{"id":11760,"date":"2012-06-29T10:00:54","date_gmt":"2012-06-28T23:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/?p=11760"},"modified":"2012-06-25T12:41:25","modified_gmt":"2012-06-25T01:41:25","slug":"hobbies-of-the-clergy-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/2012\/06\/29\/hobbies-of-the-clergy-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Hobbies of the Clergy #3"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Revd Will Briggs writes about his and wife Gill’s coffee hobby.<\/p>\n

Gill and I are unashamed coffee snobs.\u00a0 We were “corrupted” when we were in Melbourne and our fellow trainee theologians taught us this essential ministry skill. \u00a0Now we look for the best place for coffee wherever we go. \u00a0We are also partial to an excellent cup of tea and enjoy experiencing different blends and flavours. \u00a0Whatever we say about coffee here, also applies to tea!<\/p>\n

There is substance behind this possible\u00a0pretentiousness. \u00a0A few things \"\"<\/a>that come to mind are:<\/p>\n

1) Conversation. \u00a0Coffee is for sharing, talking, and relating over. \u00a0Deep conversation benefits from an appropriate space, a conducive ambiance, a setting of safety and common ground. \u00a0The coffee shop table provides that.<\/p>\n

2) Hospitality. \u00a0Good coffee has a richness and freshness. \u00a0It allows us to bring out the best for our guest. \u00a0It’s aroma bestows homeliness and welcome. \u00a0It is a framework for welcome and inclusion.<\/p>\n

3) Community. \u00a0The coffee sub-culture is real. \u00a0I see little competition amongst the coffee shops (I mean the real _coffee_ shops, not just shops that sell coffee). \u00a0There is mutual respect, and recognition of skills, appreciation for artistry. \u00a0Loyalty and familiarity eventuate. \u00a0To walk into a coffee shop, to be greeted by name, to be understood (“I know you’ll enjoy our single origin today!”) and invited to take a seat to receive “the usual.” \u00a0It’s the stuff of life.<\/p>\n

4) Diversity. \u00a0Are you a latte person or a ristretto person? \u00a0Are you in the mood for a gutsy long black or a piccolo latte made with a roast that has a fruity zing? \u00a0Or are you (to prove to you that we’re not absolutely purists) a soy mochaccino, or even a skinny large \"\"<\/a>cappucinno with a shot of caramel sauce? \u00a0It’s an instant personality test. \u00a0And it does not exclude – the chai lattes and devonshire teas are also most welcome.<\/p>\n

5) Beauty & Creativity. \u00a0Every coffee has nuances. \u00a0Each part of the process leaves its mark – from the drying, to the roasting, to the extraction and presentation. \u00a0Each part can be appreciated: \u00a0The light roast with the fruity layer or the darker roast with earthiness and dark chocolate nuance. \u00a0The doppio ristretto bringing out the sugars and oils and accentuating the high notes. \u00a0Or the deep strong flat white or long black that brings weight and oomph. \u00a0I had a ristretto the other week that tasted like blueberries and cream. \u00a0It was, simply, a beautiful work of art.<\/p>\n

6) Global Connection. \u00a0Good coffees, like good wines, bring the flavours of their region. \u00a0Most coffee roasters work through direct trade (even fairer than fair trade!) and can connect the beans to their farm of origin. \u00a0Put a little bit of Kenya, or El Salvador, or Tanzania, into a mug. \u00a0Savour the flavour of a global coffee citizen.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s not about caffeine, or needing something to get us awake in the morning. \u00a0Like all hobby-like appreciation its part affectation and nine-tenths leisurely enjoyment. \u00a0But it is a shared experience. \u00a0If someone asks you “Let me buy you a coffee?” or “Come around for coffee?” they are doing much more than offering to quench your thirst.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Revd Will Briggs writes about his and wife Gill’s coffee hobby. Gill and I are unashamed coffee snobs.\u00a0 We were “corrupted” when we were in Melbourne and our fellow trainee theologians taught us this essential ministry skill. \u00a0Now we … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11760"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11760"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11823,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11760\/revisions\/11823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}