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Christian denominations have opposing views on the use of alcoholic beverages. Others openly prohibit the practice of drinking wine, while there are those ...READ MORE]]> Emily Kirchner contacted me recently to submit this guest post about wine and the Bible. I was happy to share her writing with y’all. Thanks, Emily! Enjoy!

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Christian denominations have opposing views on the use of alcoholic beverages. Others openly prohibit the practice of drinking wine, while there are those who don’t necessarily forbid it, but rather warn their followers against drunkenness.

In America alone, alcoholism has caused serious health attention since the ‘90s, affecting millions of individuals and families. There’s no exact figure as to how much alcoholism is costing the governments but we can “guesstimate.” According to The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, it’s estimated that the US government spends around $40 to $60 billion annually on alcohol-related causes

What does the Bible teach about wine?

In its entirety, the Bible has 17 words of warning against abuse of wine and strong drink, and illustrates 19 instances of its misuse. In the three epistles, Churches are advised not to select leaders who are “given to drunkenness” or “given too much wine.”

The King James Version of the Bible shows 228 references to wine and 19 mentions to strong drinks. In fact, it’s surprising to know that the most frequent reference to wine connotes drinking as an acknowledged element of the Biblical culture.  In other words, drinking of wine has been an accepted practice.

Specific Examples

As a blessing – Genesis 27:28 states “Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.” Here, wine was used as a literal representation of blessings.

As an offering – Numbers 18:12 shows how wine was used as an offering to God. It says “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first fruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.”  If wine, by its nature, is really bad, it wouldn’t have been considered as a worthy offering.

Celebratory uses – It’s interesting to note further that the very first miracle the Lord Jesus performed found in John 2:1-11 talks about changing 120 to 180 gallons of water into wine in the Wedding at Cana. Let’s not forget that during the Last Supper, Jesus also used wine as symbol of His blood.

So, is it okay to drink wine?

A couple of points:

1. Wine is not to be abused – To balance the picture, the Bible relates many stories where the use of wine was abused.  In short, drunkenness is the harmful image of alcoholic drinks.
2. Follow your conscience – Regardless of the pros and cons about wine, Christians are taught to follow their conscience when it comes to eating or drinking.

For example, with regards to earing sacrificed meat to idols, Paul stated in I Corinthians 10:25-30: “Eat anything sold in the market without raising questions of conscience, for, the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” The succeeding verses explain that when a particular food offering is viewed sinful, no matter how good, it’s better not to eat it.

In summary, the Bible doesn’t specifically prohibit wine. What we are warned about are the abuse and misuse of wine that causes a person to sin when drinking (Romans 14:21) and getting drunk.

Let’s all remember what the Scripture says in Colossians 2:16: “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day.”

Emmy Kirchner is a freelance writer for an online Catholic store that sells first communion gifts, decorative crosses, rosaries, and many more. Every now and then, she likes to enjoy a glass of wine with her husband, especially when there’s a reason to celebrate.

Over coffee (it was EARLY!), we talked about many things: his story, why being Catholic is important ...READ MORE]]> I had the honor of having breakfast with Catholic author Randy Hain in January. He’s a passionate and engaging man who is truly a gift to those who meet him. I’m glad to now call him a friend.

Over coffee (it was EARLY!), we talked about many things: his story, why being Catholic is important to him and so much more. Randy is a convert to the faith who truly embodies the power of the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.

Thursday night, he spoke at my parish in Atlanta about how to lead an integrated Catholic life. His book “The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work,” which recently released, is on this topic – it’s a great book and something I believe all young working Catholics like myself should read (even the young-at-heart Catholics should read as well!). The crowd was engaged and hanging on to every word. He challenged us to look at our lives and reflect on where we are with our faith in all parts of our lives. He listed off three things which can keep us from fully integrating our lives: Silos, time and surrender. Then he went on to encourage us to pray more! That’s definitely something I know I can work on.

Recently I decided to try become an early riser. Randy is actually one of the reasons why I am trying to get up early to make more time for God. His book has greatly influenced me and I have already experienced many fruits from his tips.

As Lent approaches (tomorrow … yikes!), this is truly something we can work on during those 46 days of fasting and sacrifice. Are you living a Christian life in every part or do you keep God in one section and leave Him out of the others? Take a moment and think about it.

To read more about Randy’s ministry and to purchase his book, be sure to visit his website The Integrated Catholic Life.

Cheers,

Sarah

I was out with a couple friends last night at an Irish pub here in Atlanta. They had this menu sitting on the table (pictured above) that said “In Heaven there is no beer.” I couldn’t help but think of St. Brigid, her visions and this blog post I wrote in August 2010. If ...READ MORE]]>

I was out with a couple friends last night at an Irish pub here in Atlanta. They had this menu sitting on the table (pictured above) that said “In Heaven there is no beer.” I couldn’t help but think of St. Brigid, her visions and this blog post I wrote in August 2010. If you’re not familiar with St. Brigid, let me give you some background information.

St. Brigid was born in the mid-fifth century and buried at Downpatrick beside St. Patrick and St. Colmcille. Brigid built the first Irish Convent beside a giant oak tree — this place became known as the Church of the Oak (Cill Dara) or Kildare as it is known today. Brigid was the daughter of a pagan chieftain — a stubborn unbeliever. Before his death Brigid sat by him in prayer and weaved the first St. Brigid’s Cross before his death. The St. Brigid’s Cross, believed to protect the home and animals from evil and want, is placed in cottages on her feast day, February 1st, the day of her death in about 524 A.D.

I first heard of St. Brigid’s visions when I was studying Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body with TOB expert Christopher West. He spoke of her visions of a lake of beer in Heaven. Obviously this piqued my interest so I did some digging on the internet and found this poem that is attributed to her:

I should like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings.
I should like the angels of Heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.
I should like excellent meats of belief and pure piety.
I should like the men of Heaven at my house.
I should like barrels of peace at their disposal.
I should like for them cellars of mercy.
I should like cheerfulness to be their drinking.
I should like Jesus to be there among them.
I should like the three Marys of illustrious renown to be with us.
I should like the people of Heaven, the poor, to be gathered around from all parts.

I’d like to think she’s right on this! A lake of beer sounds pretty Heavenly to me … sorry, Irish pub, but I’m going with a saint on this and not your marketing team.

So here’s the real question … what beer is the lake of beer made of? Ponder that over a pint of Guinness!

Sláinte!

If you wanna join us, leave a comment or email me. I’d like to see as many ...READ MORE]]> I’m attending the March For Life in Washington, D.C. January 21-23 with a young adult group from my parish. Anyone else going? I’m planning a Catholic Drinkie outing on Saturday or Sunday night at a local watering hole.

If you wanna join us, leave a comment or email me. I’d like to see as many of you as possible! Also submit suggestions for locations. I have a few in mind but am up for anything!

Cheers and see you in the District!

Sarah