"Wine is booze, which means it is dangerous and drunk making. It makes the timed brave and the reserved amorous. It loosens the tongue and breaks the ice especially when served in a loving cup. It kills germs. As a symbols, it is a rather splendid one."(F. Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p.201)
The church throughout its history has had a love/hate relationship with alcohol. In the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran and Episcopal churches, we generally use real wine at communion, no grape juice in shot glasses here. In my denomination we have made attempts to be sensitive to the reality of alcoholism and some now offer non-alcoholic wine. It is also true that many churches use wine that is almost as unpalatable as NightTrain.
Of course you're not actually supposed to be getting very much so that shouldn't actually matter. The anti-alcohol view that dominates other churches has always fascinated me. I understand the not wanting to condone getting hammered, and I certainly have seen lives ruined by an addiction to alcohol. Yet scripture has never been against alcohol or drinking in moderation. It certainly has something to say about being drunk and making that drug your god.
Honestly I'm not much of a drinker. I'll have a beer maybe once a month, all totalled I doubt I reach a case. It doesn't make me a better person, it just is not something I enjoy doing, and I'm cheap.
I didn't grow up in a house where alcohol mattered at all. There was a lot of dust and cobwebs in our liquor cabinet. I have witnessed people relaxing because of a drink, I've also seen some people become even more obnoxious as a result. Usually because they didn't know when to stop.
And that is true unfortunately of just about anything that is good in this world, food, sex, alcohol, sun bathing...We sometimes lose sight of the blessing and wind up over our heads.
Blessings,
Ed
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