A couple days a week, I spent the morning at my favorite coffee shop. Inevitably, in walks the usual crowd: the road warrior sales guy, the college student, the tattooed rocker, the skeptic, the crude car dealer, and me, the pastor. The beauty of these mornings is that they are never coordinated. It seems that whenever a couple of us gather, in meanders the whole group.
This morning, one of the guys brought in a guitar, and it was being passed around as each person threw in whatever guitar lick they knew. A guy we had never met walks up and begins asking about the guitar. He says he plays a bit as well. He then tells a story that goes something like this…“Back when I was in college, in my BC days – before Christ – I was drinking some beers and accidentally dropped my guitar off a roof and it smashed to pieces when it landed 4 floors below.”
Fortunately, the focus of his story was on the destroyed guitar. Most everyone responded with sympathetic comments, but not I. I sat quietly. Why did the guy have to say the whole “BC” thing? Did he want to establish to the group that he was a believer? Did he want folks to know that he didn’t do sinful stuff like drinking anymore? To his credit, I do think he was trying to make inroads of discussion with us all, but it appeared the most important thing he wanted to do was let us know he was a believer and that he didn’t drink.
What he didn’t realize was that his comment was as judgmental a statement as would have been calling us all pagans. His implication was that drinking was something that believers don’t do anymore and that if you drink, you are not a believer. This is the kind of rhetoric that I have to fight against when speaking of Christ with the rest of the guys in the group. His comment reinforces the idea that Christians demonstrate their inferiority complex by having a superiority complex.
You see, I’m particularly sensitive to this issue because drinking beers is one of my primary avenues by which to share the love of Christ. At the wing joint, they know I want a Newcastle and have it waiting for me by the time I get to the bar. At the local dive built around a mobile home, they know I drink Yuengling (they don’t serve Newcastle there). I frequent these places and know the bartenders by name. I’ve gotten to know the other regulars, and they all know I’m a pastor. At first, when they find out, their first response is, “What are you doing here?” By which I respond by either saying that drinking isn’t a sin or that this is the only way I can them. I make it a point not to tell anyone I’m a pastor when I go there, but polite conversation eventually gets around to, “What do you do for a living?”
The bartenders have accepted me for who I am and even open up to me. One place calls me the bartender’s pastor – a title I wear proudly. You seen, they are at first shocked that I’m there and drinking, but by the time they get over it, they are thankful that I’m there. They ask for my advice, and share with me their struggles and difficulties. I prize their friendship and am glad to care for them. I tell them I’m praying for them and invite them to church. How is this possible? It’s possible because I am willing to be who I am where they are. That is Paul’s being all things to all people for the sake of the gospel.
I do hope to bump into the guy from the coffee shop again. I hope we have the opportunity to sit down and talk, and I also hope the group befriends him. But ultimately, I hope that he will learn, as I continually need to as well, that when we share the gospel, what we have to share is Christ and His forgiveness. What we don’t have to share is the list of things that you have to do or not do if you are to believe in Christ.
Gordon Duncan, a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary, is a church-planter in Garner, NC. He and his wife Amy have two beautiful girls with another girl on the way.
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Comments
Excellent article Gordon!
(Myself, I prefer Fat Tire though!)
~ Keith
Posted by Keith Seckel | Posted at 05/10/2006 10:22 PM
Well said Gordon!
Appreciate your heart and sensitivity (towards both your beer-drinking and non-beer drinking friends). And might I suggest a cold Alaska Summer Ale and perhaps a fresh Cohiba! Beer and cigars on me if you ever make it to the Portland area.
Shalom, tp
Posted by Tomas Perez | Posted at 05/13/2006 8:18 AM
I am also an avid bartender missionary (or something like that) in Hawaii. A good oatmeal porter always enhances the theological discussion (or so I think) and opens amazing doors into others lives. However, I don't think the comment the stranger you met was a judgemental comment. I don't know the guy's heart or intentions, but people have many reasons for not drinking. Health, family curses, addictions, revelations, etc. I don't think his comment has to necessaily be the same thing as jugding you as pagans for drinking. To me, it sounds like alcohol could have been a stumbling block for him and he was expressing the freedom of Christ in overcoming that struggle...or maybee he is just overly legalistic and needs the "no alcohol" type of structure in his walk with God. Certainly Romans 14 is what I try to live by. Happy is he who does not condemn himself for what he believes and we must be confident in our own faith before God. (paraphrased). When it comes to alcohol, the abuse of it has led to the destruction of many people and relationships. I think as believers, we must walk with discernment and be attentive to how our decisions will effect others. Maybee not judge others comments as judgemental...for then we are being judgemental ourselves. Just a thought....
Posted by Jordan Hill | Posted at 05/16/2006 3:43 PM
Jordan, thanks for the reminder. Good caution. BTW, I would like to recommend Chimay Rouge if anyone gets a chance. Good stuff.
Posted by Gordon | Posted at 05/18/2006 7:28 AM
Excellent! I have the same type of things developing. Myself and several minister friends enjoy a good beer (a good stout for me) or glass of wine...and this shocks people. Thankfully there are many, both Christian and non-, who understand why we go into bars, and they don't mind. Three cheers to you, mate!
