Dr. Stanley Hauerwas is a professor at DukeUniversity. He often begins one of his college courses by reading a letter from a distressed father. The father is upset because his son has run off to join a weird religious group. He is writing to a government official, hoping for some kind of intervention. The religious group holds secret rituals at dawn. The leaders instruct the members to sell all worldly possessions and give away the proceeds. Group members insist on eating meals together, and the father is deeply disturbed about the influence of this group upon his son.

What's the name of this strange cult that snatched away the young man? The Christian church, circa 200 A.D.

Whose voice speaks louder? Your family's voice or God's voice? That is the issue for today, and it is not easily settled. As much as we prepare our children for independence, it is painful when they begin to claim it. As seriously as we nurture our children's faith, it can be unsettling when they begin to take faith seriously.