Introduction
I started drinking coffee when I was managing restaurants in my early twenties. Like most kids, I disdained the acidic taste of my parents’ brew and even when I started drinking it to help with the long nights and demanding schedule, I took it with a lot of “doctoring” (which should read: spoonfuls of sugar). As a young adult I wasn’t picky. Instant coffee was fine. Gas station coffee did the trick. Great Value? Pour me another cup.
Then came Starbucks. Everything changed, I was an early convert (well, as early as one can be living in Arkansas) to the coffee revolution. No more Maxwell House in this house, just Pike’s Place please. Then I found Arsagas and suddenly Starbucks moved from the penthouse to the basement. I would turn my nose up at anything that came already ground in a can. Now, there is an embarrassing wealth of coffee shops in our area from Onyx, Old Pine, to our own friends here at Sicaru and more.
Interestingly, as things have progressed, I’m more and more fine with whatever is put in front of me. As long as it is hot and brewed from the magic bean, whether it be commercial or hand crafted. Sure, I prefer the luxury of a cup of single origin, shade grown, hand roasted nectar… but Folgers has its place. Not every cup can be Onyx.
The ultimate kicker is that without that carafé of Community coffee sitting on a hot plate in the local diner, the others wouldn’t even exist.
So what’s all this talk about caffeinated beans have to do with 1 Corinthians 12? Well, let’s dig in this week and see what we can brew up.
Grace and peace y’all,
John Ray and the teaching team
Text:
A Confession from John 15 (the message)
Reader: Jesus declared he is the Real Vine and his Father is the Farmer, that every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. That if we live in him -make our home in him just as He does in us, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
Everyone: Jesus we make our home in you and you make yours in us. Make this Church good soil for the Vine to take root and the branches to bear fruit.
Reader: Jesus told us the tree will be judged by the fruit.
Everyone: Give us hands to tend the soil, hearts to endure the pruning and ears to hear the song that gives us hope.
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
