Coffee Shop Journal

Please go watch this video!

And no…Buddy is not the pastor in this story!

Waffle House Wedding

Can you tell we are traveling through the deep south? You know you’re in the south when you can write a post like this one, in which you honestly argue that Waffle House is a valid third place for a community, a place where diverse people come to connect with each other in a familiar and comfortable environment.

Nevertheless, that’s what I’m going to say today!

Our first exposure to Waffle House came from our friends, Buddy and Jody Hoffman. Buddy is the pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, whose children’s ministry is pictured in yesterday’s post. I was wrong on how many kids hang out at Grace on a Wednesday, by the way: there is an average of 1,500 from kindergarten to middle school each Wednesday. Church attendance in general runs 4-5 thousand. Now that is placing a priority on the next generation!

Buddy takes his job as a community-based, local pastor quite seriously. The time he spends in the local Waffle Houses is as important to him as the time he spends in the pulpit, and it shows. Walk into any Grayson or Snellville Waffle House with Buddy and you are greeted like royalty. Buddy has prayed with these people, teased them, loved them and confronted them. He has sat in the Waffle House in the middle of the night while wrestling with unruly sermons. And most telling of all, he has invented his own Waffle House sandwich! Ask for the Buddy sandwich for an unusual tasty treat.

Not too long ago, Buddy demonstrated to me the back and forth nature of community, the knowledge that no matter what happens in your life there are people around to back you up. Buddy had a disgruntled soul looking for a confrontation one time, and we were concerned that this person might actually come to find Buddy while he was wandering around town here or there. “Let him,” Buddy said. “These are my people. I know everyone in that Waffle House, and most of them are tough characters. He won’t get near me.” Buddy knew that his friends — friends, not helpless souls he’s “ministering” to, but friends — would have his back.

David, Kylie, Jillian and I are on a weekend trip to Nashville. Half way here we decided to stop into a Waffle House for a nice late-night breakfast. It was a different Waffle House, but there was still something similar there. People talked to each other. They made fun of the Waffle House jingle music on the juke box (even when they fed quarters in to keep it playing!). Some had teeth and some didn’t (not kidding…sorry, Tennessee!), but everyone was there just to let down and have fun.

So what do you think? Waffle House as a third place community? Buddy would say “Absolutely!”

I was going to write a post about these amazing people, but some things should just be experienced. What impressed me most was the relationship between the director and the chorus. He has such care shining out of his eyes, and treats them with so much dignity.

If you want to explore more check out their website at Young@Heart.

This is my entry into Watercooler Wednesdays at Randy Elrod’s blog.

Just a quick update for anyone who is interested: my church is streaming their live worship event tonight at 6:30. You can go to their website and join the worship in a matter of minutes!

Yes, it is National Stay at Home Week!! I saw the ABC ad while watching TV and laughed, like everyone else, at the cheekiness of declaring National Stay at Home Week during premiere week. On the other hand, I actually liked the idea of having an excuse to stay at home and watch all those premieres (though not necessarily only on ABC…tough break for them!). “Sure times are tough,” says the official ABC website for National Stay at Home Week, “But hey, ABC has great TV!”

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to push me over the edge. Tired of traveling, tired of driving here and there and longing to connect with friends here in my own house, I jumped on board. Yes, I’m confessing right now. I’m celebrating a fictitious, consumer-driven holiday. I am staying home every night this week.

Except for church on Wednesday, because it’s a Worship Encounter and I don’t want to miss that!

And church on Saturday, because even though I can watch it live (by clicking through on this site to Christ Fellowship), nothing compares with being in my regular seat.

And Monday, when I drive to Atlanta. (Go Catalyst!!).

Good thing there’s TIVO.

Happy National Stay at Home Week, friends.

I have been waiting to write this post for a day when I am awake and full of energy.

I gave up waiting!

New Neighbor, by Leroy Barber, is hands down one of my favorite books of the year. Those of you who know how many I read, realize that is high praise indeed.  Leroy Barber spoke about the Beloved Community (to use Martin Luther King’s phrase) at Q this past April. Listening to him speak, it was obvious that Leroy had a heart to see people thrive within the idea of community. Reading his book is like walking through his neighborhood.

Leroy founded a program called Mission Year. Combine social action, personal discipleship and urban ministry and you have mission year. The book New Neighbor is written not only by Leroy, but also by Mission Year participants. And throughout the book you will also find the fabulous photographs of Brian T. Murphy. His photographs have an uncanny way of capturing the personality of his view of Atlanta. Worth the price of the book for that reason alone.

So to give you a taste of the book, I want to tell you the story of Fernando, a next door neighbor of one of the Mission Year participants. The guys found out it was Fernando’s birthday, and threw him an impromptu party. This is what William Owen writes about the impact of a simple party.

