Title:- Communication & Coffee Shops
Matthew 9:37,38 “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.”
Pain makes me withdraw. Pain makes me isolate myself, protect myself, hide myself, hate myself. This is the unnatural state of all of us. You know? Hiding from God amongst the large leaved palms, behind the Wall Street journal sucking on an ice-cold latte. Such hurt and hiding people need pursuing! When we find them, on our lips must be an invitation into a washing, a healing and a hoping. Whatever the tune, we need to sing to them our new song and though what I say next may sound a little ‘wet’ maybe, let me tell you that you can be sure that on that carrier wave of the story of your journey and of your so great a Saviour, there shall dance yet another sound, a hidden and an imploring message, bursting full of invitation; “I went down in the river to pray studying about that good old way and who shall wear the starry crown, O lord show me the way. O brother lets go down, come on down lets go down, O brother lets go down, down in the river to pray.”Starry Starbucks and every other coffee shops with a community, are a good place to look for people who might at some time in the future wear a real starry crown.
In one of these coffee shops, over her Cappuccino, she was loving on life. Her new baby was just a couple of months old. It was cosseted on her lap and upon her loved one, she now rained down colossal kisses, which seemed to squash the newborn’s face even more into the picture of a sleepy and gum-less old lady. The mother laid back her child and cradled her in the crook of her elbow. From her bag, she removed the bottle of milk and pressed it into awaiting and hungry lips and passing people, lining up for their early morning brew, stared and smiled at new life. It is always the same, for new birth is beautiful and a new child is always envied by the old. After all, there before them lies an innocence and cleanness that they, in their scarred and scared latter years, now truly dream and long for. It’s the same stuff they have lost along life’s dirty old highway that is now gurlging there before them, fully present and giggling in an 8lb bundle of neediness. A baby, full of new life and new possibilities. How wonderful! What we all wouldn’t give for clean hands, clean hearts and new possibilities eh? What we wouldn’t give.
Our society is full of ‘coffee shops.’ Places, if you will, where people gather for fun and fellowship. Fellowship is an old-fashioned word I know but friends, that is what it is. “Sir, would you mind taking our picture?” Three smiling and chattering women interrupted my writing. “Sure what’s the occasion?” I asked. “Oh nothing, we just want to remember our good time together.” I told you! Fellowship. Do you see that? Fellowship. Just ‘good times together.’ This threesome, this gaggle of big women, had for the last hour, laughed over old stories and old boyfriends and tall tales of the night. But it was fellowship never the less, happening right there in this coffee shop, happening everyday and all around us.
Now friends imagine in the multitudes of these many and varied collections of community, one person coming to Christ and being born again. Imagine the envious and intriguing looks of those longing for love, for forgiveness, for clean hands and for clean hearts, staring into a new baby Christian’s eyes and watching them suckle on the new milk from the Father’s hands. What invitations into happiness and into new possibilities such new birth could bring into aching communities. What starry crowns might be at last laid on redeemed and happy heads.
May I suggest we find as many ‘coffee shop’ communities as we can and go and make babies!
Listen:- Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! John 4:35-36
Pray:- Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief. Let me see You working and where You are working my Lord, there shall I be also. Amen Lord and by the way, mine’s a Frappuccino! _
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"Down To The River To Pray"
As I went down to the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol' way and who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way!
O sisters let's go downLets go down, Come on down
O sisters lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol way
And who shall wear the robe & crown
Good Lord show me the way
O brothers lets go down
Let's go down, Come on down
O brothers lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol way
And who shall wear the starry crown?
Good lord show me the way
O fathers lets go down
Let's go down, Come on down
O fathers lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray studying about that good ol way
And who shall wear th robe and crown
Good Lord show me the way
O mothers lets go down
Come on down, don't you wanna go down?
O Mothers lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studin about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way
O sinners lets go down
Lets go down, come on down
O sinners lets go down
Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray
Studyin about that good ol way
And who shall wear the Robe and crown?
Good Lord show me the way
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