When Your Worship Leader Can Drink You Under The Table

[John81]

When Your Worship Leader Can Drink You Under the Table

 

With mainline religious congregations dwindling across America, a smattering of churches are trying to attract new members by creating a different sort of Christian community, according to an NPR report this week. They are coming together to sip craft beer.

 

“Some church groups are brewing it themselves, while others are bring[ing] the Holy Mysteries to a taproom. The result is not sloshed congregants; rather, it's an exploratory approach to do church differently,” NPR reports.

 

As the story goes, 30 to 40 people flood Zio Carlo brewpub in Fort Worth, Texas, to nosh on pizzas, kick back pints of beer and fellowship. This so-called Church-in-a-Pub also has a worship service complete with Communion.

 

Irreverent? Sacrilegious? Even Christians who aren’t teetotalers may have a problem with washing down their Holy Communion with beer their pastor brewed in his backyard. But it seems quite popular with the 20-somethings.

 

"I find the love, I find the support, I find the non-judgmental eyes when I come here," Leah Stanfield, a 28-year-old who occasionally leads worship at the pub, told NPR. "And I find friends that love God, love craft beer."

 

Some Lutherans are willing to put down on that. The regional council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America last month officially named Church-in-a-Pub a "synodically authorized worshipping community." And get this—in true missional style, the church plans to anoint a pastor to take the beer-and-Bible concept into other pubs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

 

Meanwhile, in Houston, St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church kicks it up a notch with a weekly Sunday afternoon party with beer, boudin, and red beans and rice from the church’s kitchen, NPR also reports. Most of the Creole Catholics at the service hail from Louisiana.

 

“We dance and we praise God and it does talk about dancing in the Bible! It's just great,” parishioner Bennie Allen Brooks told NPR.

 

These aren’t isolated events. I wrote a few weeks ago about a pastor who drinks beer in the name of Jesus at a bar-based Bible study. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported members from Valley Church in Allendale, Mich., gather in a bar under the banner “What Would Jesus Brew?”

"My name is Darin," the Methodist congregation's 37-year-old music director said, grinning, according to the Journal. "And I like me a 30-pack of Busch Light!"

 

Really? A 30-pack of Busch Light? I hope he was kidding, but even still, I find it shocking that a worship leader would quip about drinking enough to intoxicate an elephant, or at least a large horse.

 

Call me conservative, but isn’t promoting brewsky on tap for the sake of being nonreligious to attract more people to your church a prime example of being of the world rather than just in the world? (See John 15:19.) Whatever happened to separating the profane from the holy (Ezek. 22:26). Having church or doing evangelism is one thing, but basing your church-growth strategy on beer is quite another. Have evangelism and church-growth strategies really come down to compromising with the spirit of the world? God forbid!

 

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/watchman-on-the-wall/41659-when-your-worship-leader-can-drink-you-under-the-table

[Standing Firm In Christ]

This is all a result of many who teach that alcohol in moderation is allowed. 

The beginning of the falling away from the faith that Paul wrote the Church at Thessalonika about.

[Galations 2:20]

This one line contains the reason many would mix beer and Bibles:  non-judgemental eyes there.  Nothing to convict them of their sin.  It is religion on their terms- not a relationship with Jesus Christ.

"I find the love, I find the support, I find the non-judgmental eyes when I come here," Leah Stanfield, a 28-year-old who occasionally leads worship at the pub, told NPR. "And I find friends that love God, love craft beer."

 

 

[John81]

This seems to be a growing trend.

 

When I was young the only "Christians" who openly drank booze were Catholics. One Catholic church in a small city about a half hour away would receive a special permit once a year to hold an all day outdoor party beside their church, complete with booze.

 

These days many Christians seem to think it's okay to booze it up. It's common now to hear Christians talk about drinking beer when they go to ballgames, or while they watch a game on TV. Some seem to have no problem with being legally drunk most of the week so long as they are sober for Sunday services.

 

Now we have this growing trend of actually having booze during services, and of even hold "church" in bars and taverns!

 

This reminds me of an obituary I read today. A middle aged man recently died, he had been a lifelong member of the main church in a small town near here. He grew up in that church and many talked about how he went there his whole life and how his wife has always attended with him. Then the obituary went on to say that he and his wife shared one main passion in life, tattoos!

[No Nicolaitans]

Well, the Duck Dynasty clan now has their own line of wine...

 

With their popularity and mainline Christendom's acceptance of alcohol, Duck Dynasty's wine will probably be the "church's choice".

 

[John81]

Well, the Duck Dynasty clan now has their own line of wine...

