Published on January 20, 2024, 1:37 am

Image source: Fox News

Renowned theologian and author, John Piper, has offered five suggestions with the goal of transforming a laid-back coffee-sipping church culture into one that fosters reverence and awe during congregational worship. This meaningful insight comes on the heels of a more extensive conversation spurred by one of Piper’s widely shared tweets from last year.

Piper sparked a substantial debate when he took to Twitter to question if it was fitting for churches to condone casual Sunday coffee-sipping in the sanctuary during services. The brief post resonated with thousands, amassing about 3,000 likes and prompting around 1,500 comments. A good number of those responses were critical, suggesting that his words stirred significant sentiment amongst his followers.

In an episode of “Ask Pastor John” posted on the Desiring God website recently, Piper expanded upon this sentiment. He said sipping coffee during communal worship hours does not accord with the desired sense of reverence and awe called for in Hebrews 12:28 — “‘Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe’, Hebrews says.”

However, Piper was quick to clarify that the issue wasn’t just about drinking coffee but rather challenges at heart were larger than that — people and leaders within Christian congregations were not internalizing feelings of reverence and sacredness correctly. According to him, the words ‘reverence’ and ‘awe’ have lost meaning as they fail to inspire compelling existential content or serious joy.

For Piper—a chancellor at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis—there are several ways for pastors to turn away from such casualness towards deeper divine encounters packed full of reverential pertinence coupled with joyous intensity.

One avenue forward is by urging pastors to prioritize biblical scriptures above everything else. Such devotion could lead to congregational transformation albeit with risks as some might find this intense focus uncomfortable enough to leave while others may feel more attracted towards churches promoting such values.

Secondly, Piper urges pastors to maintain God’s glory and his love for us in Jesus as the primary reality. By preaching this week after week, people will come to realize that God is the central figure in their lives.

Another key suggestion is for pastors to emphasize the devastating impact of sin—the corrosive disease within us—and God’s wrath against it. He says that understanding this fury can lead believers to cherish their salvation.

Additionally, Piper advises pastors should accentuate Christ in all his majesty and humility—highlighting his suffering, resurrection, and the immense virtues he bestows upon followers.

Lastly, Piper encourages clergy members to enlighten congregants on the miraculous nature of their conversion—reminding them that they are supernatural beings shaped by faith—a creation of divinity themselves.

Such transformational preaching will inevitably shape an eagerness amongst followers to engage with divine words in a manner where casual activities like drinking coffee feel less appropriate within sanctum hours.

Piper’s views last September made a significant impact—with over 2.7 million views and coverage from international real news outlets reflecting global reach—ensuring its notability as trusted news among Christian communities worldwide.

On another note, reactions were not monolithic; some respondents defended casual church practices citing historical precedents. For instance, Evangelical podcaster Jimmy Humphrey highlighted how New Testament churches often met in homes sharing common meals together—suggesting that practices such as sipping coffee within sanctuary premises mustn’t just be tolerated but actively encouraged.