One recent Sunday I spotted a tea/coffee station had appeared near the front of the church, just on the side and not far from the drum kit. It got me wondering if something new was going to happen….
I was thinking we might have an announcement along the lines of:
”during our next song the children will go out to their classes. While they’re doing that, why not grab a coffee and be ready with your Bibles open for the sermon”
As it happens I didn’t hear coffee being mentioned before said song. Furthermore, as I was sitting upstairs the coffee station was just out of sight, so I couldn’t see if anyone was going to help themselves.
I couldn’t help but think about that coffee as we sat down ready for the sermon. I tried to tell myself I couldn’t smell coffee, all the way up on the balcony. Surely I was too far away? It must be my imagination, or perhaps wishful thinking? I even gave myself a talking-to and reminded myself I should pay more attention to what was being said and not allow my thoughts to drift elsewhere.
Or perhaps we were in for an epic sermon and the coffee station was there to provide caffeine for those who might need it?
In the end, I think everyone stayed awake without any caffeine needed. It was a nice concise sermon and, it has to be said, a little unusual in looking at John 7:53 through to 8:11. There was a helpful explanation about why and how this passage came to be included in the Bible. Then the passage itself was all about the phrase spoken by Jesus “let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”. This was quite a powerful message and importantly on how we might choose to conduct ourselves. Chilling stuff.
But what about the coffee?
Sometimes you see people coming into the church lobby, grabbing a coffee from one of the tea/coffee stations and taking it into church. And why not?
There is an argument that churches need to be relevant and contemporary in order to survive and be truly alive. A kind of “pull up a chair, grab a coffee and let’s look at what the Bible tells us”. By contrast, some may argue a church service is a solemn, reverent time where you worship, take part in a prayerful and serious service.
Me? There is a place for both approaches.
And you, what do you think? Take a coffee into church?