 

With their popularity and mainline Christendom's acceptance of alcohol, Duck Dynasty's wine will probably be the "church's choice".

 

Considering their "brand" of Christianity, and the fact I read somewhere that one of their earlier episodes was about Willie wanting to get into the wine business, this isn't surprising. Sad, and a real shame, but not surprising.

[swathdiver]

These are carnal people who want to have God their way.  

 

Most will someday hear the most terrifying words ever spoken:

 

"...I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." - Matthew 7:23

[candlelight]

This is all a result of many who teach that alcohol in moderation is allowed. 

The beginning of the falling away from the faith that Paul wrote the Church at Thessalonika about.

 

Exactly, SFIC.  I know many Christians who say this.  I point to the numerous scriptures from the KJBible that talk about alcohol and the dangers of it, however, these Christians don't seem to want to believe it.  Bars and Bibles are popping up all over the USA.  It is outrageous! 

This article doesn't surprise me, John.  It seems to be the rage these days.  *sigh*
 

[John81]

Exactly, SFIC.  I know many Christians who say this.  I point to the numerous scriptures from the KJBible that talk about alcohol and the dangers of it, however, these Christians don't seem to want to believe it.  Bars and Bibles are popping up all over the USA.  It is outrageous! 

This article doesn't surprise me, John.  It seems to be the rage these days.  *sigh*
 

While there are a few actual born again Christians (very immature, worldly, and/or carnal) who might participate in such, I think the vast majority are those who want the security of thinking they are okay with God but want to live a fleshly life.

 

Most probably don't realize it, but they are only playing "church" or "religion", they aren't heeding the call of Christ. With so many "pastors" out there today willing to preach this sort of "Christianity" and "pastor" such "churches", it's not likely they will see the error of their ways any time soon.

 

While not to the same extreme, there are tens of thousands across America today who are in the same condition, in that they think they are okay with God but they have been misled. So many hold to that form of godliness they have been taught and they keep to the teachings and traditions of their churches and most even try to live what they think is a "good life", but they are as lost as ever.

 

All of these can be the most difficult to reach with the Gospel of Christ. It hurts me to think of those who really think they are doing what's right and will go to heaven but are not born again in Christ, for one day they will hear Christ tell them He never knew them and they will be cast into eternal hell.

[heartstrings]

Well, the Duck Dynasty clan now has their own line of wine...

 

With their popularity and mainline Christendom's acceptance of alcohol, Duck Dynasty's wine will probably be the "church's choice".

 

I've never watched it, have heard fellow church members and even preachers praise "Duck Dynasty". But I've always been uneasy about it and now I know my 'gut feelings' on it were not unfounded. #1. God's word says it's a shame for a man to have long hair. and #2. If a national TV network (or whatever it is), promotes them, they can't be real Christians because the World hates God's true children.

[No Nicolaitans]

I've never watched it, have heard fellow church members and even preachers praise "Duck Dynasty". But I've always been uneasy about it and now I know my 'gut feelings' on it were not unfounded. #1. God's word says it's a shame for a man to have long hair. and #2. If a national TV network (or whatever it is), promotes them, they can't be real Christians because the World hates God's true children.

 

Not only that...the Duck Dynasty clan are active Church of Christ members (two of them serve as Elders in the Church of Christ that they belong to)...they are putting their faith in baptism to save them.  I've never watched the show either.  It's sad that so many Christians have jumped on the Duck Dynasty bus without checking out what they believe.

[heartstrings]

I forgot about the Church of Christ thing. Seems I heard that somewhere too; probably here on the forum. A few months ago, a pastor from another SBC came and preached our reviva' and during one of his messages he praised Duck "Dynasty" and "Casting Crowns". But during another message he told us about his daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock. Please tell me something; Isn't one of the qualifications of a "bishop" (pastor?) that he keep his children "in subjection" and isn't he supposed to be an example of how to "rule his own house"? And instead of being truly brokenhearted about the moral tragedies in his own life, he's teaching/promoting things like a deceptive TV show(of false teachers) and a worldly "Christian" rock band? I know that's off topic but this whole thing is very disturbing to me.

 

1Timothy 3:4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 

[heartstrings]

I'm not the least bit interested in "Duck Dynasty".

At least here's one SB preacher who seems to be more on track...........

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=41102

[ASongOfDegrees]

This is all a result of many who teach that alcohol in moderation is allowed. 

 

This isn't true. I don't know any Christians who believes in moderation (and I know some) who would think this is a good idea. Plus, drinking someone under the table isn't moderation.

[heartstrings]

What is "drinking under the table"?