Category: <span>Coffee</span>

Published September 16, 2008 by

Coffee House Theology

coffehousetheologyCoffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life
Ed Cyzewski. NavPress, $14.99 paper (240p) ISBN 9781600062773 Freelance theologian Cyzewski enters into the Emergent conversation from the conservative end of the evangelical spectrum. He urges readers to explore theology while reassuring them that they don’t have to become postmodern philosophers: theology can be considered, as it were, in the coffeehouse. Arguing that “[o]ur local settings and cultural values—in other words, our context—influence how we read God’s Word,” Cyzewski approaches “contextual theology” by weaving together discussions of mission, culture, God, Scripture, tradition and the global church. Personal anecdotes of his own growth in faith are disarming in their honesty. While this accessible work is a useful introduction to aspects of Emergent theology, Cyzewski’s summary of modernism and postmodernism is sometimes too sketchy to be useful; however, each chapter includes valuable suggestions for further reading. Gently nudging his fellow Christians to listen to diverse points of view, Cyzewski doesn’t explain why he is committed to engaging in dialogue with some aspects of culture and not others (say, progressive theologians and secularists). This addition to books about emerging and missional forms of Christianity ends on a hopeful note for unity across denominations. (Sept.)

This book came out today! I will be reviewing in October some time as part of the online ‘tour’… when it arrives in my mailbox that is.

Selling on Amazon, bummer about the exchange rate at the moment.

Books Christianity Church Coffee

coffeehouse theology

Published May 20, 2008 by

I heart Home Barista

I don’t indulge all that often over lunches, but when the place smells kind, feels warm, offers a heated pumpkin, bococcini, pesto foccacia, along with a mean and attractive coffee, friendly efficient service and then tops it off with the Amelie soundtrack, you’ve got to be just a little bit in love.

Coffee Culture Music

Coffee indulgences lunch

Published May 2, 2008 by

Ostentatious jacket and assumptions

“Can I have a latte please?”

“That’s a very ostentatious jacket”

“(Laughs slightly) Yeah, I got it from an opshop yesterday, for $15 bucks”

“People always want to say what a bargain they got, any sugar?”

“One please”

I go and sit down on the couch in the corner and start devouring Instant Graphics before my friend Jess arrives.

“Oh, you wanted to have it here, not take-away, I’ll let you put your own sugar in”

(Okay…)

Then he gives me a funny look.

“Did I have a weird conversation with you the other day?”

“Uh, no?”

“It must have been someone else…”

“I have um, lots of friends that come here.” (Me trying to sound helpful but actually sounding kind of stupid)

So I have my ripper latte and dig into the book, Jess arrives 20mins later and I get a hot-chocolate, (Thick as Chocolate pudding – so good but really rich – I don’t usually do hot chocolate, but their coffee is wham to the soul so you only really need one).

Later that evening I’m at my parents place for dinner and happen to mention that my jacket got called ostentatious and somehow mention that the guy thought he knew me.

Then Laura pipes up with, “Oh I have weird conversations with him all the time, his name is Caspian”

….ostentatious.

I can’t believe that I forgot I was a twin! I guess I usually bank on the fact that we’re not that alike.

Coffee Humor Life

cafe latte twin

Published April 14, 2008 by

Base level and back to insight

Apologies for surviving on coffee for the past three or so days – the posting quality indicates that although the good black stuff is a stimulant, it sort of just exists to taste nice and to keep you awake, rather than provide any kind of clarity of thought.

I must rave on about some of the stuff at Forge. I did find the whole deal very different to last year’s gig. Dangerous Stories was this beautiful play of theory and inspiration. Grassroots was more a lovely kind of depth filled encouragement basement that affirmed the heart behind things rather than just ideas.

I say encouragement but in a small way I need to flip that on end again and say I came away with a little lingering sense of hope while staring at a mountain with this bloody big compulsion to change. Erm… I hope you get the gist

My favourite workshop of the whole weekend – and possibly my favourite of the lot (besides Danielle Strickland who was hilarious and just really good, oh, and Tall Skinny Kiwi) – was a workshop by Steve Drinkall – ‘God doesn’t need another Church’.

