Here is a verbatim quote from a church web site:
Saturday, April 4th, from 1-5 pm in the basement kitchen
Hosted by Ben Krupnick and his dad, Bruce
Home Beer Brewing 101 is a 3-4 hour seminar where we will teach you the basics of brewing your own beer. It is intended for 1st time brewers, but the experience would certainly be enhanced with the accompaniment of more serious brew masters. We will be brewing 5 gallons of beer and could accommodate a couple more batches if anyone is interested in bring their own equipment.
Does anybody else out there wonder where this fits in the mandate of Matthew 28:18-20. Does beer-brewing have anything to do with the things Jesus commanded his disciples to teach? Your thoughts. (P.S. Spare me the lame, over-worn comparison with John 2. It doesn’t hold water).
I can honestly say that this does not shock me, and would question what faith this church practices. They are definitely not holding a class on discipleship, evangelism, or community outreach ministry (as surely the website would have included that.) As far as relevance to Matt. 28:18-20, I agree this activity doesn’t further the Great Commission, but I ask you, do other church activities such as Senior Citizen bowling, ladies’ scrapbooking events, or even ABF activies like game nights fit into Jesus’ mandate where Home Beer Brewing doesn’t? What would be the requirements for a church-sponsored activity to be appropriate then? Just something to ponder….
This reminds me of the sign outside of a church in Pontiac that was advertising their weekly community outreach program. The sign read, “Have questions about the Bible or God? Then come join us at 7:00 pm. Pastor “X” will discuss theology and other questions over wine and cheese. Everyone is welcome!” At least the Word of God was was the topic of that night’s discussion.
Just some thoughts from a sinner, saved by God’s grace! “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Thanks for your thoughts. Anybody else out there?
1 Corinthians 8.
I’m finding it’s way easier to just read the Word and leave it at that. Heb. 4:12 is just something my words and admonishments can never do. No matter what stance I take, someone will also be pushing back (and often have Biblical reasons behind it).
P.S. What are those dudes thinking as far as their reputation with outsiders??? So as far as this situation in particular, wowzers, I hear ya.
That’s the problem they’re not thinking. Like Desi said do all to the Glory of God.
Why not?
That is pretty blatant. But there are two churches just a few miles south of my home that consistenly advertise things that seem more subtly dangerous: (1) “Great Christian entertainment every Sunday;” and (2) “30 minute worship service.”
I have to wonder about those churches as well.
Are we supposed to be in the business of entertaining or edifying? Seems to me that Ephesians 4 mentions only one of those. Yet it is becoming more common to offer up a worldly worship that entertains than a worship with which God is pleased. It is reminiscent of Rehoboam just replacing Solomon’s golden shields (stolen by Shishak) with brass shields (tarnishing and cheap) rather than going and getting them back.
And can you really have quality worship in 30 minutes? True, we can worship all the time. And I’ve been known to break out in some real praise and adoration in just a heartbeat when God puts His glory on display. But I don’t feel comfortable with a church advertising 30 minute worship. Where is the emphasis on the Word of God? Where are the testimonies? Where is the confessing of faults to one another? Where is the uplifting of cleansed, Spirit-filled hearts in hymns of adoration? Can a church do that in 30 minutes?
May God help us to not substitute brass shields for gold ones. May He help us to “not be drunk with beer made in the church basement but be filled with the Spirit.” May He help us to “Take TIME to be holy.”
May God continue to bless you my brother. Thanks for your faithful counsel in the past — it blessed me.
Thanks all for your comments. These are interesting times. Do we really have confidence in the power of the Word of God? Do we have any concern for the damage that could be done to people by encouraging alcohol use? Is this really responsible Christian leadership? Is this not an appeal to the flesh and lower elements? Our messages are rarely less then 45:00 minutes and some of them include warnings about the damage of beer-drinking. 🙂
they wouldn’t be able to invite any alcholics that were trying to recover from the addiction and damage that had rampaged through their lives because of “beer”. i wonder if they invited any MADD https://www.madd.org/ ladies to come or if any dads were there that had sons or daughters that were dead because of a drunk driving accident? i wonder if they had and men there that didn’t have a relationship with their dad because of alcohol?
they probably felt pretty cool though…”look at us we’re brewing beer in the basement of the church, who would’a thought!”
since your asking for my two cents i say… LAIM-O!
doesn’t really match up with 1 Cor. 14:25
I listened to an old J. Vernon McGee sermon on the radio in the car the other day, and he said some piercing things about alcohol and drugs. I don’t know when the sermon was recorded, but being Biblical in his message, the sermon is still relevant today. One thing that jumped out at me that he said is how many parents/adults today wonder what in the world we are going to do to save our youth from straying and getting mired in trouble, but why should they be surprised when they have set examples that a little bit of booze, the casual consumption of pills is okay? Why are any of us surprised that our children stray and their lives end up destroyed when we set these examples of not taking these things seriously?
(He also made a comment about our politicians and leaders in this country and wondered how many of them were fresh and tipsy from cocktail parties as they made important decisions that affected all of us. Not that they all do this, but how many of them do? And think it’s okay?)
It’s my observation that alcohol destroys. I don’t want to be legalistic about it, but I have been convicted that I do not want to support it in any way. Even if you think you are a responsible drinker, you are keeping the industry in business that is responsible for supplying the addicted individuals with a steady supply of “liquid devil” that has been the catalyst for rapes, child abuse, spousal abuse, deadly car crashes, ripped apart homes, health erosion of an otherwise healthy person, employers having to deal with the fall out of drunks who don’t do their jobs, children who have memories of stumbling/uninvolved mothers and fathers, etc.
I live in NC, and while I’m not a smoker, it has always seemed hypocritical to me that the tobacco industry has been pursued as being criminal while the alcohol industry is okay.
If we think about it, which has been more destructive and far-reaching in its devastation? Alcohol, I’d say. Just talk to any kindergarten teacher or pediatric nurse who has seen what alcohol consumption has done to the innocent. I talked to a nurse today about the very thing.
Alcohol is dangerous, more dangerous than the Senior Ladies Bowling league I’d say. There’s not really any comparison. It’s just too dangerous.
Wouldn’t you rather your children stay away from it altogether?