Bible Study with my Barista

Yes, you read me right!

I'm just loving this. Alex is the guy who makes my coffee. Sometime during our business relationship, I decided to get to know Alex better and I decided to ask him about his life a bit. He is a fun guy with a 'way-out-front' personality. I liked him right away.

Well, being at Starbucks as much as I am, we have had plenty of casual conversations and enjoyed each of them. But it has mostly remained a casual relationship with friendly and fun banter over the counter while he brews and mixes, and I salivate and pace.

There was a big city-wide outreach event that I participated in this past Summer and Alex was there. We connected a little more closely after that. He later asked if I was connected with one of the churches involved and I told him that I needed to be honest and then confessed to being the pastor of one of those churches.

Since then, Alex decided to get more personal, sitting in on some of my conversations with the people I meet with at Starbucks. Again, casual and filled with light banter, these conversations eventually lead to a revelation from Alex too. He told me that he had been a very serious Christ-follower in his teen years and early adolescence, but that he had gotten involved in other things and had not been close to God or even giving God any attention at all lately. I asked a few questions and he gave some personal answers. Then I said, "hey, that church I pastor is called "epic" and I would love to share it with you if you are ever interested in checking it out." He said he would think about it and I have razzed him about looking for him on Sundays ever since.

Several weeks ago, he joined one of my conversations and told Scott and me that his sister had been taking part in Victory Outreach's local worshipping community and that he thought he might go with her soon. I told him I thought that was a great idea and that I would be waiting to hear about his encounter with God there.

Well, I saw Alex through the drive-up window a few times since then and didn't really get to check in. He gave me a smile and a big thumbs up once, me knowing that he had been to a worship gathering and had loved reconnecting with God. But still no real conversation....

'til tonight. Tonight, after a meeting at the other Starbucks and an after-the-meeting meeting with Jordan in his guitar room (Sarah's office) I went by Alex's Starbucks to bring Rhonda home a drink. Alex was there. We bantered. He made Rhonda's drink and then (strangely to me) came around from behind the bar to deliver it to me by hand. As I reached out to grab the drink, he extended his other hand, slipping it around my waist, pulled me close for an appropriate side-to-side man hug and called me "brother." He went on beaming to tell me that he was back with God and loving it. I told him I was in to help him in any way he wanted it and then... he suggested we get together at Starbucks before his morning shift next week to study the word together.

So there you have it. Bible study with my barista.

Too cool!