Confessions of a Coffee Drinker

Today is National Coffee Day in the United States. According to a study by the National Coffee Association, 64% of Americans drink the stuff. Some people consume it throughout the day. Normally I have just two or three cups in the morning.

Growing up I didn’t really like coffee. Nevertheless, one of my chores was making coffee for my parents. The first device I used was a Mr. Coffee machine. Mom and Dad later got one from Norelco featuring “Dial-A-Brew” that adjusted the strength of the coffee. Around this time I bought my father a humorous card found in a drug store. It showed a roaring lion with the caption: “I’m not worth a damn until I had my morning coffee.”

It wasn’t until my mid-thirties when I developed a taste for coffee. A friend from church often bought me cappuccinos from convenience stores whenever we stopped for gas. Another friend regularly patronized coffee shops and kept offering to buy me drinks there. I ordered coffee with added condiments such as flavored syrup and whipped cream. Gradually I switched to honey to cut down my sugar intake.

In 1999, I started hanging out at Caribou Coffee, a chain of shops based in the Twin Cities area. There was one in Maple Grove, Minnesota a fellow evangelist referred to as our “office.” We studied our Bibles there and often ministered salvation to young people walking by the parking lot. In recent years, I’ve also gone to McDonald’s and Panera Bread for coffee especially if there’s no Wi-Fi at the place I’m staying at.

Another brand of coffee I like is Tim Hortons. This Canadian-based chain has recently expanded to the Upper Midwest. This year I stopped going to Tim Hortons after they temporarily changed their logo to recognize “pride month” (for similar reasons I won’t patronize Starbucks). In addition, I prefer places that give free refills of coffee while you remain in the store.

I’ve heard people admit to being addicted to coffee. Occasionally, I go for days without it to prove I can live without drinking the stuff. Some religious folk such as Mormons and members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church avoid caffeinated drinks. However, coffee isn’t as dangerous as alcohol. When was the last time you heard of a drunk driver under the influence of caffeine?

1 Timothy 6:17 says God “…gives us richly all things to enjoy.” So if you like your morning cup of Joe, fell free to brew some at home or go to your local coffee shop (some are doing specials for National Coffee Day). If you do the latter, look for opportunities to share the gospel there. Every place is a potential mission field.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” - Psalm 34:8

Dumping (and Misquoting) Starbucks

I’ve always thought Starbucks Coffee was overrated. Usually, I go to Caribou Coffee. One reason I prefer Caribou is they provide free refills of their “coffee of the day” while you remain in the store. Nevertheless, I occasionally enjoyed Starbucks’ cold drinks such as their frappuccinos. That changed in March 2013 after reading about Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz affirming his support for same-sex marriage. I decided then to avoid Starbucks products altogether.

Not long afterward, I went evangelizing one night in downtown Minneapolis with three other soul-winners from a local church. The leader of our group directed us into Starbucks and offered to buy us each a drink. I didn’t have peace in my heart and declined his offer. When I later told him the reason, my fellow evangelist totally understood for he wouldn’t do business with Home Depot because of their supporting homosexual groups and pride celebrations (which they have since discontinued).

To be fair to Howard Schultz, it’s still being mistakenly reported Christian shareholders were told he didn’t want their business if they won’t “embrace diversity.” During a stockholders meeting in Seattle, Mr. Schultz actually told them, “If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38% you got last year, it’s a free country...You can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company.”

Sometimes it’s not practical to boycott a business that provides a necessary product or service. While I have friends who continue to patronize Starbucks, I prefer to avoid spending my discretionary income at places that endorse gay marriage (which is neither “gay” nor “marriage” in God’s eyes). However, I will walk into a Starbucks Coffee shop if the Lord leads me to minister to someone there. 

Always remember, we are in the world (but not of it) to reach the lost with the gospel.

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” - John 17:16