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

April 4, 2024 – The Coffee Shop Devotions: When Free Coffee Isn’t Really Free

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Galatians 5:13-14

“Christ has freed us to love: Love with all our hearts, Love with all our might. Love our friends and families; Love even our enemies. Christ has freed us to express love. For the stranger we do not know, Love from our hearts must always flow. For the oppressed and the poor, Love from our hearts must always flow. Christ has freed us to love; And love we must, because we are free. Christ’s love has freed us, freed us from our chains.” James Blay

As we journey through the coffee shop devotions, I am reminded of the allure of the “free cup of coffee”. At most coffee shops, there is some kind of a coffee card that you can have – and each time you buy a coffee drink, they will punch your card. Once you get so many punches in your card, you “earn” a “free” drink. My particular coffee place has something they call “rewards”. The more you spend, the more rewards you “earn” until you reach a magic number where you receive a “reward”.

Here is something I want to remind you of: free is not free – and earned means that it costs you something. Nothing in life is free – except maybe the freedom that Christ wins for you and for me. You see, in life, we are often shackled by metaphorical “freedoms” or “rewards” that hold us back, tie us down, or promise us false benefits. Those rewards promise us that they will make our lives better. But, in reality, all they win for us are problems that include addictions, exhaustion, family conflicts, emotional poverty, poor health. Some people will struggle their entire lives trying to find rewards that offer freedoms from our earthly problems, but they are false promises.

As Christians we have a freedom and a reward that comes to us through G-d’s abundant love and grace through the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. It is not something we earn, it does not come with a “punch card” – it is truly free. But many people find it hard to accept the freedom Christ has won for everyone. Christ frees us from the bondage of sin, death and the devil. But the freedom that we win through Christ comes with responsibility – responsibility for the last, lost, least and littlest of our communities. Our freedom comes at a great price – but liberates us to spend our time liberating others through the Gospel of Jesus.

So put your punch cards away – and don’t worry about “earning” rewards. You have been liberated, you have received the greatest reward that you could possibly want or earn — the gift of salvation G-d has for you through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave