Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

The last two weeks have been extremely busy, stressful, tiring, exciting, up, down, frustrating, exhilarating, confusing, etc…. If you can say a prayer for our house, I would appreciate it. I’ve always worked hard but I haven’t worked two or more jobs in a while. When we planted our church in Atlanta I did work a 2nd job as a corporate chaplain but it fit in perfectly with my pastoral position.

Working full-time at a church (doing 5 different jobs) and learning a new job in the coffee industry has been challenging to say the least. It is always hard to be the new person at any place of employment.  My new co-workers have been extremely helpful. In fact, I’m very impressed with this company.  They throughly train you and I’ve learned a great deal about coffee.  The manager said I’m a quick learner and I will be in management myself real soon.  Yesterday I actually made lattes, espressos, etc…  It is fun and stressful.  Our store is in a mall area of the largest bank in America so we are crowded almost all day long. Being the newby is tough but I’m taking the jabs and giving them back.

I don’t know if anyone has figured out who I am or what other job I do unless the manager has told them. He and I have had some interesting spiritual conversations.  Right now I’m just working hard and trying to be productive.  My prayer is God will just use me and when I’m given opportunities to share my faith I will.

If I seem to not to be around at much it is because I’m not. I working 2 full-time jobs so we can minister at a mission church and pay our bills.  But God has given me another ministry for now in Uptown Charlotte. Thanks for your prayers. 

[Houston Chronicle]

The Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land is opening a new Starbucks with a unique twist.

The coffee shop, part of the church’s new Family Center, will be located inside — next to the worship area and adjacent to a large, two-story play center. Patrons can sip lattes and surf the web with free Wi-Fi while their children shoot down slides and tumble through the padded obstacle course. A bookstore will provide Christian reading materials, gifts, apparel, movies and music.

With a grand opening scheduled for Sept. 7, this may be Fort Bend County’s first not-for-profit Starbucks. I guess when the Lord sees fit to close one Starbucks another is opened.

Bobby Chandler, director of communications, said the idea for the center came in 2006 when the church saw it would need to expand the child center.

“We wanted a family center not just for children but for adults and gatherings as well,” he said.

Read more here.

[From me]

Interesting concept.  Man, some of the comments on the Chronicle article weren’t very approving.  It doesn’t sound like they are trying to make a profit, just to reach people for Christ.  But people will find anything to complain about.

What do you think?

Many of you know that I serve on staff at a new church in NW Charlotte.  I know God called us to serve here but unfortunately the church can’t bring on a full-time salaried person quite yet.  I’ve been looking all summer for a 2nd job. As most of you know I used to hang out at Starbucks every day to pray, read, study and meet people.  It was a great experience.  Unfortunately I haven’t been doing that since I resigned my former church for obvious reasons! $$$$

My wife and I were in Uptown (downtown for other cities) Charlotte walking around.  Uptown Charlotte is a cool place.  If we didn’t have children at home I would love to live there.  I love big cities and Uptown has the feel of a little NYC.  People are moving in droves to the condos and townhomes in Uptown.  While we were walking around I saw a competitor to Starbucks coffee shop that had a sign looking for employees.  So 2 days later I applied for a job.  I actually interviewed with the manager and participated in an in store experience.  I thought for sure the manager was going to offer me a job but he told me later that week that he wasn’t going to get to hire anyone until maybe the fall.

In the mean time I applied at another of the Starbucks competitors (online) in the building of the largest bank in America.  That was 3 weeks ago.  On Monday I called the 1st store back and asked if business had gotten better and he said no so I pretty much ruled it out.  Then on Tuesday I met my friend Mike Landrum at the Starbucks I used to go to on a regular basis and I was about to apply for a position there.  But I overheard the manager say that they were one of the casualties of the Starbucks closure.  I never realized that my stopping to hang out there would cause them to close!

After having lunch with Mike Landrum I got a call from the 2nd store manager of the Starbucks rival store and he wanted to meet with me.  He knows the other manager and he believes the reason he didn’t hire me was because of my faith.  But this manager has no problem with me.  So yesterday I did another in store experience and it was great. In fact the 1st manager walked in to get some straws and my new manger got a kick out of it.  I hold no grudge and know that God had His reasons.  I even had a chance to talk about God’s will vs. fate.  

I’m not there to convert people and I have no ulterior motives other than I need the money.  But I don’t believe God allows things to happen by accident.  I’m praying that my book, Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee will be accepted by the literary agent that I have been talking with.  But I already have another book in mind called “CONFESSIONS OF A BARISTA.” 

I can’t wait to the stories I will get from working in the real world.  I’m excited about working in Uptown Charlotte because I see a real need for God among the people who live and work there. Camey Gravley affectionately calls her husband the “Wal-Mart” pastor so maybe I can be the “Coffee Pastor.” Should be an interesting ride!

[From Starbucks Closure]

Sad day indeed:

[From me]

Now is it a coincidence that four stores are closing in Mobile, AL after I moved from there?  I don’t think so.

What do you think? 

I went to the bank to make a deposit and it has a McDonalds next door.  I hate their food but have been told that their coffee is good.  I don’t want to be a coffee snob so I decided to try an Iced Coffee. What a horrible mistake!  It was awful!   

First it it loaded with sugar.  Starbucks allows you to doctor your coffee up which McDonalds does not.  I’m telling you it was terrible!  It cost me $2.06 with tax.  Who would want to hang out at McDonalds anyway?  The atmosphere is not the same as Starbucks!   We need a Starbucks near my office desperately!

I give McDonald’s Iced Coffee 1 out of 5 hockey sticks.