Morning Coffee: A morning cup of locally-grown coffee helps many of us become more alert and attentive. In combination with other factors, such as prayer and reflection, might it also help us become more attentive to the fresh possibilities we receive from God?
Coffee with Others: In some settings, coffee helps foster conversation and community? When we enjoy coffee with others, sharing stories and ideas, aren't we practicing open and relational theology? Here again, isn't coffee functioning as a sacrament?
Coffee for the Greater Good: Indeed, is it possible that coffee shops are, or can be, an important part of what process theologians call "ecological civilizations" and "compassionate communities"? Don't we need third spaces: places where people can relax and enjoy life, learning with each other and from each other? Aren't spaces such as these critical to the development of a sane, humane society?
This page offers springboards for reflection on these and other possibilities. Its aim is to bring some of the good ideas of process theology down to earth and into the coffee cup.
Jay McDaniel, August 12, 2021
Whitehead and Amy
When I was in Little Rock, Arkansas, last year to meet with a former student and friend, Hope Montgomery, she said: "Let's meet at Nexus." For a moment I thought she was talking about Whitehead's philosophy, since the idea of a nexus plays such an important role in his thought. (I'll say a word about this below, as a metaphysical afterthought.) But she was talking about a coffee shop in downtown Little Rock called Nexus Coffee and Creative. Its unofficial tagline is community is our focus, coffee is our way.
As soon as I entered I liked it. Its atmosphere is creative and welcoming, comforting and inviting. You can see some of this interior and learn more about Nexus by going to its website. Click here. It is an example of what is called a "third wave coffee shop" that focuses on social responsibility, community, and creativity. Ir reminds me a little of a similar coffee shop I visited in Harbin, China called Rear Window.
On a subsequent visit to Nexus I met Amy Counce and thought of Whitehead again, not only because she liked the word nexus but also because her philosophy and practice are so in keeping with what we at the Cobb Institute (a Whitehead influenced non-profit) think important, namely the developing of small businesses that embody the ideals of ecological civilization. Our aim is to help people grow together, creatively and compassionately, to help build ecological civilization. Amy's whole philosophy is about growing together, creatively and compassionately.
What is an ecological civilization? It is a society where people live with respect and care for the whole community of life, with special care for the vulnerable. They know that we are small but included in a larger web of life and that the whole all life matters. They are committed to what Pope Francis calls an 'integral ecology' that is integrated with the earth and with human well-being, with natural ecology and social ecology. At the heart of an ecological civilization is the language of creativity and love.
The building blocks of an ecological civilization are local communities that are creative, compassionate, participatory, diverse, inclusive, humane to animals, and good for the earth, with no one left behind. In order to build these communities to emerge, the world needs farmers, teachers, government officials, artists, poets, people of all faiths, and small business owners. People like Amy Counce, co-founder of the Nexus Coffee and Creative in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the many who work there. They are part of the world's best hope. They are doing the great work. We can, too.
-- Jay McDaniel
As soon as I entered I liked it. Its atmosphere is creative and welcoming, comforting and inviting. You can see some of this interior and learn more about Nexus by going to its website. Click here. It is an example of what is called a "third wave coffee shop" that focuses on social responsibility, community, and creativity. Ir reminds me a little of a similar coffee shop I visited in Harbin, China called Rear Window.
On a subsequent visit to Nexus I met Amy Counce and thought of Whitehead again, not only because she liked the word nexus but also because her philosophy and practice are so in keeping with what we at the Cobb Institute (a Whitehead influenced non-profit) think important, namely the developing of small businesses that embody the ideals of ecological civilization. Our aim is to help people grow together, creatively and compassionately, to help build ecological civilization. Amy's whole philosophy is about growing together, creatively and compassionately.
What is an ecological civilization? It is a society where people live with respect and care for the whole community of life, with special care for the vulnerable. They know that we are small but included in a larger web of life and that the whole all life matters. They are committed to what Pope Francis calls an 'integral ecology' that is integrated with the earth and with human well-being, with natural ecology and social ecology. At the heart of an ecological civilization is the language of creativity and love.