Posted by Ryan Mackey | Posted at 05/22/2006 1:33 PM
Unfortunately, I am connected with a denomination that has taken an abstinence stand on alcohol. (I love a cold Guiness or Goose Island) But that being said, isn't this a rather slippery slope? It is one thing to enjoy a brew in your home and make sure that everyone knows you don't condemn them for enjoying some vino, but this seems a little dangereous. Do you have specific rules? Do you ever have more than one? Do you buy beer for others? Don't get me wrong, I am not saying you are doing anything wrong. All the potential complication just scare me to death.
Posted by Scott Thompson | Posted at 05/26/2006 8:29 AM
Excellent! In the words of Ben Franklin, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy"
I'm so glad that I'm not the only one here who thinks it's ok to do things that the bible warns against. The other day while "witnessing" to my girlfriend, (that my wife doesn't know about), we were kickin' back a few cold ones and remembering the days when we fell under that cold judgmental church syndrome. I can't believe that I left my days of fornication while I was under the tyrannical "church law". I know that there are scriptures that warn me not to fornicate but if I tell people I didn't do it anymore because of Christ, they would feel condemned and judged. I'm so glad that I have the freedom to do things that the bible has strong warnings against. I really got tired of having to be accountable to the word of God.
I mean, really, do we have to live so close to the protection of peoples souls that we loose our own freedoms. I know Paul said that if eating meat or drinking alcohol would offend a weaker believer to just abstain, but where is the fun in that. I need my fornication and beer. There is nothing better than a good brewsky, especially the ones we steel when the clerks not looking.
I'm so dang proud to call myself a pastor in this postmodern movement. I can't wait to plant that "gay" church next year. I'd like to invite all of you to come and join the launch party in the spring. We will have kegs for Jesus and a DJ for the bump and grind. This party will be off the hook.
Now for all of you that have read this far, I just wanted you to step back and listen to what it sounds like when those of us who take responsibility for our "witness" read your articles and comments. It is no wonder that we struggle to bring up spiritually mature believers in the 21st century when the leaders suck at it!
I just want to say that there are more scriptures warning against alcohol than all the other things I mentioned in my satire above. I hope this stirs up some good conversation for all of us.
Posted by Chuck Scroggs | Posted at 12/30/2006 11:16 PM
The other thing that I forgot to say was about the man who walked up to everyone in the coffee shop. Did anyone stop to think that maybe this man was not mentioning the "not drinking" for the purpose of telling you it was wrong? Maybe he had been an alcoholic and was in bondage to it. Maybe the most precious thing about Christ in his life was that he had been delivered from the grips of alcohol.
Maybe the comment that was made in this article about that man was just as judgmental as what you thought his comment was. Isn't it possible that alcohol may not be a positive thing for every one who comes across it? I am a pastor in a college community and if there ever was a topic of caution, it would be alcohol. I have seen more young people get to this town, finally free from the grips of home and church, and alcohol becomes their very downfall. Even the world warns against the dangers of alcohol and we sit here on our precious computers typing away with no thought of how our lives are affecting those around us.
Yes, I agree that I am being very strong on this topic. I also believe that this page is proof why somebody ought to have a very strong voice for the opposition of the above comments.
Posted by Chuck Scroggs | Posted at 12/30/2006 11:37 PM
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(Myself, I prefer Fat Tire though!)
~ Keith
Appreciate your heart and sensitivity (towards both your beer-drinking and non-beer drinking friends). And might I suggest a cold Alaska Summer Ale and perhaps a fresh Cohiba! Beer and cigars on me if you ever make it to the Portland area.
Shalom, tp
I mean, really, do we have to live so close to the protection of peoples souls that we loose our own freedoms. I know Paul said that if eating meat or drinking alcohol would offend a weaker believer to just abstain, but where is the fun in that. I need my fornication and beer. There is nothing better than a good brewsky, especially the ones we steel when the clerks not looking.
I'm so dang proud to call myself a pastor in this postmodern movement. I can't wait to plant that "gay" church next year. I'd like to invite all of you to come and join the launch party in the spring. We will have kegs for Jesus and a DJ for the bump and grind. This party will be off the hook.
Now for all of you that have read this far, I just wanted you to step back and listen to what it sounds like when those of us who take responsibility for our "witness" read your articles and comments. It is no wonder that we struggle to bring up spiritually mature believers in the 21st century when the leaders suck at it!
I just want to say that there are more scriptures warning against alcohol than all the other things I mentioned in my satire above. I hope this stirs up some good conversation for all of us.
Maybe the comment that was made in this article about that man was just as judgmental as what you thought his comment was. Isn't it possible that alcohol may not be a positive thing for every one who comes across it? I am a pastor in a college community and if there ever was a topic of caution, it would be alcohol. I have seen more young people get to this town, finally free from the grips of home and church, and alcohol becomes their very downfall. Even the world warns against the dangers of alcohol and we sit here on our precious computers typing away with no thought of how our lives are affecting those around us.
Yes, I agree that I am being very strong on this topic. I also believe that this page is proof why somebody ought to have a very strong voice for the opposition of the above comments.