Churches of last resort

… being there for someone out of options

I

n Luke’s gospel there is an exchange between Jesus and his disciples. People are bailing out on Jesus and he asks the twelve, “Are you also going to leave?” We are then told that Simon Peter replied (big surprise), “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (Luke 6:66-68).

My sense is that Peter was in essence saying, “You’re it. You’re all we’ve got. This is the end of the line, and if you’re not the one, we’re screwed” (personal paraphrase).

I was thinking of that little exchange this week at our weekly café. We run it every Wednesday from 9 - 11 a.m., and it is a place for people to drop in and have coffee, pastries and conversation. It doesn’t look much like your typical church gathering. It is a somewhat eclectic gathering. One of our regulars tells really off-colour jokes and eats far too many pastries. Several of our regulars spend as much time on the front porch smoking as they do inside.

My son usually runs the café, but he was not well last Wednesday, so I was it. Talk about last resort! We had a good turnout, and I was part barista, part counselor and part referee. One of our semi-regulars was there. He has some fairly serious mental health issues and even makes some of our regulars uncomfortable, which takes some doing. His language is often inappropriate, and his erratic behaviour can leave you a little on edge, if not totally frazzled.

There is a mental health centre not far from here, and this young man has been asked not to return. They are having a hard time dealing with him and find he is far too disruptive to the other patrons. He seems to be running out of options.

Towards the end of the café, we had a chance to sit and talk. I told him that he was always welcome, and that if his behaviour was inappropriate I would speak to him about it. He agreed that this seemed fair, and then he asked if I was a Christian. I told him I was, and he told me that he thought he was an atheist. He still goes to mass once in a while; it is always good to hedge one’s bets. I shared with him that my faith motivates me to do what I do. Of course I am not as pure as all that, and sometimes my motives are pretty mixed up. But by and large, it is the truth. We ended the morning on a good note. I was glad he came, and I hope he was glad also.

There are a lot of things our little church will never be. Some of these things make me very happy, because I don’t want a lot of those things. But every once in a while I wonder what kind of impact we are having. Days like last Wednesday are good reminders that most of it doesn’t matter, but if we can be there for someone who is out of options, maybe it is enough.

Writer: Kevin Moore has been lead pastor at 614 St. Jamestown (Toronto, Canada) since October of 2005. He lives in St. Jamestown with his wife Lori, children Daniel, Sarah and Joshua, a dog, a cat, a fish, a hamster and, currently, his father. His passions include the Boston Red Sox, politics and community development work.

2 Comments to Churches of last resort

1. that cafe is definitely something special. it’s a living parable, really. it reminds me that the kingdom is indeed for the poor in spirit and the ones who come like little children, that the kingdom often looks like a small insignificant mustard seed but has boundless power to heal and transform those who join in.

   and i reckon Jesus must chuckle at some of the jokes peace!
grace on May 27th, 2008

2. Thanks Grace. Hope you can drop by when you have the time. Our gathering can always be a little more eclectic.
kevin on May 29th, 2008

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