The building blocks of an ecological civilization are local communities that are creative, compassionate, participatory, diverse, inclusive, humane to animals, and good for the earth, with no one left behind. In order to build these communities to emerge, the world needs farmers, teachers, government officials, artists, poets, people of all faiths, and small business owners. People like Amy Counce, co-founder of the Nexus Coffee and Creative in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the many who work there. They are part of the world's best hope. They are doing the great work. We can, too.
-- Jay McDaniel
Nexus Coffee and Creative
entrepreneurs for compassionate community
created by Susannah Stubbs, artist in residence for Open Horizons and regular at Nexus
Young professionals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses owners are essential to the building of compassionate communities: the building blocks of an ecological civilization. Philosophers and theologians, teachers and artists, city officials and clergy, social workers and physicians, bricklayers and coffee makers -- all can help. But without young professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners, there's really no hope. Big ideas must come down to earth, the world's best hopes must find their legs. Meet Amy Counce of Little Rock, Arkansas. The Nexus Coffee and Creative, which she co-founded, is an illustration. The Nexus Coffee and Creative, along with its remarkable team, partakes of, communicates, and foster that hope.
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF COFFEE SHOP
"Straight from the definition, Nexus strives to be a meeting place - a point of connection, meaning, and creativity for our beloved city. The core of our being is community, whether you’re a local, a vagabond, or you’re here for a limited moment, we want that moment to be remembered here."
COFFEE IS A UNIVERSAL LOVE LANGUAGE
"The language of the tired, the busy, and the curious. It’s also the language of family, friends, and community, and is blind to borders and prejudice. A true confidant....We partner with local and non-local coffee roasters to support their business and community, and to give our customers the chance to try coffee from roasters they may never get to try otherwise."
PROUD TO HAVE LOCAL PARTNERS
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"Based right here in our community of Little Rock, Leiva’s Coffee is a family-owned roasting company that sources beans directly from producers in rural Guatemala. They have a mission and heart to stop the abuse and exploitation of farmers and the environment by pouring directly back into the farmers and their business. We are proud to partner with the Leiva family!"
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"Round Mountain Coffee is based out of Conway, AR, and we are so excited to feature another local business! Their mission is to “pursue excellence in coffee, love our craft, and foster our community.” We will have their Pinnacle house blend on drip, their single-origin Ethiopian on slow bar, and their Ouachita blend on espresso. Come in and try a cup, or take a bag of their beans to go in our retail section!"
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"It’s part of our culture and our being, it’s innately in us to create. We want to be a space that not only caters to caffeine, but that is created in itself to allow creativity to blossom. Our variety of seating options allows our customers to find a vibe that fits their needs, whether they need to meet with friends or colleagues or chill by themselves. We also offer two creative rooms that can be rented out if a closed off space is what you’re looking for."
MEET AMY
Coffee and Spirit
"A" is for Attention.
In process spirituality "A" is for Atttention. We borrow this idea from one of the world's most inclusive interfaith organizations Spirituality and Practice, with their 37 letter alphabet of spiritual literacy.
Please understand: Attention is not the only quality of heart and mind that can be "spiritual" in many contexts; there are thirty six more. Others include "C" for compassion, "L" for listening, "P" for play, and "O" for openness. But attention is certainly one of the most important. Among the many quotations offered by Spirituality and Practice are the following:
The fact of the matter is that, for many people, the "coffee high" is a form of attention. It is a psychoactive substance that in many circumstances can facilitate attention and also, interestingly, purgation. It's a laxative, too.
