Thoughts and Musings

Thoughts and Musings

random reflections on faith, music, family, life.

Good things come to those who wait (in line at Starbucks)

12/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Monday morning at the Cotswold Starbucks. The line here is always long, I'm quickly learning.  But it's only coffee and scones and such, so it moves along pretty well.

I get to the cash register and Regina welcomes me and asks what I'd like.  Before I get a chance to respond, though, a voice beside me interjects: I think I was next!  I look and she is standing in line at the other cash register, but she was ahead of me in the single line that feeds both.  Apparently her understanding is that she has equal access to both.  Not quite sure about that, but she has already moved into position in front of Regina.  I'm not one to make a stink about such things - and besides, I'm actually not in a rush this morning.  It's New Years Eve Eve and I'm heading into the office for a few hours with nothing terribly pressing.  The gloriously mad dash to 5pm and 9pm on Christmas Eve is behind me, and I'm kind of relishing in the luxury of waiting.  It's strange territory for me, but it feels nice.

After this lady orders her latte  I place mine - tall French Roast and one of those scrumptious veggie artisan breakfast sandwiches.  I take my place with the others at the end of receiving line - more waiting.  A few minutes pass and someone in Starbucks garb calls me over.  So sorry, but our oven isn't on yet, so it may be a few minutes to get your sandwich.  No worries, I tell her.  Apparently this is a day for waiting.

I look back and the line has grown longer.  More and more people are joining me in my waiting venture.  I do something I don't usually get a chance to do when I'm rushing from one place to the next: I people-watch.  I see an older lady clutching a paper bag full of various things as if her life is depended on it.   Another gentleman with two young children, one tapping away on their iPod.  A woman in business attire reading a newspaper.  A few high school students.  Another lady with kids.  All of them, waiting for something. Maybe it's at the end of this Starbucks line, but maybe not. Who knows?

They say, "good things come to those who wait," but truth be told I've always questioned the wisdom of this.  What good things, exactly?  Is this just to make us feel better about the fact that we're having to wait in the first place?  Heck, we just concluded an entire month of waiting: waiting to unwrap presents stationed under Christmas trees, waiting in church for the day when we can finally, finally light the Christ candle and proclaim with much joy that God is not just coming but is, in fact, Immanuel, God-With-Us.  Surely those "good things," whatever they might be, have already come....?

I hear my name called, and the Starbucks employee hands me my sandwich.  She also hands me something else: a little card for a free coffee.  For your trouble, she tells me.   I didn't know a few minutes of waiting equaled a free cup of coffee on my next visit, but apparently it does.  Perhaps this was the good thing?

I head to the door, but right before I exit my eyes meet with that lady with the bag full of stuff, seated at a nearby table.  Usually these quick connections amount to nothing more than one of the two quickly glancing away as if an intrusion has been made on eye-territory.  But this lady locks in on me;  Hey there! she says, as if I'm an old friend.  I respond in kind.  And then, without warning, her face contorts and she is obviously fighting back tears.  And somehow, out of all of this, a ten-minute conversation ensues.  This is apparently what she was been waiting for.  Her name is Gail, and she's homeless.  She's tired and just wants a place to rest.   She says she may have a small apartment later this week through some senior citizens organization, but it's the next few nights she's worried about.  Still very much a Charlotte newbie, I'm at a loss of where to send her.  I mention the weekly "Room In The Inn" that our church hosts, and she says she's heard of it and may look into it.  She never asks me for a thing, other than my time.

I offer her my breakfast sandwich and surprisingly she declines it.  There's a church on the other side of town that has free breakfast at 11 and she's heading there with the free bus pass in her possession.  But she receives with great thanks the free coffee pass, telling me that a warm cup of coffee is exactly what she needs to help keep her warm on either end of a cold night on the street.    We talk for a bit longer, then we exchange goodbyes and I am out the door and getting in my car.

If good things do indeed come to those who wait, I'm thinking I may have just found it.

0 Comments

Now a Christmas people

12/25/2013

0 Comments

 
My friends, the world is an ever-darkening place -
Shine the light!
We are a broken, hurting people -
Shine the light!
Our flame is small and always in danger of flickering out - 
Shine the light!
Shine the light into this dark, broken, hurting world.
Shine the light into our wayward, fragile hearts.
Shine the light on a tiny manger in tiny Bethlehem,
And a young mother and father.
And all the unexpectedness of God's arrival.
The day is always darkest before the dawn -
The Light shines in the darkness
And the darkness will never, never,
Never put it out.
Shine the light!

