Appendix E-J

We don’t get spiritual in this sliver of cyberspace too often, but these are good things to consider regardless of your beliefs concerning beliefs.

Speaking Of Faith is a fine show on public radio that has had input concerning the way certain things are done around Everyday Joe’s. The show and the people of the show don’t  know this, of course. Methinks they have input many places. Host Krista Tippett spoke at First United Methodist back in the fall. Several of us went and it was wonderful. There is an amusing story that came out of the evening, but we’ll get to that some other time.

The staff of SOF maintain a Twitter account (@softweets). Today it produced this tweet:

40 Days 40 Deeds: a project “to be kinder, to give more, to inconvenience” + “make the world a more pleasant place.”

This sounded so lovely to my heart, I clicked on the provided link and was taken to a post son the SOF blog SOF Observed. From there, my clicking intrigue took me to another post on Observed and to an entirely different blog, 40days40deeds. It was a lot of work for my clicking finger, but it was worth it.

The “other post” on Observed is actually titled “A Is For Alleluia.” It marks the beginning of the Lenten season, and the Irish writer marked my heart with the statement:

Lent is less for giving up, and more for making space.

40days40deeds is a project of sorts, centered on Lent and the hearts of 4 folks across the U.S.

40 Days 40 Deeds is a project created by a small group of people in various U.S. cities who have pledged to make small changes throughout the 2010 Lenten season to encourage people to be kinder, to give more, to inconvenience themselves a little to make the world a more pleasant place to be.

Those are sentiments of sacrifice and service…things at the core of Everyday Joe’s. The volunteers of Everyday Joe’s…those are the things their hearts beat for. Please know that.

It has been said here lately that what Everyday Joe’s IS must not stay at Everyday Joe’s. By reading this, you take part in this place. If you come in, you take part in this place. By being a human being, you take part in this place, because this place is part of a much larger thing. We are all in it.

Everyday Joe’s wants to make space for things of love and goodness to occur. We want to make changes that provide space. The best part is, we can all do this each day all the time. Perhaps a new habit can be formed over fourty days…a habit that makes the places we are a part of more pleasant places to be. A habit that makes space for pleasantries to occur. Then we can be thankful.

Please take a moment to read those posts/blogs. Comment if you please, or come in and say hello.

FURTHER:

• Follow Speaking Of Faith on Twitter
• A Is For Alleluia
• 40days40deeds

Popularity: 8% [?]

I stole the title to this post from a program on NPR. It’s really good, you should listen to it.

This post has nothing to do with said program, but it does kind of have something to do with things that can be listened to and includes something for you to watch. And there is Faith.

Not much has been posted on this blog concerning Faith & its relationship with Everyday Joe’s. It has been mentioned a bit in our “This Building Is Alive” series (sorry there haven’t been any of those lately…people seem to be very busy…we’ll catch up soon, and that is a promise), but no posts strictly concerning Faith. This isn’t any sort of trickery. We’ll talk about it if you ask.

You see, Everyday Joe’s was started back in 2003 by the people of Joshua’s Crossing Church (now Timberline Oldtown). They didn’t think that their new home -- the building at 144 S. Mason -- should sit empty 6 days a week. They thought something should be in it that would benefit the community of Oldtown, Fort Collins…not just take up coveted space. A non-profit, volunteer powered coffee house was born.

People often ask if Everyday Joe’s is a “Christian Coffee House.” Negatory. In fact, the last thing Everyday Joe’s desires to be is a safe haven for believers. Everyday Joe’s is a coffee house run by Christians. We simply desire community. To be a place where everyone can come and sit…from the homeless to the city government officials. Wolves and lambs. A place of true justice.

Sojourners is an organization that is quite neat. They, too, are into true justice. The Flobots are the latest in a string of bands to be signed out of the musical factory that is Denver (so hot right now). Again, true justice is something they seem to dig. They also seem to dig having someone from most walks of life at their shows, hearing words of challenge and heart. Wolves and lambs. True justice.

And well, what do you know, Sojourners made a video about Flobots that seems to capture part of the heart at 144 S. Mason. And they talk about most everything mentioned above…and probably do a better job at expaining it. Enjoy.

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Further:

• Speaking Of Faith episode feat. Jim Wallis of Sojourners
• Sojourners Official Site
• Flobots Official Site
• Timberline Oldtown

Popularity: 23% [?]