What Do Words Really Mean? (Starbucks)

I love the Small is Tall video which I found on You tube. Its a wonderful satirical commentary on Starbucks and its ability to get people to conform to what in effect is nonsense when it comes to ordering. Why do people willingly let their brains stop working when they make their orders? Here is an effort to make sense of it all.

First, people like to feel special. Knowing the secret language makes you feel superior. I remember the first time I went into Starbucks and I felt like an idiot because the lingo didn't make any sense. Tall is small, Grande is medium, and so on. I've ordered a large so I don't know the right spelling of V........ But once you "get it" you can become a real Starbucks officianto by ordering a Grande Chai on the Rocks with No-Fat.

Second, people like to be seen as individuals who have their own style. Thus, Starbucks lets you create your own concoction of flavors that uniquely becomes your own. I remember a story of a customer who broke out into a fight with a Barista (that's right, isn't it!) because the Barista kept playing with the order of her ingredients. When the woman asked for a Mocha Green Tea with Honey the Barista said something like Green Tea Mocha with Honey. The woman couldn't stand it. Someone was messing with her identity!

Third, the language and decor of Starbucks makes you feel affluent. Even if you're down to your last 5 bucks, you can be one of the club as you settle down in a plush chair with your latte'. In our consumer driven culture, the pursuit of affluence on the cheap in vogue.

Of course, Starbucks is now showing some signs of strain as it prepares to close a number of stores around the country and as it says it needs to get back to its core business of providing a great coffee experience. In March the company reported a loss of 28% compared to sales of the previous year. Much of the blame can be placed on the downturn of the economy as people look for ways to save.

Much of Starbucks' success is because they create a distinct alternative in the community. They also have marketed themselves as the Third Place, where people gather outside of work and the home.

The challenge for leaders of churches is how do we create spiritual alternatives that stand the test of time while at the some time connecting to people in our culture? Are we creating places where people find their identity in Christ? Does our language make sense? Do we speak in a way that both communicates the truth of the gospel and gives people room to mature in knowledge, practice, and faith?

So next time your at Starbucks ordering your fancy drink remember that you are special because of who God has made you to be!!!