Coffee Shop or Cave?

I grew up in a time that was pretty much devoid of formal leadership training. The first book I read on leadership was “Spiritual Leadership” by Oswald Sanders and the second, “Leadership” by Hudson T.  Armerding, both of which were studies in the spirituality of the leader and were wholly unlike today’s “marketing principles and strategies for pastors.” I am saying this so that you will understand part of the framework from which my thoughts are drawn. Secondly, as a naturally occurring introvert (and a role forced extrovert) I confess I like quiet. When home alone, I watch most football games without any sound on the television! With that I am not saying that what I know or think is better. My only claim is that my viewpoint may need to be considered.

A huge part of pulpit ministry is the time you and I spend in preparation. Preparation is a combination of illumination that comes with flash of a lightning bolt and process which requires prevailing prayer and dogged determination. Preparation time is moody and often times fraught with sensitivity. Little things can mess it up easily and if the faithful pastor is not careful he may attach “game day” routines and superstitions to his attempts at hearing the voice of God. It is a big deal, and not just because of the looming fear of crashing and burning. There is also the “little” thing of eternal destiny and earth shattering importance attached to what we do and I do not believe that is an oversell!   

When it comes to sermon preparation, my question is coffee shop or cave? Lest earlier words side track you entirely, it’s not merely a question of loud or quiet. It’s about opening yourself so that you may hear from God in a spiritually provoking manner. If you are extroverted, you draw from other people and prefer being with others in private or public places. If so, coffee shops may be ideal places for sermon preparation for you! Others may feel that being with and interacting with people spurs them toward a marketplace mentality which in helps to keep them connected and better able to minister.

I prize the cave of preparation. It is the place where I learned to hear the voice of God. I needed a cave because the process for me was more often than not grueling. It is such, that it would not play well with others in the room!  My rhythms (which often consumed nearly the entire day) involved scripture reading, quiet, prayer, quiet, tearfully getting real with the Word (which frequently had me head in hands or walking around the room as if the Holy Spirit was chasing me), and finally a “shalom moment” of resting in him. This was the Adullam (1 Sam. 22:1-4) part of the process and my cave contained a certain amount of despair before I could see what God would do for me. Then it became a stronghold! Although I entered that place to meet with the Holy One with a certain amount of fearful trepidation, I understood that it was essential that I decrease through the process so that Jesus could increase. I think every preaching/teaching pastor needs a good cave. Make it deep, dark, and lonely having been stripped of prop or refinement. Let it be an altar of undressed stones. (Ex. 20:25) And please, use it regularly!  But, if you will, let that cave of despair be transformed into a stronghold of faith as you are joined by others who will pursue the same vision with you. (1 Sam 22:4)

I recently talked to a young pastor who described her experience as cave meets coffee shop in that her message emerged from the cave in order to be shared and collaborated with others (staff or friends) so that it might be presented in a more holistic way. I think that is great! I remember when someone first proposed that the morning worship should be a group exercise it scared the daylights out of me. More people equals more opportunity for the devil to get into things and if not the devil, human spirit would invade which is almost as deadly! No, in fact, one of our markers for Sunday morning success was to see if the music worship leader and I wound up on the same page without coordinating efforts. This was a failure on my part, born out of insecurity and perhaps superstition. I thought it was being holy but now I don’t think so. I did feel as if I was carrying a special message and that my conduct through enemy lines must be made safe by hiding messenger and message. I was correct about the sacredness (specialness) of the message but the hidden stuff was drama. That was me. I do not ever remember God saying that I couldn’t tell my wife, but the majority of the time she was unaware until I began its actual delivery! What I did miss out on was having someone with me. Yes, I had the Holy Spirit, but he created us to be collaborators. That is why he created two people in the beginning and gave them power to procreate! The triune God doesn’t want us to dwell in divine isolation.

So I am proposing that “all things are yours” but if your choice is coffee shop that you first stop at a cave along the way. You must have that alone time with the Lord. I pray that before your message enters the market place it will be tried and tested with the one who can write on walls with his finger and on our hearts by his Spirit.