A pastor friend of mine recently attended a ministerial meeting at a Presbyterian church, along with clergy representing several different denominations. During refreshment time, she was introduced to the church's sexton. She was familiar with the word "sexton," but couldn't quite remember what a sexton is, and she wasn't about to ask for a definition in that room full of men.

Later she had an opportunity to consult a dictionary and was reminded that a sexton is a custodian associated with a church or cloister. In earlier times the sexton was also responsible for digging graves in the church cemetery. I don't think churches today would have many applicants for custodial positions if grave digging were included in the job description. Fortunately, burial practices are quite different today…