My love-hate Starbucks thing has got me thinking. What if Starbucks were a church. Well.. it almost kind of is if you think about it.

A Starbucks District manager was once quoted saying,

"We have identified a ‘third place.’ And I really believe that sets us apart. The third place is that place that’s not work or home. It’s the place our customers come for refuge.” —Nancy Orsolini, District Manager"

I found this quote on Being Missional, where the question had to be asked,.. why isn't this "third place" the church instead?

In many ways church is that refuge. Especially for those who desperately need it. But for the rest of us, unfortunately, church doesn't always win out over Starbucks. Could this be because it isn't meant to be comfortable, warm and fuzzy, intentionally tasty (yet lacking nutrition)?

This Starbucks-themed book recently caught my eye at the bookstore. Leonard Sweet uses the modern-day marketing success story that is Starbucks to basically illustrate how he thinks the modern church has failed.

I have to admit I was very partial to this post-modern movement when I first started reading about it. Experiencing God with media-rich content thrown at me is nice. But to be the "irresistible experience" of God rather than the knowledge of Him seems like a swing too far on the pendulum.

At what point does it become contrived? Are we moving towards a lazy television-like way of doing church? If Starbucks were a real church, then yes, perhaps it would be uber-successful. But I'm thinking maybe that's only according to the world's definition.