Attentive to what? That will depend on the circumstances and the person. But one possibility is that it can open a person to those "lures for feeling" that come from the Holy One, as mediated through intuiton and imagination, to those adventures toward which the lure inspires a person, and toward the many forms of "experience in the mode of causal effixacy" that bespeak connection between self and world: other people, hills and rivers, trees and stars. Inasmuch as coffee stimulates conversations in coffee bars, it does exactly that. But, privately, in the solitude of a morning cofee, it can stimulate openness to lures for feeling and imaginal connections that are also rich. There's no need to pretend that it does it all by itself, Context is everything. But in some contexts, it is indeed a sacrament of sort, and a trans-religious one at that. It can be enjoyed by people of many different religions and also, as the article below suggests, by the religiously unaffiliated: the "none" and "dones" and "spiritual but not religiious." As the third wave coffee movement makes clear, coffee may bring people together in ways that sermons
- Jay McDaniel, August 5, 2021
Please understand: Attention is not the only quality of heart and mind that can be "spiritual" in many contexts; there are thirty six more. Others include "C" for compassion, "L" for listening, "P" for play, and "O" for openness. But attention is certainly one of the most important. Among the many quotations offered by Spirituality and Practice are the following:
- The quality of one's life depends on the quality of attention. Whatever you pay attention to will grow more important in your life.
— Deepak Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind
- When you gaze at an object, you bring blessing to it. For through contemplation, you know that it is absolutely nothing without the divinity that permeates it. By means of this awareness, you draw greater vitality to that object from the divine source of life.
— Dov Baer of Mezritch quoted in The Temple in the House by Anthony Lawlor
- Just being awake, alert, attentive is no easy matter. I think it is the greatest spiritual challenge that we face.
— Diana L. Eck in Encountering God
- Emotions respond immediately to the truth of things. They are the most alert form of attention.
— James Hillman quoted in Shadows of the Heart by James D. and Evelyn E. Whitehead
- There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.
— Linda Hogan quoted in Listening to the Land edited by Derrick Jensen
The fact of the matter is that, for many people, the "coffee high" is a form of attention. It is a psychoactive substance that in many circumstances can facilitate attention and also, interestingly, purgation. It's a laxative, too.
Attentive to what? That will depend on the circumstances and the person. But one possibility is that it can open a person to those "lures for feeling" that come from the Holy One, as mediated through intuiton and imagination, to those adventures toward which the lure inspires a person, and toward the many forms of "experience in the mode of causal effixacy" that bespeak connection between self and world: other people, hills and rivers, trees and stars. Inasmuch as coffee stimulates conversations in coffee bars, it does exactly that. But, privately, in the solitude of a morning cofee, it can stimulate openness to lures for feeling and imaginal connections that are also rich. There's no need to pretend that it does it all by itself, Context is everything. But in some contexts, it is indeed a sacrament of sort, and a trans-religious one at that. It can be enjoyed by people of many different religions and also, as the article below suggests, by the religiously unaffiliated: the "none" and "dones" and "spiritual but not religiious." As the third wave coffee movement makes clear, coffee may bring people together in ways that sermons
- Jay McDaniel, August 5, 2021
Holy Grounds:The Surprising Connection
between Coffee and Faith
By Tim Schenck
A spiffy paperback meditation on the rich spiritual connections between religion and coffee.
Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
reposted from Spirituality and Practice
- "One cannot attain presence of mind without the aid of coffee."
— Hezekiah da Silva, seventeenth-century Italian rabbi - "Without my morning coffee I'm just like a dried up piece of roast goat."
— Johann Sebastian Bach in his "Coffee Cantata," 1735 - "Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility."
— Sheikh Abd-al-Kadir, sixteenth-century Muslim mystic
Tim Schenck is a very entertaining Episcopal priest who serves as pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church in Hingham, Massachusetts and is the creator of the popular online devotion Lent Madness. In this clever and spiritually informative paperback, he explores the many connections between coffee and religion.
As the three quotes above reveal, this very common yet exotic drink has generated dialogue, intimate conversations, and even sacramental meanings among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Schenck shares some fascinating "Coffee Creation" stories from the Islamic tradition, then relates his own experiences as an avid coffee drinker; he hits the road to visit coffee roasting monks in Pennsylvania, savors expresso in Italy, and tours a Nicaraguan coffee farm.
