theological……pub?
From Bill Woolsey, Sr Pastor @ CrossPoint……..
I appreciate how, like many things in this world, alcohol can be used for bad and misused greatly. In our teaching and counseling, we constantly address that reality and, depending on the individual, will speak the convicting/unpopular truth as necessary.
I suggest, however, that from a theological standpoint, the Bible does not condemn alcohol—it condemns its misuse. Very, very similar to its charge regarding money. It does not condemn money—it condemns its misuse (“the love of” money). The historical Church has taught this for over four millenniums. Passover has always been celebrated with wine. The first (and subsequent) Lord’s Suppers have been celebrated with wine. Jesus affirmed the celebration of the wedding of Canaan with wine. Wine is one of those natural by-products of no refrigeration that would have been the end-result of the grape harvest. The fermentation process is one of those natural processes our Creator God made and thus made for our enjoyment. Not, however, for our abuse.
One of the tensions we (the church) have in a post-church society (where we are in the US, and it will only become more so) is that the Christians of this country must be a mission force, building bridges into the lives of those who don’t know Christ. We work hard at CrossPoint to live in both worlds—a world of loving and communicating to the un-Christian in his language—while also living in a world of loving and communicating with our God in His language. It is a life in tension, living under God’s grace in Christ while also allowing His Spirit to conform us more and more to His will. It is a life of enjoying the taste and the camaraderie of having a beer with good friends while not abusing that taste or friendship.
We hold Theological Pub along the same lines of Jesus ministering to those who felt unwelcome in the synagogue or disenfranchised from the religious teachings of the day. We speak the truth there—often the unpopular one—and always demonstrate that Christ’s love is meant to be taken to the community, into settings where the community is open to hearing and reflecting on it.
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