My new church friends are the best
Recently, my wonderful new church friends invited me to a beautiful party. In kindness, they knew I did not drink alcohol and were super-kind to ask if I would be offended if they enjoyed a beer and wine. I shared that their pastor definitely would not be offended and would bring my non-alcoholic Q ginger beer (I LOVE the cayenne pepper kick!). And yes, it was a merry gathering and the fireworks were outstanding!
Alcohol and faith intersections
The topic of alcohol consumption and faith can be touchy depending on your relationship and history with alcohol. My personal view of alcohol is that in itself it is not evil. Like anything in the hands of the beholder, it can be used for good or for evil. The Bible doesn’t say that drinking alcohol is a sin but does frown on excessive drunkenness. It does encourage both medicinal and joyful uses. Hey, Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding!
The History Nerd in Me Takes Over
I’m a history nerd, so a few years ago I took the wine cave tour in Hermann, Missouri. I was not disappointed. For those wondering minds out there, I decided the best non-alcoholic “wine” was Hermanoff’s. Anyways, during the tour, I was stunned to learn that during the early to mid-1900s during Nationwide Prohibition, German immigrant communities were brutally upended by the US government which used prohibition as leverage to destroy their vineyards and communities. I had not heard this horrible story before. It’s easy to see the connection between this particular era and the connection of Germany during WWII.
In that moment I reflected on my connection as a descendent of the Holiness Movement and Women’s Christian Temperance Union era which lobbied for Nationwide Prohibition to protect families from the “scourge of drunkenness.” The intentions were good. Solutions were needed to protect women and children who had little to no rights in an era of sole dependence upon men. Did my Holiness denomination understand the twisted liberties the government took with prohibition toward German-American communities during those years? Why was the suffering silenced? My heart sank. There’s no wonder German-Americans have resisted religious views that prohibited the consumption of beer and wine. Enjoying a beer or wine with a merry heart had become a cultural act of resistance to a national rule used to destroy German-American communities.
Acts of Resistance
The act of resistance has me thinking about why I do what I do. The simple resistance of observing the Sabbath, to stop every 7th day and rest, pushes against an inflated economy that drives us to work every waking moment to pay for the rising cost of being alive to survive. Responding to our neighbors’ needs with generosity is another act of resistance to an economy that would prefer us to silence human suffering and stick to our grind. Worst of all, how could my acts of resistance be twisted causing me to harm my neighbor? The economic beast is wise to our acts of resistance.
Freedom to Choose
In these new days for me in the United Church of Christ (which is loaded with German Evangelical descendants), I can appreciate the freedom of offering St James wine or Welch’s grape juice during Holy Communion. Even this simple freedom to choose at communion is resistance to the belief that one conviction fits all. Everyone belongs. To be honest, outside of a thimble of wine at communion I’m still not big on alcohol. It’s just who I am. I enjoy being a safe space for those who need a dry friend, and that space of resistance is essential in our world.
What is your act of resistance?
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