These items kind of bother me. I even own one a picture that is exactly like these. But I still feel weird about it.
Not too long ago I was at a conference for our denomination, and one of the points that was made by one of our bishops was to have someone who truly enjoys coffee make it for Sunday mornings at church. His thought was that coffee is a huge deal to people who are stopping by a church. So if we get one thing right on a Sunday morning, it better be the coffee.
This is so frustrating to me. Yes, make people feel welcome. Yes, provide things that create a good experience. But if the only thing we have going for us is a good cup of coffee, I'm doubting those visitors will be back. They can get a good, free cup of coffee at nearly any church it seems. And if they really, truly care about coffee, they're going to buy their own before the service, bring it with them, and try to sneak it into the sanctuary. (Yes, I see you doing that. Bring me one next time.)
Our culture seems obsessed with coffee. Christian culture can seem obsessed with coffee. It's to this point where it feels like an idol. We wake up every morning and say to ourselves.. gotta have that cup of coffee. This is what turns me into a living, breathing, functioning actual human. Oh, and Jesus. He sustains that. Like. He keeps me being human once coffee has done it's transforming, miraculous work.
Coffee is popular to love. And I think part of this is because you can love it in the open, idolize it even, and nobody is going to give you flak for it. It's loved to near idolatry. Imagine if we replaced coffee in those phrases with some other idol that is less acceptable...
"This girl runs on shopping and Jesus!"
"All I need today is a little bit of drugs and a whole lot of Jesus!"
"Porn fuels me. Jesus keeps me going."
Like, it's weird, right?
I think it bothers me so much because it is like good grief. What would happen if we were as obsessed with Jesus as we are with coffee? What if we woke up and craved Jesus like we do coffee? Or if around 2 pm during that afternoon slump at work we were to think, man, it's time to have a 15 minute break and talk to Jesus now. Gotta have Jesus.
Girl. Coffee is great and all, but Jesus is the one who should be motivating and fueling you. Yes, He is the Sustainer, but He is also the Author. Perfecter. Wellspring. Beginning. End. The Way. The Truth. The Life.
Jesus cannot be the afterthought. He should be the first and foremost thought. Coffee should fall by the wayside. Gym workouts, by the wayside. Makeup, by the wayside. Alcohol, by the wayside. Lust, by the wayside. The former things fall away! Jesus is the one who transforms your life. And girl. It's gotta transform from thinking that coffee is the thing that gets you through.
Yes, this is kind of tongue in cheek. Coffee is just the example. We are so careless with our thoughts and speech sometimes that things come out like Jesus isn't the most important to us. But the thing is, that if it consistently comes out that way, I'm betting He might not be.
"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." Psalm 54:4
"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:15-17
"Before I fill my cup, I'll lift You up..."
