Tuesday, February 06, 2007

church ala starbucks

Len at NextReformation brings us these excerpts from an article by Quinn Fox on Starbucks.

“.. many think that the church is just not “user friendly” (some would say “seeker sensitive”). The music is too old; nor do the lyrics “speak” to young people. And for any liturgy still left, the language is too foreign for any but the elect. .[but] Starbucks has challenged my thinking.

“.. if you frequent Starbucks. If you are part of the minority who never have, it is worth dropping in just to listen to the liturgy.

“At busy times an orderly (if slow) processional of the faithful crowd toward the counter. An order may be something like “I’d like a grande, non-fat, triple shot, 2 pump peppermint latte with extra whip cream.” The money changer loudly relays the request. And one should not worry if the strangeness of the terms causes a stumble. The temple assistant mediates these early morning “sighs that are too deep for words” by translating them into flawless coffee Italian. The Barista (it even sounds a little like “priest”) who feverishly prepares coffee drinks behind the espresso bar repeats the petition verbatim, as if by uttering the words s/he speaks them into being. At the more relational franchises, the customer’s name will be attached to the order. When the brew is ready, complete in all of its uniqueness, the Barista chants the request once again, just to indicate that the unction is complete.

“By the way, there are no printed liturgies–no Italian-English “cheat sheets.” At Starbucks, ordering coffee is baptism by immersion. It’s sink or swim. Oh, sure–there are one or two people per million who walk out without ordering because they can’t take the awkwardness of a menu that isn’t “user friendly.” For the most part no one leaves. ”

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