Wednesday, July 21, 2010

More on Kujami Coffee

From the website of the coffee shop I plan to visit:

"Unique and absolute occasion for the senses, Kunjuani Coffea is a true retreat in every manner of the word. From the moment you set foot amidst the friendly, old-world setting you’ll be captivated by the difference.

Every freshly prepared espresso is individually hand-pulled by a trained and experienced barista – not a machine. The exquisite, full-flavored whole beans are skillfully roasted in small batches from a Colorado artisan roaster. The sumptuous pastries are delivered fresh daily from a local bakery. And the gracious ambiance and free WiFi invite you to settle in and stay. (Even the convenient drive-thru offers a prompt and pleasant experience.)

Come indulge yourself with a perfectly prepared beverage, relax by the large, stone fireplace and lose yourself completely among the comfortable and lovingly created environment. Then discover what it truly means to ‘get Kunjani’d’."


The free Wi-Fi should mean that I can pack up a used laptop recently purchased from my company and write and report from there. This should be fun and a bit of an adventure. Stay tuned.

Columba Silouan

Looking for the Nebuchadnezzar

Last week's goal of camping out at a local coffee shop had to be put on hold because my wife was under the weather.

The plan is to try again tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've written a letter to Craig McConnell of Ransomed Hearts in an effort to locate the house church formerly known as The Nebuchadnezzar.

This house church has since been renamed Imago Dei.

I hope to supplement my spiritual activities with periodic midweek visits to this group for possible Bible Study and prayer.

This in no way means I'm giving up on Holy Orthodoxy, but in my opinion I do need Christians of other stripes to keep me healthy and sharp.

Perhaps I can find some allies down in Colorado Springs.

Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God.

The Tentmaker

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Future Efforts

Tomorrow, July the 15th, will be the first evening I spend a couple of hours at a local coffee shop.

This will be the beginning of an attempt to find potential converts to Orthodoxy, as well as potential church planters.

The approach will be simple: go to the coffee shop with Orthodox Study Bible in hand and do some reading. I will be praying that God will send me contacts and set up divine appointments.

And I may rotate from the coffee shop to the local Celtic Tavern which is pretty much across the street from the coffee shop.

If I do this long enough and pair these locations with the Steaming Bean next fall, some positive results may take place.

The bottom line is that a local Orthodox parish would provide a better opportunity for greater involvement for those of us who are Parker residents.

I firmly believe that there should be an Orthodox parish in every suburb of all major cities in the U.S.

For a city like Denver, that would mean suburbs like Aurora, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Englewood, Littleton, Thorton, Westminister, Wheatridge and Lakewood. It would also mean nearby towns such as Franktown, Elizabeth, Castle Rock, Brighton, etc.

That would mean 13 parishes for those municipalities listed directly above.

Ambitious? Unrealistic?

Probably so.

But thinking in these terms beats the complacent alternative.

The Anglican Church in North America isn't waiting around and has pledged the planting of hundreds of new parishes across the country.

Should we be any less ambitious than they are?

Blessings in The Holy Trinity, One God and the Divine Community of Love.

Columba Silouan

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Well That Didn't Work

So I put my Rose Window T-shirt on, donned my "I Love Orthodox Missions" button, and put on my celtic cross and headed out to the Steaming Bean with my Orthodox Study Bible.

It was closed. Turns out they have "summer hours."

So next week, I'll try Kunjuani Coffee, which is a secular coffee house up the street.

Maybe that will be better, anyway.

Blessings,

Columba Silouan

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

An Experiment: Camping out at the Steaming Bean

It's time to take the plunge.

It's time to go to the Steaming Bean with my "I Love Orthodox Missions" button and sit there for an hour or two.

It's time to see what God might do with such a step.

Tomorrow evening after the kids are in bed, or maybe before, I will take a trip to the Steaming Bean Christian Coffee Shop at Mainstreet and Parker Road in Parker.

I will blog the results of this first evening.

I've been meaning to do this for a long time.

Let's see what and who God sends my way.

Prayers Coveted.

Blessings in The Holy Trinity, One God

Columba Silouan

Are House Churches and Eastern Orthodoxy Polar Opposites or Compatible?

I've been reading about the growing popularity of "house churches" and as an Eastern Orthodox Christian I have some questions about them.

Is it possible to have an Eastern Orthodox "house church?"

Do "house churches" as they are currently comprised tend towards iconoclasm?

Can a "house church" be developed that checks in with an Orthodox Bishop and can a hypothetical "house church" have Priests and Deacons involved in it?

Would an EO "house church" movement bear a lot of fruit even with the necessities of Liturgy, Sacraments, Vestments, and so on?

On the surface of things, the current Protestant version of "house churches" would seem to be a direct rebuke / challenge to the Orthodox Church, but looking beneath the surface, is it possible to adapt this idea and use it to spread The Faith?

And finally a Western Rite question: Would it be easier to do an Eastern Orthodox House Church using the Western Liturgies?

Questions, questions.

Columba Sillouan