Isn’t the Light OK?

Michael Spencer, aka the Internet Monk, has written a cool little short story that, being a former leader of a church coffeehouse ministry, I can completely identify with:

internetmonk.com » The Coffeehouse: A Story

The coffeehouse isn’t really the point, of course. To me, what stands out is the idea of working within the system to ultimately change the system. It’s the idea of being mission-minded, even within the walls of the church.

Speaking from experience, I would always concoct these grandiose ideas of how we were going to change the ministry of the church with music, art, and hospitality - not only that, but change people’s minds about Christianity who weren’t in the church. But just like a relationship has to be built slowly, change takes time. I never saw the amazing Christ-centered arts hub that brought believers and “unchurched” together, and would get frustrated after a while that all we were doing was providing a Christian gathering place for a Saturday night (and a “safe place to take your friends where they can hear about Jesus”). But who knows what it might have opened the doors for, had we stayed and kept the coffeehouse going?

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