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