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Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Okay, since coffee shops and specifically Starbucks have been coming up a lot in these devotionals (and in your responses), I feel compelled to tell you another story inspired by the caffeine bean. I recently heard about a group of guys who meet regularly at a Starbucks to study the Bible, pray and share their lives together. Since their experience is so much like church, they have come to rename their meeting place "St. Arbucks" instead of Starbucks. It's a very clever idea and something that might catch on, especially when you consider how important small group fellowship is in the life of a believer.

The report of the early church in the book of Acts has believers devoting themselves to "the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer." It goes on to say they "met together constantly and shared everything they had… They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people" (Acts 2:42-47 NLT).

In other words, church for these early believers was a lifestyle. With the exception of "worship in the Temple" the rest of this could have happened anywhere. Indeed, most of it seemed to take place in their homes, but I have no doubt, were there a Starbucks around the corner, that a good deal of this could and would have happened there.

A small group experience of faith with other believers is one of the great privileges and purposes of being a Christian. It provides a context where each person's giftedness is an important part of the whole, and it allows for an intimate sharing of each other's lives. And on top of all this, the passage in Acts says they were "enjoying the goodwill of all the people," which would mean they were having a positive impact on the community as a whole. Their meeting together did not isolate them from the rest of the world. "And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47 NLT). By simply being who they were in their communities, they were having an impact on their culture.

You know, those guys who meet regularly at "St. Arbucks" are on to something. Maybe it's the new model for the church: from Starbucks to "St. Arbucks." If anything, it's a great way to keep a small group alive and relevant. Of course if you don't have a Starbucks nearby you may have to work on the name. St. Peet's will do fine, but Seattle’s Best? You'll think of something...

Labels: cafe church, mission