not part of Christ’s mission 🙂

-edh-
P.S.  Did I tell you how AWESOME my church council is 🙂

Coffee shop ponderings — The “Rocco’s” of this world

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Welcome to this weeks edition of coffee shop ponderings.  Today I start off with an unusual spectator across the street…a raccoon.  Along main street Jackson there are a series of trees growing along the sidewalk as if a remnant of the forest survived humankind’s invasion.  Directly across from Coffee Choices is one such tree, but this one contains a scared little raccoon.  My guess is that he came out when all was quite…exploring an otherwise scary world, but before he had a chance to retreat to his own safe haven, our scary world closed in around him, forcing him to find refuge in a tree.  My bet is that he will be there all day…or until the “coast is clear”.

 

But I can’t help to wonder what Rocco (that’s what I am calling the raccoon…kind of dorky, I know) is thinking as he looks down on our world.  It’s a world where he is not accepted or welcome, even though we are the ones invading his habitat.  Rocco is not free to walk among us.  He is not free to partake in our freedoms.  We have pushed him and “his kind” to the fringes.  And as I think of Rocco, I cannot help but to think of the way things are in the Church.  There are people in our churches who hide who they are for fear of rejection.  There are people who conceal their shortcomings for fear of being condemned.  There are people who keep their distance as others point and gawk.  And as long as there is this mistrust and haughtiness in the world, the Rocco’s of this world will remain in the trees of life.

 

But things will not always be this way…

 

…we are told in Isaiah 11, “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.”  That is a vision of the kingdom.  That is a world where Rocco has no need of trees.  That is a world where people will not be afraid to be who they are…children of God.  And it is in the promise of this kingdom I will wait expectantly and rejoice in. 

And so…as we wait and rejoice…let’s join together and welcome the Rocco’s of this world.  Let’s make this a “safe” place for all those on the fridges of the Church and of this world.  Because with Jesus…there are no need for “trees” to hide in.

 

-edh-

Thursday coffee shop ponderings on Friday

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

I thought maybe I would head to my favorite coffee shop yesterday (Thursday), but I never made it.  Since I was not writing a sermon this week, everything got thrown off.  I did make it today, though, but I am sitting at home right now enjoying my coffee.  And get this…I while ago I wrote a tongue-in-check post about my Coffee Choices total being $6.66.  Well…today is Friday the 13th and my Coffee Choices total was $6.66…and it is always a different combination of stuff.   Weird.

Anyway…today I head to Gustavus Adolphus College (GAC) for the SW MN Synod Assembly.  Things start at 3:30pm and I should be home sometime Sunday afternoon.  A good friend of mine over at the "other" Lutheran church down the block is leading worship for me on Sunday.  Through my attendance tracking program I have on my computer I have noticed that when I am gone average worship attendance goes down by about 13 people.  So last week I didn't tell the congregation I was going to be gone.  Of course my council and deacons know I am going to be gone, but it is not widely known.  I am curious what the worship attendance will be.  I'll let you know on Monday how my "experiment" goes.

But before I take my leave of you to do my run and pack for the weekend, I want to share with you something that I have been reading.  The other day I started reading The Living Word: A Theological Study of Preaching and the Church by Gustaf Wingren.  I read this book in my second year preaching class in seminary and decided to tackle it again.  So far I have not been disappointed.  Here's a quote from the first chapter that caught my attention and served as an excellent reminder of what we, as preachers, are called to do:

"The Lutheran assertion that we have just now mentioned, that preaching, in so far as it is Biblical preaching, is God's own speech to people, is very difficult to maintain in practice.  Instead it is very easy to slip into the idea that preaching is only speech about God.  Such a slip, once made, gradually alters the picture of God, so that he becomes the far-off deistic God who is remote from the preached word and is only spoken about as we speak about someone who is absent…God is creative and near simply by speaking his Word." (pg. 19 & 20)

It makes me wonder how many times I have "slipped".  But to get the full flavor of what Wingren is talking about you really need to dive into this book yourself.

With that, I take my leave of you.  I am not sure if I will have time and/or access to stop back during the weekend.  In case I don't…I hope and pray you have a blessed weekend (one without rain).  Take care and God bless.

-edh-

The coffee shop and the Gospel

/ The Pastor / 5 Comments

The coffee shop feels a little more crowded and busy today…more so than last week when I dined here.  Maybe there is more gossip to chew on.  Maybe it is because summer has unofficially begun and more people are around.  Maybe, just maybe, word has gotten out that I dine here on Thursdays to be among the “congregation”.  LOL (laugh out loud)…Surely I jest.

 

Once again I am at Coffee Choices; among the “congregation”, trying to hear, listen and respond to a Word from God.  I am trying to be careful to not think that this is a magical place where God’s Word is transmitted more powerfully than other places.  After all…this is only a coffee shop.  But then I am reminded of a bumper sticker I have seen on some blogs I read that says, “I drink coffee so I can do dumb things faster” or hear the gospel faster perhaps.  LOL!  Maybe I am more “amped up” on caffeine here and thus feel more energetic and alive.  Hmmm….  

 

(Excuse me…my hands are starting to shake.  Maybe I should stop at six cups of coffee.)

 

Anyway…this week I am being lead into Paul’s letter to the Romans where Paul boldly proclaims, for I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… 

 

(I wonder what Paul would have been like on six cups of coffee.  Hmmm…)

 

Paul’s bold proclamation is received by a group of people with plenty to fear (and maybe to be ashamed of).  Christians feared for their lives.  They had to be secretive.  There was no public worship.  And among this environment Paul reminds the people that even though the powers that be may take his life, he has a greater power with him…the POWER OF GOD.  This same power he enjoyed in his life was also theirs and it is also ours.  And because of this power there is no need to be ashamed.

 

But now, as I hear the murmur of voices all around me, I wonder what is stopping me from speaking a Word to the people here and now.  I wonder how people would respond if I gave a loud whistle and asked if I could pray with them; read from scripture; or lead a biblical discussion.  I wonder what is stopping me.  Am I ashamed?  I don’t think that is the right word.  Maybe it is…but I don’t think so.  And even though I amped up on six cups of coffee, my fast moving brain has no answers.  So I pause and ponder…and I still have no answers.

 

(Wow…I can’t believe I just turned down another cup of coffee.)

 

Well…my coffee shop time is coming to a close.  It’s like that zone that one gets into (where everything around seems to disappear and quiet a couple decibels) and then all of a sudden you drop out of it; like the Enterprise dropping out of warp.  Then you realize all that you have gotten done and say “Wow!”  Now I feel much more aware of what is going on around me; as if the voices have gotten louder.  I feel myself “creeping along” now so I guess I should move on.  I guess should move on before I am tempted to drink cup-of-coffee number 7.

 

But as I creep along, I am still pondering coffee shops and the gospel…

 

-edh-