I Corinthians 8:1-13
Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. (v. 8) Substitute “beer” for food and “drink” for eat and we have a current issue among some very conservative Christians. I have sometimes wondered if my drinking beer (or brewing beer) offends others, especially if I am drinking at a local bar. But I’ve gotten beyond that – our 12-Step group, Freedom Road even meets at Versailles Brewing Company! But that’s another discussion.
Today’s reading brings to mind Mark Bruner, a dear brother and a Christian missionary serving with his wife in the Czech Republic. More than a decade ago Mark and Tommie bought a run-down pub/bed-and-breakfast business in eastern Czechia. After much work fixing it up they opened as a restaurant/pub serving food and beer. Mark used it as an outreach tool to the locals (events and activities too numerous to mention), but it also served as a youth-group gathering place. It’s where Carol and I regularly went on mission trips to serve with him at “English Camp”. So, two items related to today’s reading… First, Mark often commented to me to how nice it was for him to have a beer with a Christian brother. Many people in his Pentecostal denomination were totally against alcohol of any kind. But secondly, Mark had to be careful in sending photos in his prayer and support letters not to show beer or any references to alcohol in that some of his supporters back home might withdraw their support. So Mark was hiding the reality of his Czech situation in his belief that the outreach aspect of his running a pub in this very beer-oriented society served the greater good. Mark was not following Paul’s example (v. 13, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble), but his was a totally different context. Again, a longer discussion…!
See also: April 29 / I Cor. 8:1-13
I just read Archbishop Beach’s AWFTL post for today: Jesus wants your life-focus to be on following Him — your life should be about impressing Him and not others. Jesus Followers will … do things in the right way and with the right motives. I think Mark Bruner’s opening a restaurant/pub did things in the “right way” and certainly with the “right motives”, with a focus on “impressing Him and not others.”
???
Ten years ago, I had faculty positions offered from both Asbury and Campbellsville (affiliated Southern Baptist). They were/are both great schools, I knew colleagues teaching there, both required statements of faith, etc. How to choose, especially with the easier commute to Asbury? A key consideration for choosing Campbellsville was that Asbury required me to sign that I wouldn’t or didn’t drink, among other things. The likelihood of being seen with a margarita at El Tapatio, or wine with friends, beer at Fred and Carol’s – was problematic!