Beer and Church
Jan 5, 2005 Print This Post
{ MOOD: Thoughtful | NOISE: Kid’s watching TV }
I just ran across this article that says, in part:
On Capitol Hill, a Thirst for That ‘Heavenly Brew’
By Bill Broadway, Washington Post Staff Writer
Since introducing its own brand of lager this fall, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill has seen an influx of twenty- and thirty-somethings on Sunday mornings.
“I can’t say it’s a compelling reason,” Rector Paul Abernathy said when asked whether the addition of Winged Lion Lager to Sunday’s pub lunch menu had anything to do with the new faces at St. Mark’s.
But he acknowledged the coincidence and said with a smile, “I’ll find out.”
This got me thinking, being a beer lover myself. Here’s me with a Dutch dude at a beer tasting in Amsterdam:
Has the church helped or hurt in this area? I remember hearing a message by Mark Driscoll on alcohol (in fact I stole some of his research and thoughts for my message you can download on the left). One thing that he hammered home is that alcohol is seen as a sign of God’s blessing in the Bible. Now, yes, people misuse that gift, but as Martin Luther said, “Do you suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused? Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women?”
Now, enter the church. What do we do? At worse, we hold to a “prohibitionist” position. At best, we hold to either an “abstentionist” position or we say drinking is fine biblically with our words and deny it with our actions. I have to admit I have been in that position often. Afraid to order a beer with dinner because of what “people may think.”
I remember the church Grace and I got married in would not allow alcohol in the building. Not because they believe alcohol consumption is wrong, just because they don’t think you should drink in “God’s house.” Interesting stuff. Considering the church is not God’s house, but your body is. And in the OT, drink offerings were brought into the temple.
In Mars Hill (Mark Driscoll’s church), when they take communion, they offer the choice of real wine or grape juice. I like that a lot.
Just some stuff I am chewing on.
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