It seems that Judy and I have discovered a form of fellowship that was foreign to us in our Evangelical days. Back then fellowship was something that happened pretty much with other Christians at a church sponsored event, usually church socials or home groups. Since these were by and large church activities the fellowship consisted primarily of chatting about what the Lord was doing in our lives, church programs or what was wrong with the “world.” Alcohol in any form was not consumed. There was a joke in seminary about what two Baptist preachers said when they met each other in the liquor store: “Absolutely nothing.”
Noe there is nothing wrong with sharing what the Lord is doing in each others lives, it is indeed a remarkable form of community in the Christian world. At the same time the way many American Christians have ghettoized themselves to be separate from the world this has almost become a way to avoid dealing with people who are not like us. This takes on different forms in different churches but the effect is the same…an isolation of Christians from the world in which they live. A whole Evangelical subculture has emerged. It began with mainstream “Contemporary Christian Music” which had developed out of the “Jesus Music” of the early Christian rockers such as Larry Norman, Love Song and “Maranatha Music” of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It continued with “Christian” TV networks, entertainment, movies and counseling and even dating services. Entire networks of “Christian” services formed in opposition to “worldly” services. One of the stupidest ideas that I have ever seen was “Christian Yellow Pages.” Each of these “Christian” organizations or businesses generally tried to what their “secular” counterparts did, only with a lot less quality, even if there was no sex or cussing.
This aside, I think that the ghettoization of Christianity into a narrow Evangelical subculture has hurt the witness of the church in the world. It has separated itself so much that it has lost contact and understanding of what others who are not like them really are like.
Judy and I love to go out and eat. We don’t have any children. Cooking for two is difficult on a busy and often irregular schedule, so going out makes a lot of sense. Since I returned from Iraq we like to do this in a couple of restaurants, with a couple of others as back ups. Our primary places of fellowship are the bars at the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and Smokey Bones Bar-b-Que in the Town Center area of Virginia Beach. We also like a couple of Irish pubs. In fact when I travel the Irish pubs are my favorite places to go. We especially like going to the bars of these establishments for a number of reasons. One is because of Judy’s hearing. We can sit next to each other with me by her good ear without looking stupid sitting next to each other in a booth. Anyone who has seen the Seinfeld episode with this phenomena (the “Schmoopy schmo0py episode) can certainly understand what I am saying here.
The second and far more important part of this is that we have gotten to know people outside the walls of a church building. I’ve noted that big crowds a church other meetings really get my PTSD response going, but somehow bars are comforting. We have gotten to meet a lot of really interesting people going to bars. We have also have gotten to know the bar tenders and other wait staff. We are comfortable with them and they are getting to know us. They know what we like to eat and know which beers we like with having to tell them. Bartenders are far better listeners than most Christians. There is a reason why people go to bars, bartenders will listen to you and talk with you without telling you what you need to be doing. As they have gotten to know us their personal and sometimes spiritual questions come up. I don’t hide the fact that I am a Priest and Chaplain. Maybe this is foreign to many at the east end of the Bible Belt, but it is nice to be there for them too. Questions of faith, baptism, confirmation, difficulties with church teaching and prayer needs are often expressed as we get to know these young men and women.
Knowing that a priest and his wife accept them as they are sometimes results in interesting findings. So many people are disenfranchised from the Church. We have met more lapsed Catholics, Baptists and others who long for genuineness. Most have been hurt by legalism and rejection by people in their church or other religious folk. Denominational affiliation is irrelevant. They have tired of being ostracized but still long for God without Her being shoved down their throat by some well meaning but often single minded and blunt edged “witness.” Some of these bartenders and wait staff have deep faith. They may not be “in your face” about it but they care for people and many will tell you how God is working in their life and that of their family simply because you are there. For us this is part of “Incarnation Christianity.” Jesus made a bit of wine himself, from what I read it was pretty good. He also hung out with the bartenders of his time as well as others deemed less than socially acceptable by the highly religious culture of the time. Sounds familiar even today. Some things never change.
So we don’t worry about what anyone else thinks about us doing this anymore. We have a great time and get to know a lot of neat folks which sometimes leads to interesting spiritual situations. Relationships are being developed, friendships formed and the love of Jesus being shown. Now I know that some will object, but I have come not really to care and I couldn’t give a rip if someone doesn’t like that fact that I drink good beer. Those who proof text attempt to isogete scripture to say that we are somehow “causing the weaker brothers to sin” really have no idea about scripture or the incarnation. I figure that the Diety Herself would be please. If not she’ll let me know.
As Martin Luther said: “I know the devil is active, but I also know God is sovereign, so I will sit here and drink my beer.” Peace to all God’s people. Padresteve out.
The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 