While we were setting up the rather spontaneous pomp that made up the decorations I doubt any of us thought it would have the impact it did on both our beloved neighbor Fernando and on us. After he thanked each one of us personally and gave us all hugs and then a group hug, Fernando left saying it was one of the best birthdays he’d ever had. Near the door after he let, we all stood dumbfounded. We had no idea that  a few balloons and streamers and cheap cupcakes could make an adult weep to the point of being speechless. I am constantly blown away by the opportunities that God lays in front of us to learn how to love and be loved.

That sums it up: learning to see the eternal significance of cupcakes and balloons in a neighborhood where such things are rare.

Go to Jeff Shinabarger’s site to order New Neighbor. Buy an extra: you’re gonna want it. And if it intrigues you, go to  Mission Year to explore how you can help.

Today is a nice rainy day in South Florida. On days like this I love to curl up with a good book, or even my laptop to do some surfing. So for your Sunday pleasure, I thought I’d give you some links to peruse!

McNair Wilson is a Christian creative (or is that creative Christian?) who has been doing a question and answer series on his blog. I particularly enjoyed this post on how to infuse imagination into your work.

Have you ever looked at PostSecret? This is a cooperative project. People mail postcards with their deepest, darkest secrets to the moderator. He posts them each Sunday. Some people find relief in sharing their secret. Some people find connections with other people, believe it or not. And everyone finds amazing insight into the spiritual condition of the people we run into daily. Now here is a warning (especially to Grammy and Pop-pop, who read my blog once in awhile): people’s secrets are sometimes graphic. There will almost certainly be unacceptable images in the list of the week’s secrets. Don’t go here if you aren’t willing to look past that in order to see people’s hearts. Also have a tissue nearby because I cry nearly every week. Here is the link.

LifeShare, an initiative of Lifechurch.tv, was a cool online worship and learning experience. Our internet campus pastor, David Helbig, took part. So did Carlos Whittaker, of Ragamuffin Soul. To see how the internet can be used for amazing outreach, go read Carlos’ blog. That Carlos: he can get his readers to do amazing things. This week sometime he should pass his 1 million mark on his blog. Wow.

I was going to give you my favorite link from Collide Magazine’s blog, but honestly I enjoy puttering through their whole site. So go explore.

Speaking of David Helbig, go check out his blog. He’s started writing again. Keep me in his top 5 referrers!!!

Finally for this rainy day, go check out Scott Hodge’s blog. He’s an incredibly creative pastor outside of Chicago. I particularly enjoy browsing his site when he posts things they have done in service: intersection of arts and worship, for instance. He’s a blogstar…he doesn’t need the blog traffic but I think you’ll enjoy reading what he’s up to.

I thought that these search engine terms were interesting. They really aren’t a bad list of things to be known for. Some days — as most of you blog writers know — the search terms are downright bizarre. And if you go back to hunt for how in the world someone found Coffee Shop Journal by searching on “Places to get drunk in San Diego” or other such bizarre phrases, you can never replicate the steps.

No, that wasn’t  a real search term on Coffee Shop Journal, but I’ve had similar ones.

And I know that was a lame post…but I was intrigued by it.  I’m also worn out by “deep thoughts.” Right now all I’m thinking about is how I’m going to put together the wardrobes we bought from IKEA yesterday. Do you know how many small parts are in that package?????

All help is accepted!

Maybe I’m just looking for justification for my wandering ways, but I was happy to read these verses in Proverbs today.

Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances she cries aloud.

- Proverbs 8:1,2,3

When I read these verses this morning  it reminded me of a sermon I heard preached by Tim Keller. He said that wisdom is what we all need to bring to our communities in any way we can. And in these verses, he said, wisdom does not stay shut up at home. She is in the high places (power and prestige centers), she is at the gates (the justice system) and she is where the paths meet (the marketplace).

Thinking about where wisdom is needed in the community changes everything: where we choose to work, what restaurants we choose to eat in, where we shop. And let us not forget my favorite…wisdom surely has a prime spot at the coffee shop, too!

This quote was found in an old copy of Real Simple magazine. It inspires me with its simplicity and truth. I’m showing it too you as it is found on my inspiration board in my back hall. The page is torn a smidge, and as you can see it is not hanging straight. But when my eyes land on it I remember what is truly important in life. A perfect day includes space and time for new discoveries inside of a good book, and it ends with an evening spent with the best of friends. How many, many perfect days I have had!

“I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage, with my books, my family, and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occuply the most splendid post, which any human power can give.”

– Thomas Jefferson, letter of February 1788

This is my entry in Watercooler Wednesday. Go see for yourself!

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