While we were living in New York City, a large and wealthy church wanted to open a space outside their own building to attract young seekers; they figured with coffee as a draw, they could get the "unchurched" into their space and eventually their programs. Unfortunately, not long after they finished renovating their coffee house, Starbucks opened a new place just three doors down. Suffice it to say, any connection between religion and coffee could not overcome the familiarity of a major franchise.
Still, there are plenty of precedents for coffee engendering communities. In this thought-provoking passage, Schenck begins with a meditation on church coffee hours and ends with the power of coffee to have such an awesome impact on our relationships:
"Few things unite worship experiences across denominations and faiths like the post-liturgy coffee hour. This 'liturgy' following the liturgy adds an essential exercise in building community. In most congregations, during the worship itself people sit in pews or chairs facing the front. It's understandable as that's where the action is. Whether it's the preacher nattering on or the choir singing or ritual sacramental action, it happens up front for all to see. People pray and sing and nod at one another, but worship isn't conducive to a full-on conversation about the Cubs or a theological debate over the sermon or comforting a friend during a particularly trying time.
"That's the purpose of coffee hour. It is the time when people gather to do what communities do: laugh, comfort, debate, chase children around, and share pictures of grandchildren. It's intergenerational in a world that lacks connection between the generations, it's face-to-face in a society that avoids contact beyond video screens; it breaks down barriers between people who have disparate worldviews, occupations, and concerns but share a common religious faith and identity.
"We joke about coffee being the eighth sacrament (or third if you're Protestant), but truth abounds. If a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, coffee fits the description. It binds communities together in ways that books, even the most sacred books, sometimes fail to do, because coffee fosters relationship. And relationship — with the divine and one another — is the bedrock of a faith community."
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Bach's Coffee Cantata
Ignatian Spirituality and Coffee
"Ignatian spirituality suggests invoking our senses and imagination to encounter God and ourselves. When I am holding a cup of coffee, the warmth radiates through my hands, forearms, and shoulders. The smell wafts through the air from the dark caramel color, almost black. The whole experience is sensual, and helps my sleepy self greet the day with gratitude and a tranquility that I feel from this warmth. It induces a peaceful demeanor, which invites me to meet God and my own thoughts. In these moments, I review the previous and forthcoming days, reflecting on both the harder and easier parts in order to create my hopes for the new day.
Coffee helps facilitate my conversation with God and myself in the morning, therefore making it quite literally a vessel in which I see, taste, feel, and talk to God.
Dorothy Day was once quoted saying that “My strength returns to me with my cup of coffee and the reading of the psalms.” She identified this as a way to ready herself for the day and her work through simple practices. With the work toward which Day committed her life, it was vital for her to find daily practices that facilitated conversation between herself and God. What are our daily rituals that help us encounter ourselves in the morning? Is it the comfort of a mug, a morning stroll, the dog scratching at the door? By finding God in the daily habits and becoming mindful towards what could be mundane, I have found some of my most precious moments throughout the day. Here’s to a cup of steaming coffee and rich conversations: may the silence be rich in conversation."
Theology of Coffee, Jacqueline Shraeder, Peru ’13
Conversation, Ecstatic Performance, and Human Connection
All delicious food and drink should be, in my opinion, not an end in and of itself but a catalyst for the experience of deep conversation, ecstatic performance, and human connection or inward mental and spiritual journeying. Coffee has that capacity, and in understanding its esoteric history and magical properties we can all understand our archetypal roles around the beverage a little bit better. Effective baristas are really the Priests and Priestesses of the tarot, offering momentary communion and benediction to a line of people seeking sacrament. Producers are the Sun, Moon, and Star cards, harnessing the natural elements to coax something transmuted and magical out of the ground. And all of us are equally the Magician — setting off on an unknown journey with our tools at the ready, hoping to reach something greater and more eternal than ourselves.
- liam singer
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