Okay, Brad! You managed to make me laugh. lol.

I do agree with you completely.

Now, I forgot what I was going to write. lol. I hate that. lol. I guess
when I think of it, I'll write again. <grin>

Okay, let's those of us who like a glass of wine or margarita meet tonight
at 5 PM here at our place, lol. I love Margarita's! lol.

Love and Blessings,
Pat Ferguson

At 09:47 PM 12/2/2005, you wrote:
>My wife goes to a women's Bible study once a week. One week one of the
>ladies brought a bottle of wine  to share after the study.   Recently we
>were talking and got on this particular  topic and occurrence and began
>to  talk. We both initially agreed, there is nothing wrong with having a
>glass of wine or margarita or whatever now and again, as long as the wine
>or margarita doesn't have you. We saw nothing wrong with such between
>spouses over dinner, as she and I do occasionally. Then we thought of it in
>a Bible study setting or even before or after. My initial reaction was "no"
>that didn't seem proper. But before  I got the word  "no" completely out of
>my mouth I was convicted.  If it is not OK in or around a Bible study, then
>why is it OK over dinner? Why is there two sets of rules to fit our life? I
>then figured indeed there would be nothing wrong with wine or whatever in a
>Bible study setting either as  there are no rules against wine, in fact
>didn't Jesus show his first miracle by making water into wine? And did not
>wine show up all over the Bible? It does say however not to be drunk and
>lose your  sharpness of thought. So I concluded that in either case wine
>would be OK. However, as pointed out here, perhaps others may have a
>problem with alcohol and it is not appropriate to put this before them as
>if to cause a brother, or in this case, a sister to stumble. Also mentioned
>here and I'm sure it was the first thing that entered in most of your minds
>was... "what would other Christians think"? Why is that anyway? Even we, as
>Christians, just like Phil's folks he knows who have slipped a bit and do
>not want to come to services, we, as Christians ourselves become subject to
>the "high and mighty" attitudes, that we shy from living out or even
>stating our own beliefs in fear we will be outcasts or seen as less a child
>of God because of it, or become  a "world premiere" of the rumor mill. How
>would you feel if you were eating supper and you and your spouse shared a
>glass of wine, and the door bell rings, and it is your pastor.  In he walks
>in, bottle on the table and all. Minus Greg and Kathy, and Phil as well  as
>they are pastors, but even they would likely  be faced with a similar
>situation if their superior were to walk in, or perhaps even worse, an
>elder or congregational member. Perhaps we might not feel wrong, but it is
>the reaction of others, or the supposed reaction of others that would or
>could make it awkward. I remember a friend of ours talking to us about our
>former pastor's wife who had, God forbid, wine bottles in her house and she
>was now drinking!! That seems to me jumping the gun, making assumptions
>that were not founded, and spreading gossip. I'm not  suggesting we all
>ought now head out to the bar for a drink, that is not the same issue for
>likely a few reasons, but this situation pointed out that we ought  not
>live two sets of rules, but let one set of rules rule any situation. I'm
>sure there are those that disagree and feel we ought not have anything to
>do with alcohol, which I think is birthed out of the blatant and willing
>abuse of it by so many, or folks they know who have had problems with
>it,  that drives that thought. But  casual and responsible consumption of
>it to me doesn't seem wrong.
>
>*holding up glass*, Cheers. clinkety clink
>glug, glug, glug, glug glug glug  glugluglugluglugluglugluglug
>
>hush'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh'sh
>
>Don't tell the pastor. loll.
>
>Brad