Should churches be more like Starbucks?

My local Starbucks—and
probably yours too—has a large sign on each door that proclaims, "Take comfort
in rituals." When I'm being cynical, I read it as a multinational company
preying on our cultural longing for meaning by suggesting we can buy happiness
with a $4 cup of coffee.

But when you know at least
six local Starbucks employees, it's harder to be cynical once you're through
the door, especially when they greet you by name, ask how your day is going and
even give you free drinks from time to time just because. . .well, just
because. As Beau Weston observes,
these Starbucks employees are at least acquaintances if not on the way to being
friends.

So maybe we in the church
could move on from our cynical first reactions and take Starbucks's advice and
run with it.