I was going to explain it through but after a short Google search to find a link, I found the stuff pretty much explained.

Monks, Cheerleaders and Activists.

It was so good to hear about something that’s being lived out and it is stories like these that give me confidence (For a sometimes very young feeling 22 year old) that I can be a part of something similar and that it’s something that I want to be on about.

Christianity Church Coffee

Christianity Forge grassroots mission

Published February 9, 2008 by

Peace and Pratchett

page-14b-aqua-art.jpg

“Writing is but thinking on paper; and if you have any thoughts at all, you may commit them to writing” (Harvey Newcomb)

This is about the state of life, Terry Pratchett, music, WordPress and a theory.

I do not think I have experienced being this settled for a very long time. Life feels really good on a whole number of levels and on okay levels. Settled isn’t always good but this kind I think it is.

There has got to be something distinctly wrong with the levels of stress that happen in preparation for a wedding/marriage. Infact the whole boyfriend-girlfriend, near-fiance, fiance thing isn’t really the greatest. Despite sitting on a high for good parts of it and it being really, really fun – a spot of massive learning. There’s all this unspoken emphasis and pressure on self, sexuality, time, friendships and more.

Farewell oh carefree days of being too-young-a-teenager to care. Suddenly, I may have a marriage and a husband to think about and that’s not no work, but pffffffffh all this planning, stress, unrecognised pressure is gone. I have my head back, my brain back, and a good lot of self freedom along with someone who makes me incredibly happy by just existing.

I’ve always thought I was a pragmatic person. Our friends Beth and Brian have this theory where when two people become married the one-ness contributes in a few amusing ways. Things even out. Such as, Bec is more funny now she’s married to Geoff. Which of course is the compliment to Geoff, and not to me. The sideswipe compliment. We use it on just about anything regardless. Geoff is more attractive, I am taller. On the pragmatic thing though. I really like how Geoff has a way of looking at things especially regarding people, his observations and understandings of situations go far beyond where I would ever even arrive. It’s shocked into me this realisation that I miss an awful lot. I hope it wears off onto me.

The other things I’m really enjoying at the moment are simple;

Terry Pratchet books – which I always avoided in the past because his fans are fanatical and I wasn’t sure. Sure the volume of characters means that you cannot go near the books when you’ve got much else on, but my they’re funny. My delight was only extended while sitting on the train reading, a girl sat down next me and pulled one out. Spread the amusement. It’s somewhat global.

Lately I’ve been discovering a whole lot more about coding through the need to butcher and expand WordPress templates. Sure it means you’re up to your elbows in a mash of CSS, HTML and the dreaded PHP, but it’s beautifully satisfying when you get something to work. I like to expand my repertoire where it’s useful. It’s fun, it spits out something visual and when that visual matches what you’re after it is fantastic.

On Thursday night Jess and I went to a Justin Grounds gig. I bought the tickets for Geoff who loves his stuff, however work was a moron and kept him there. It was really good to spend time with Jess. We got to Northcote (across the city) on time. The supporting act started a bit later than we realised and Grounds later still. We found a chocolate/coffee/restaurant place. Cocoinc. Ordered tentatively. Enjoyed ourselves and were ready to be hit by the cost when it rounded out to a $2.50 coffee and a $4.00 gourmet hot-chocolate. I enjoyed that coffee oh-so much more, and it was good coffee. Perhaps I should move to Northcote? It’s too a strange part of Melbourne really.

At about 8:40pm we walked back to the venue and caught the tail end of the supporting act Osh-10. I’m kind of glad we weren’t there earlier as conversation seemed more important. They were okay. Jazz and ethereal based, just vocals and bass but their songs sounded fairly uniform. Perhaps it’s just not my thing. The girl’s face looked strikingly like my cousin-in-law.

Justin Grounds was fantastic as ever. His recordings do work for his music – but he is still better live. I have seen him play at informal gigs before, it’s still somewhat magical when you have a whole room of people sitting silent because it’s just so beautiful. I confess at one I nearly cried. There is something when music brings to the surface the gut of who Jesus is without even mentioning him by name.

Coffee Culture Design General Humor Life Music Relationships Technology

justin grounds Life love marriage terry pratchett wordpress