I grew up around deacons. In my Southern Baptist upbringing, deacons were most commonly seen at the church doors, offering handshakes and smiles. Otherwise, they were found in their other natural habitat: at the end of a pew, passing or taking a metal plate. Often, this was an offertory plate, but on special occasions, those…
Here’s How to Resist the Church’s “Conspiracy of Cordiality”
The following quote is from Stanley Hauerwas’ book Resident Aliens. It has hung in my office for years and I find myself reading on many occasions. As a college chaplain, I am often thinking about how to talk to my students about church; what it is, what it isn’t, why they need to be a…
