Daily Pastoral #30

Have you heard about the concept of the ‘third place’? Sociologists talk about this as a place that’s not (1) your home or (2) your workplace. They speak of this ‘third place’ as a place to foster community and be restored in some way. 

A few years ago, Starbucks jumped on this concept and tried to stake its claim as the third place. I’ve heard some of my most beloved bougie friends call SoulCycle or their high-end yoga studio their ‘third place’.

This Sunday at church, we recognized ‘world communion Sunday’; a day where we celebrate that the Lord’s Supper is being shared all throughout the world. In our parish, different people brought a loaf of bread forward to honor whatever was on their hearts. One older soft-spoken British woman came forward in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II - her frail hands shaking as she added the loaf to the collective bread basket that our pastor was holding. Another woman came forward in honor of her Swedish heritage. Another for those enslaved in sex trafficking. I teared up a little watching the basket overflow with loaves and hearing the heartfelt words of those who came forward bearing their pains and joys.

Church...

I know I’m biased, but I can honestly say there’s no ‘third place’ like it. You just can’t get this stuff at Starbucks.

As Ever,
Jonas