Starbucks and the Church Part two

“COME TOGETHER”

   This is a continuation from my last post “STARBUCKS AND THE CHURCH”.

   We have been crazy busy with many different things over the past months.

  A new way to see!

 “I looked down and read what was written on one of the cards I’d been given: “What does it mean to reinvent an icon?” Wow! There could not have been a more apt question for Starbucks at this juncture in our existence. And I was not sure I knew the answer.”

  I see the church of today being at the same cross road. How do we reinvent an icon?

“What did John, Paul, George and Ringo teach us about the art of reinvention?”

“While it would have been audacious for any of us to compare Starbucks cultural impact to that of the Beatles, one thing was clear from comments like Cliffe: Both are icons that play memorable roles in people’s lives. Others piped up with observations about the Beatles career.”

“The band took risks, someone said.”

“They took us on a journey a time when the world needed cultural leaders.”

“They didn’t compromise.”

“They lead with their hearts.”

“The Beatles believed. And if you believe, you can change anything.”

 “They kept reinventing themselves, but at the same time they stayed true to their music. “I offered, recalling their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.””

“Icons make sense of the tension of the times, offering hope and even mending a culture in turmoil much as the Beatles did for my generation in the 1960’s.”

  Can the church carry this plate?

  We are that culture in times of turmoil. I could go in great lengths on this subject. As we see families being pulled in all directions, just trying to keep it all together, as I look into my own family this has been a VERY trying year. Actually the last 5 years for us. As I feel myself fighting daily just to keep carrying on, knowing our battles are small to most. But my battles have allowed me to be able to connect with others, to feel their pain, frustrations, fatigue….. I need to feel what they feel.

“It is so vitally important that we get back to the roots of the business, that we get back in the mud,” “Get our hands in the mud!” I literally pleaded, holding my hands out in front of me. I hold onto this analogy because it made so much sense, and from that day on I repeated it over and over and over.”

“A pair of dirt-smudged hands, palms up, framed the words. “The world belongs to the few people who are not afraid to get their hands dirty.””

“The words- get dirty. Get in the mud. Get back to the roots of the business.”

   We need to get out of our “bubble” and into theirs. It’s then when we are willing to get dirty that we will be able to reach out to others. And I’m afraid that sometimes we can teach, preach, and talk about it- what we should do, but it’s when we put this into action-get dirty! It’s then and only then will we change, give hope and mend a culture in turmoil.

“The New Mission. The Starbucks mission: To inspire and nature the human spirit one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”

  I only hope that I can apply this mission and get dirty in my own life. As the church we need to apply this to our lives as a whole. Let’s recast and take each of our jobs personally. Let’s have the passion to serve the Lord in all ways.

  Let’s believe that we too (the church) can move “Onward” with a new set of eyes staying true to our heritage and roots. Times have changed and will continue to change; yes we are living in extraordinary times. We have to get together, pull all of our resources, staying all on the same page. Then my only hope is for the church to be that icon so needed in these extraordinary times.

All Quotes credit to – Onward Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon.