In Our World - Kiri Horton - January 2015

I’m thrilled and deeply honored to be the new Green Bean manager. Being a part of this ministry truly is a gift. Many of my days are spent at the Green Bean serving our neighbors as a barista or simply sitting with friends, reading a good book, thinking, and reflecting. The place has become a part of my life and a part of me. Everyday I am blessed to be able to encounter new people, reconnect with old friends, and continue relationships with those I’ve been getting to know over the past year.

As many of you know, I spent the summer bicycling cross-country. We were a few weeks into the trip and had a buildup of a couple hard days. We were physically and emotionally exhausted. All morning I’d meant to ask my cousin, “What do we need to enjoy this and not hate every second of the day?” but never had the chance. The question sat in my mind, mulling over and over again, like thoughts tend do when left with only yourself, your bicycle, and an open road. That afternoon we were forced to cut the day short when my cousin broke a spoke. Lucky for us, we weren’t too far from a bike shop, “The Broken Spoke” (the irony). The owners started asking us questions, and eventually offered us their trailer for the night. We showered in their home and did our laundry before they took us on a tour of the city and grilled burgers for dinner. I realized that night, as I lay in the trailer of these strangers who had quickly become friends, that sometimes you don’t know what you need until it happens to you. All summer long we encountered incredible people. Their genuine curiosity led to a hospitality I’d never before experienced. Questions led to a mutual exchange of stories as people fed us and opened their homes, barns, ice cream shops, and fairgrounds to us. I was and continue to be so humbled by the way people invite us into their lives as our paths cross and we become curious about one another.

What has brought you to the Green Bean? I’m curious about all your memories and the dreams you have for this place. I’m curious what you experience when you stop by for a cup of coffee, minister with your presence, or help us clean. I’m curious, how do you experience hospitality in your everyday lives?

Hospitality has always been at the heart of the Green Bean. Our busy culture demands that we intentionally carve out the capacity to be hospitable, and the desire to

sit long, talk much

doesn’t always come easily. I’ve always thought that people respond well to spaces. Although each installment has looked different, the Green Bean has always offered a space. What makes hospitality more accessible is a gathering space of comfort and familiarity. We need to continually work together to give our physical space a feeling of comfort and openness. Hospitality isn’t a place we arrive at or a task we complete. Rather, it’s a sense of being where we are growing in our capacity to serve one another as we listen, sit together, and live into this place.

My hope for the Green Bean is that we continue to know the stories of one another so that we can live into our space as hospitably as possible. That God would give us the guidance and courage to be aware of the needs of those around us. That we would be more curious of one another with each day. And that we would get creative about how we can best serve each other as paths cross and stories are shared over mugs of our favorite Caffè Lusso coffees and our top notch in-house baked goods.

The Green Bean is yours and mine, the bakers’ and baristas’, our neighbors’, the church’s, and the Holy Spirit’s. May it continue to be a place for you to meet our neighbors, get to know our staff, and step in when needs arise. As we enter into our second year at this new location, let’s continue to seek the ways that God is calling us to be present here and now in our neighborhood.

So why not come in for a cup of coffee or a freshly baked pastry? You’re sure to meet some amazing people with meaningful stories. If you’re someone who thrives by having something practical to do, we could always use help keeping up on dishes, organizing the retail space, or wiping down tables. Don’t hesitate to ask where you can be part of the Green Bean (how’s that for a shameless plug?). Keep getting to know the space so that you can be a part of growing it into it’s potential. Our hospitality can extend only as far as we are present and curious with a generosity that extends beyond ourselves.

Kiri Horton

Sign up for our emails

From Your Pastor – Randy Rowland – March 2015

In Our Hearts – Mary Vincent – March 2015

In Our World – Kiri Horton – January 2015

Published by mark mohrlang on January 21, 2015January 21, 2015

Related Posts

Sign up for our emails

From Your Pastor – Randy Rowland – March 2015

In Our Hearts – Mary Vincent – March 2015