Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Coffee or God? Can I have both?

A dilemma this morning; on the way to church we stopped at 7-11 for some wake-up help. For me it was coffee, for my husband, tea and m&ms. Church was just around the corner, so when we arrived I still had a full cup of steaming coffee.

I dropped the kids off at Sunday school and then considered my options. My husband was in the chapel, but one can also sit out on the patio during the service. That is generally where I sit; the cool air and fresh breeze helps keep me awake and I, for one, tend to feel closer to God when I’m outside.

I had my coffee in hand and a choice to make. Do I throw it away? Suck it down fast? Take it with me? Ooh, that had the most appeal. Could I sit outside, listen to the sermon, all the while sipping my coffee, or would that be frowned upon? I hadn’t been here in a while…maybe it’s the thing to do these days. There are many churches opening up little coffee shops on-site. Is it generally open before the service or only after? Are refreshments allowed in the chapel? Bookstores are more lenient these days…

I’m not a -regular- regular at this church, rather a sporadic regular, trying not to let life get in the way of the occasional and essential dose of spirituality and religion. As I pondered my situation and wondered what was acceptable here (so far this church had a bookroom, but no coffee shop) I caught the eye of an older woman watching me. She had the air about her of being both friendly and wise, and a regular here, unlike me. I approached and presented her with my predicament.

“What shall I do?” I asked, clearly unwilling to throw away my prized cup of steaming coffee.

She looked at me and smiled, secure in the knowledge that I already knew the answer.

“No,” I said, “I suppose I can’t take it with me, it’s not exactly respectful, is it?”

She shook her head, although in agreement. “This is a spiritual engagement, not a social one.”

I opened my mouth, prepared to argue. Drinking coffee can, at critical times, reach certain levels of spiritualness for me; but I kept quiet. I sighed, looking about for a garbage can.

The woman placed a hand on my arm. “I suspect if you take your coffee with you and place it on the ground by your chair…”

I brightened. “Like a purse!” I chimed in with agreeable enthusiasm.

“Yes,” the woman said, nodding patiently, “and pick it up again after closing prayers, I think that would be fine. I wouldn’t sip it during the sermon.”

“Right! I can do that!” And I scurried off to the seating area on the patio. Once seated, I tucked my coffee carefully under my chair, promising not to leave it behind.

I listened, I learned, I meditated, I prayed. Occasionally, I thought about my coffee. There were times when it would have been nice to reach down and have a sip, but doing so would have altered the spirit of the moment. It would have dampened the impact the sermon had on me, and dulled the clarity of God’s message that morning. Still, it was darn comforting to wrap my hands around that coffee after closing prayers…and take a beloved, invigorating sip.

And as for the fellow behind me who was gently snoring through the service, might I recommend grabbing a cuppa’ joe on your way to church next week. Maybe in some ways it can bring you closer to God?

Cheers and God bless.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished

A dilemma this morning; on the way to church we stopped at 7-11 for some wake-up help. For me it was coffee, for my husband, tea and m&ms. Church was just around the corner, so when we arrived I still had a full cup of steaming coffee.

I dropped the kids off at Sunday school and then considered my options. My husband was in the chapel, but one can also sit out on the patio during the service. That is generally where I sit; the cool air and fresh breeze helps keep me awake and I, for one, tend to feel closer to God when I’m outside.

I had my coffee in hand and a choice to make. Do I throw it away? Suck it down fast? Take it with me? Ooh, that had the most appeal. Could I sit outside, listen to the sermon, all the while sipping my coffee, or would that be frowned upon? I hadn’t been here in a while…maybe it’s the thing to do these days. There are many churches opening up little coffee shops on-site. Is it generally open before the service or only after? Are refreshments allowed in the chapel? Bookstores are more lenient these days…

I’m not a -regular- regular at this church, rather a sporadic regular, trying not to let life get in the way of the occasional and essential dose of spirituality and religion. As I pondered my situation and wondered what was acceptable here (so far this church had a bookroom, but no coffee shop) I caught the eye of an older woman watching me. She had the air about her of being both friendly and wise, and a regular here, unlike me. I approached and presented her with my predicament.

“What shall I do?” I asked, clearly unwilling to throw away my prized cup of steaming coffee.

She looked at me and smiled, secure in the knowledge that I already knew the answer.

“No,” I said, “I suppose I can’t take it with me, it’s not exactly respectful, is it?”

She shook her head, although in agreement. “This is a spiritual engagement, not a social one.”

I opened my mouth, prepared to argue. Drinking coffee can, at critical times, reach certain levels of spiritualness for me; but I kept quiet. I sighed, looking about for a garbage can.

The woman placed a hand on my arm. “I suspect if you take your coffee with you and place it on the ground by your chair…”

I brightened. “Like a purse!” I chimed in with agreeable enthusiasm.

“Yes,” the woman said, nodding patiently, “and pick it up again after closing prayers, I think that would be fine. I wouldn’t sip it during the sermon.”

“Right! I can do that!” And I scurried off to the seating area on the patio. Once seated, I tucked my coffee carefully under my chair, promising not to leave it behind.

I listened, I learned, I meditated, I prayed. Occasionally, I thought about my coffee. There were times when it would have been nice to reach down and have a sip, but doing so would have altered the spirit of the moment. It would have dampened the impact the sermon had on me, and dulled the clarity of God’s message that morning. Still, it was darn comforting to wrap my hands around that coffee after closing prayers…and take a beloved, invigorating sip.

And as for the fellow behind me who was gently snoring through the service, might I recommend grabbing a cuppa’ joe on your way to church next week. Maybe in some ways it can bring you closer to God?

Cheers and God bless.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Found church while USIU grad student

Hell seems not on par with choices that lead us there
Next Article

Angst and Assurance at Mission Hills UCC

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.