And so: you are no longer Advent people
You are now a Christmas people!
So as you go,
Live simply
Love generously
Speak truthfully
Pray daily
Let God's light shine
And leave everything else to God.  
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
Merry Christmas!!
Picture
Closing benediction given at the 5pm and 9pm Christmas Eve worship services
at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
To read and listen to my Christmas Eve sermon, click HERE.
0 Comments

The Face of Guilt

12/20/2013

0 Comments

 
We have a boxer.  I've seen this look before. But not with the...... well, just watch it.
0 Comments

Bridging the schism between the sacred and secular

12/13/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
My wife knows me well.  I know this, because last week she posted this article to my Facebook page.  She thought I'd be intrigued by what it said. As is often the case, she was right.

Full disclosure: I'm a Switchfoot fan.  Writing smart, substantive pop/rock songs is not as easy as it sounds.  Plus, lead singer and frontman Jon Foreman possesses amazing lyricist chops that I'd seriously consider sacrificing a toe to acquire. I dig the fact that my youngest likes them too, and is prone to sing their songs at random moments throughout the day. It's always good to be able to share with your kids in something like that.

The thing is, Switchfoot had its origins in the dubious arena of "contemporary Christian music."  But they never seemed at ease with that label, and over the years have attempted to break out of it.  To many of the faithful, this sort of thing is viewed with contempt and scorn: the word "traitor" is sometimes used, along with "abandoning their faith."  

And so every once in a while, they get the question: are you a Christian band or not?  Check out Jon's latest response from the article:

Does Lewis or Tolkien mention Christ in any of their fictional series? Are Bach’s sonata’s Christian? What is more Christ-like, feeding the poor, making furniture, cleaning bathrooms, or painting a sunset? There is a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern minds.  The view that a pastor is more ‘Christian’ than a girls volleyball coach is flawed and heretical. The stance that a worship leader is more spiritual than a janitor is condescending and flawed. These different callings and purposes further demonstrate God’s sovereignty.

I love it when others verbalize what you've been unable to put into words on your own. I also love it when rock stars talk like this (see: Bono).

More full disclosure: way back in my early years, as I was wrapping up my seminary studies, I came to a fork in the road.  One way had me going through what we Presbyterians refer to as the "call process" - putting my name out there to any churches who may be interested in calling me as their next pastor. The other way had me entering the world of the contemporary Christian music artist: go solo, start a band, play church gigs, and more church gigs, throw some praise music in there, hook up with a small tour, try to get noticed by a Christian label.  I had already started to make some connections in the biz, but eventually chose the former.  And I've never looked back.

Still, I can't tell you the number of people who've assumed that, because I'm a minister who plays music, I must write contemporary Christian songs.  They're surprised when I say that I don't.  They're equally surprised when they hear me play at wineries and bars and backyard parties (providentially, one with my former band a few years ago just a couple of blocks from my new church).  Eyebrows rise when I say that I cover Coldplay, Jack Johnson, and Death Cab For Cutie instead of Michael W. Smith and Mercy Me.

So I get the frustration that Foreman feels.  And the thing is, it's not about dumbing down the sacred - it's about seeing the sacredness in everything, especially in the places we're not used to looking for it.  When this sort of thing happens, we gain a much greater appreciation for everything that surrounds us in daily living.  People, for one thing.  Everyone's a minister, not just the minister, if you catch my drift.  Everyone has value and purpose and meaning, no matter what they believe.  Lines of division disappear when we follow the advise of Philo: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

But also: space.  That corner of the backyard where the evergreen's branches hover just above the ground's surface.  A room in our homes.   And time: those empty moments of the day where, if you're like me, you have to fight the urge to fill it with something.  Sacredness surrounds us if we just take time to catch it.

We're used to seeing the sacred in the spectacular. But I'm thankful to Switchfoot for reminding us that, when you get right down to it, the line between the sacred and secular is not as defined as we may think it is.  Nor, perhaps, should it be.

2 Comments

    Steve Lindsley

    Child of God. Husband. Father. Minister. Musician. Songwriter. Blogger.
    Keynoter and Songleader. Runner/Swimmer. 
    Almost vegetarian. 
    Lifelong Presbyterian.
    Queen City resident.
    Coffee afficionado.
    Dog person. 
    Panthers/Hornets fan. 
    Mostly in that order. 
    For more info check out stevelindsley.com

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Recent Posts

    Archives

    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    Bible
    Boys
    Christianity
    Church
    Faith
    Family
    Football
    God
    Jesus
    Justice
    Leadership
    Life
    Ministry
    Music
    Olympics
    Pastor
    Pets
    Presbyterian
    Queen City
    Religion
    Television
    Wife


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.