Crave the Resurrection
Giving up is over! Living in the Pacific Northwest, it's been really hard for me to give up good coffee for Lent. If you've seen my picture on my Facebook, MySpace, or even on spiritandsong.com, you'll see that I'm holding America's best latte. Stumptown Roasters is beyond description. Quick story: When my wife and I were looking to move to Portland, she was very discouraged. Housing was smaller and more expensive here. She was leaving family 2,000 miles behind. It's cold and rainy seven months out of the year, and the culture here is very different than in the South. We went to Stumptown to talk through things. She took one sip and said, "OK. . . I can live here and be happy." My mother hates the fact that he grandchildren are in Oregon and she is in Mississippi. We took her to Stumptown. One sip. "OK. . . I feel better about you living here."
Seriously, it is a magic potion. I wonder if they lace the milk with vicodin. This has been a long way of making my point. I lay down some serious jack for Stumptown Coffee and I go out of my way to get it ... daily! But I gave it up for Lent. I have been craving it!
Many people acknowledge that each Sunday, even in Lent, is a mini-Easter. Considering that fact, they partake in the thing they gave up as a reminder that Jesus conquered death and we are a people of resurrection. They are right to do so. But I don't do that. I really want my body to crave. I want it to crave because my human heart craves the Lord. I want my body to feel it as a reminder that I really crave the resurrection. But on Easter ... I'm getting some Stumpies! When I take that first sip, I'll be reminded of how union with the Lord satisfies my deepest longing. He is risen — and a good barista is evidence of that. :)
Sweet Redeemer, I surrender,
all I am to you.
From the shadows of the tomb
you called me,
you rolled away the stone.
From the burden of my sin
you saved me,
you made my heart your home.
