Wednesday, December 07, 2005
spirituality of coffee
The church now owns a coffee machine. But I didn’t want it as a status symbol or to be relevant or look cool. I wanted it because there is something about the spirituality of coffee making that makes the act of taking a break and the act of sitting with friends special. It can potentially re-enchant relationships and space.
We are training barrista’s in the new year. But I don’t want to just train them to make coffee. I also want to offer practices of hospitality and spirituality. Anyone out there done this? Any barrista’s out there have prayers and practices of blessing they use? Anyone thought about integrating coffee making into their Christian spirituality?
Posted by steve at 03:42 PM
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Right on target as usual, Steve. There’s something about a cup of coffe that breaks down barriers. I worked at as a barista for a couple of years and perfect strangers would begin to tell me their life story while waiting for their drink. One thing I practiced was to pray over the drink/for the person as I made it — my version of “OA’s” (Ordinary Attempts) at evangelism. I haven’t found any “Celtic Blessings” for coffeee but they probably exist.
Comment by mike — December 8, 2005 @ 4:45 am
Hey Steve,
Well, we certainly have thought about it alot. In fact, our little church communtiy recently opened up a “third place” cafe. Check this out: http://www.frwy.ca
Or baristas are more like bartenders or urban missionaries than coffee makers.
Also, I just received your book this week. Thank you so much. I will be posting a review as soon as I am done. Totally brilliant so far… even minus a Canadian expression of emerging church.
Comment by Pernell — December 8, 2005 @ 6:12 am
Hey Pernell… sounds great. Like your site too… would love to see the cafe/church some day.
Mike, I like the praying as you make coffee thing. So many simple tasks can be prayed … tis a ritual that can become habitual.
Comment by lynne — December 8, 2005 @ 10:38 am
Our Community runs a Coffee Shop in Karlsruhe / Germany… A thing that came to my mind reading this were different open spirituall events with installations etc, where we handed out little cards with each coffee with instructions for a spiritual act. People had to pray a short for something that would normally not come to their mind etc… Or we handed out stickers with 2 word blessings on it that the people had to stick on people to bless them…
Comment by Mark Reichmann — December 9, 2005 @ 3:47 pm