Coffee Community

Coffee permeates our culture. The smell of a fresh-brewed pot of coffee is familiar to most folks. Sometimes it feels like there’s a Starbucks on every street corner, or a local shop just down the road. It’s an unspoken expectation that coffee will be available at church, in hotel lobbies, at other social functions. Coffee is readily brewed and available to us. If you’re not a coffee drinker you may have not noticed the consistent accessible flow of coffee around you. If you are a coffee drinker, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the first things you look for in a room  is a pot of coffee. 

The university I attended had four different coffee spots on campus. If that wasn’t good enough, there were three shops within walking distance off campus and five more that you could drive to in around five minutes. We even have signs in our home that communicate the importance of coffee in our lives: “You won’t like me until I’ve had my coffee.” or “Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee.” We make jokes when we are stressed and frustrated that we need more caffeine or we just have to make it to that next cup of coffee. 

As the main character in Gilmore Girls, Lorelai, says: “I need coffee, whatever form you got, I haven’t had it all day. I’ll drink it, shoot it, eat it, snort it, whatever form it’s in.” 

There is no question in my mind that coffee is an essential part of the culture we live in. I can’t deny the significance that coffee has played in my own life. I’ve met with a myriad of friends, mentors, and mentees sitting across from me at a coffee shop. We’ve shared pieces of who we are with each other, all while holding a warm mug of coffee in our hands. And when I am overwhelmed and need to be alone – but not totally alone – having a seat in a small coffee shop can bring me the distant community I need. 

Coffee has shaped my life, and I’m sure it’s shaped yours in some way as well. Whether you’re a coffee person or a tea person (or an energy drink person), we can all agree that when our spirits are down it can be a great comfort to have a drink that feels comforting. A cup of hot chamomile tea can pull us back home. A warm mug of coffee give us a sense of calm. 

If something as simple as a good cup of coffee can deeply impact and enrich our everyday lives, what else can? What other good, simple things are within our grasp to deepen our love of the life around us? What if peace was as readily available as a mug of coffee? Or safety? As we brew new pots of coffees for our friends, may we also create environments of peace and rest. We have an opportunity to create safe spaces for others to rest. The choice to be hospitable is as accessible to you as a fresh cup of coffee. 

Christine Pohl says: “As a way of life, an act of love, an expression of faith, our hospitality reflects and anticipates God’s welcome.” God has welcomed us, so we can freely welcome others. We can welcome others not only into our homes but into our lives. Maybe the next time you share a coffee with a friend, remember the way that God has shared life with you. 

Liturgy for the Ritual of Morning Coffee

Meet me, O Christ, in this stillness of morning.
Move me, O Spirit, to quiet my heart.
Mend me, O Father, from yesterday’s harms.
From the discords of yesterday, resurrect my peace.
From the discouragement of yesterday, resurrect my hope.
From the weariness of yesterday, resurrect my strength.
From the doubts of yesterday, resurrect my faith.
From the wounds of yesterday, resurrect my love.
Let me enter this new day, aware of my need and awake to your grace, O Lord.

Amen