One of the things I appreciate about the missional church conversation that's going on right now is the critique of materialism and consumerism in the West. It is especially disturbing how our culture functions in a way that places products over people.
One of the specific ways this is communicated is through chain stores. You can go to a Starbucks, or Gap, or Aldo (that reference is for you Cory) almost anywhere and know what you are getting in terms of quality, selection, and price. We tend to go to whichever of these chain outlets is closest at the moment because we can get the product we need without travelling to a specific location.
The problem with this is that it is impossible to develop relationships with workers or patrons of a store if you seldom go to the same location. We consume the product without a thought to how this impacts our ability to form relationships. In the past there were only one or two choices for where to purchase things and the same people worked at the same times so relationships were inevitable.
It is important for us to consider how our consumer choices will impact our ability to build relationship and thereby impact people for the Kingdom. Being consistent at certain locations, even when it's not convenient, is an important part of not marginalizing relationships.
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Trevor and I have talked about one of the best things we can do about this problem is to pick a place. A coffeeshop, bookstore, grocery store, convenience store, restaurant, etc. Develop relationships with people there. Pray about them. Talk with them. Share in their lives and concerns if you can. I'd really like to do this at least once a week or two at a nearby coffeeshop (I just wish they had wireless there, so I could do work, too!)
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