Let’s keep the brainstorm going and see if we can connect Coffee and Discipleship.

Coffee/Discipleship is Personal

Coffee, like discipleship, is a very personal thing.  People like their coffee a certain way, and if it’s not done right… well, as my dad used to say, “It’s like drinking dirty dishwater.”  Walk into a Starbucks sometime and listen to how people order their drinks – some of them sound like they are crafting it right down to the molecule.

“I’ll have a Venti, sugar-free vanilla, non fat and soy, 1/2 pump almond, half pump mocha, two pumps sugar-free cinnamon dolce, with whip and caramel drizzle.”

[Here’s a list of “Secret Frappuccinos” if you want to get into the craziness]

Christian disciples can become the same way about their discipleship.

“I’ll have an Utmost for His Highest reading, 3 chapters of the Gospels, 1 Psalm, 4 proverbs, 10 minutes of prayer, 3 minutes of meditation, 1 contemporary church service, a Wednesday night traditional prayer meeting, teach Sunday School twice a month, and may I please have some Chris Tomlin CD’s drizzled on top.”

Can Coffee Help us Become Better Disciples?

I believe it can.  Here are some ideas:

1. Try Different Coffees & Methods of Discipleship – Consistency is wonderful and important for building habits, complacency and being dispassionately mechanical in your walk with God is not.  Knock yourself off of your rut by experimenting with kinds of coffee and coffee drinks.  Expand your horizons!  (Here’s 22 ways to brew coffee.  Here’s 63 different coffee drinks to try.)

And at the same time, try different Discipleship methods.

• Change your time, place, book, words of your prayer, place you serve.
• Here’s a challenge: Don’t use the words “Lord, be with him” when praying for someone else.  And don’t use the word “just” at all.
• Try not singing for a Sunday, and just let the words wash over you.
• Try taking notes (or not taking notes) during the sermon.
• Be the last person to stay on a Sunday morning.
• Ask a friend to meet you for a spiritual conversation.
• Research a theological question that has bugged you and don’t stop until satisfied.

2. Drink Coffee from Missionary Locations – If your church sponsors missionaries, do some research on how their country drinks coffee, buy some and drink it for a while.  Learn about that country and the missionary, pray extra for them until the coffee is gone, and then move on to a different missionary.

3. Study Fair Trade – Scripture is clear that we are to take care of our environment (it was our first job) and those around us.  If you have your head in the sand about where your morning cup of joe comes from, and are unaware of the implications of globalization, then it’s time to pull it out and take a look around.  Here’s 2 places to start:  Here.  Here.

What about you?  What’s your favourite way to drink coffee and practice Discipleship?  Can you think of any other ways to connect Coffee and Discipleship?  Have you become complacent in your faith journey?