On Sharing Coffee, Church, and Community

"When it comes to coffee, I'm a late adopter. While my college fraternity brothers tossed back Herculean quantities during late-night study sessions, I didn't touch the stuff. As an army officer, while members of my platoon sucked down coffee with reckless abandon, I remained an outlier. When I managed political campaigns, and coffee was the jet fuel of marathon strategy sessions, I passed. At post-church coffee hour, while everyone drank coffee and critiqued the pastor’s sermon, I drank lemonade.

"Miraculously, I also endured a coffee-drinking wife, seminary, and one child without drinking coffee. The combination of two children under the age of 2 and full-time work in parish ministry, however, put me over the edge. And once I slipped down the rabbit hole of coffee consumption, a journey of discovery emerged that continues to unfold."

In a recent commentary, Rev. Tim Schenck (at St. Johns Episcopal Church, Hingham, MA) reflected on the blessing of sharing coffee stories and, in so doing, sharing something of ourselves in the process.

To access Fr. Schenck's complete post, please visit:

The Patriot Ledger: In Good Faith: Church, community and ... coffee (6 APR 19)