April 5, 2024 – The Coffee Shop Devotions: The Relationship between my Coffee and Cream

“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:11-12

When I was just a kid, my grandfather and I would spend the summer visiting his siblings in Millersburg and, as was always the case, sharing a cup of coffee with them. No matter who we visited, they always had a pot of coffee waiting for us. It was my introduction to drinking coffee – with cream. I have always enjoyed my coffee with cream. I like strong coffee, and the milk or cream or half and half takes just a little of the edge of the bitterness – it is a relationship, so to speak, a marriage that makes my coffee just perfect. As I ponder this devotion, I am realizing how much I miss all of my grandparents, because each one had a different aspect of their lives and interests they imparted on me as a kid. I miss their friendship – I miss how our relationship was the blending of our lives made more special by the times I could sit with them, drinking a cup of coffee or a milk shake and watching the world pass us by.

Do you have a friend who you know you can go out for coffee, or call on the phone knowing they will listen without judgment or without wanting to solve your problem? We all need someone in our lives who will be a good listener – who will try to understand everything you are going through without giving tons of advice, condemnation, or judgment.

Paul was so interested in visiting the church in Rome probably for multiple reasons including: it was his nature to be with the people to whom he felt a calling/ministry; he wanted to spend time teaching the people all that he knew about Jesus; he wanted to see how they were doing, along with many, many other reasons. But, Paul had another reason. Paul wanted to be with the people so he could be in relationship with them. Paul has given us so many of the letters, the biblical books of the New Testament where he wrote words of encouragement, and also words of criticism. Paul ached to be in relationship with these people, and how difficult it is to have a long distance relationship – if you have tried it, you know what I mean!

There are many times where we also need the encouragement of other Christians – it is the strength of the Christian community. Paul wanted to spend time with people, here it was the people of the church in Rome, to develop relationships with the people, which included being mutually encouraged by their faith. These kinds of relationships do not happen by attending church services alone, or choosing to play golf on a Sunday morning saying you are enjoying G-d’s creation and praying every time you want to sink a putt. This is not the kind of relationship Paul wanted with the people in Rome, and it is not the kind of relationship we need with other Christians. We need to take steps to genuinely get to know one another and discover the faith and spiritual gifts that others have. If you do not have a Christian community to which you belong, it is time to find one. We learn from Paul that it is good to have a group of people to meet with and to be encouraged by our mutual faith. We weren’t called to live the Christian life alone.

Pastor Dave