Wine Review

Did God give us wine? I feel safe in saying he did. I haven't tasted it in many years and don't have any particular desire to taste it now. I'm a fan of Lipton 'o7, with a light bouquet and a slight fruitiness emboldened by a dash of Sweet & Low. I realize that to use wine as an analogy for comtemporary church folks is like telling folks in Green Bay about how uncomfortably warm it is in St. Louis today. The ability to identify is limited. Nevertheless, I think it's thought-provoking so I'm going to use it. You see, a glass of wine is just fine, all poetry aside. Paul, as we all know, suggested it to Timothy. Did you ever think about the transformation that takes place when a person goes from enjoying a glass of wine with their steak dinner to becoming an alcoholic? Something that is good, in and of itself, becomes terrible because it went from being a good thing to a control thing. Alcohol becomes the new master. A tool becomes a terror because someone lost perspective, focus, and purpose.

This caused me to wonder, after hearing some whining from Christians about what the church should do, if some of us aren't churchoholics. Yes I know that sounds like blasphemy, but with the institutionalizing of "THE Church" isn't is possible that many people are addicted to church and not Jesus? Especially when church becomes the crutch or the definition of our faith. It defines righteousness, law, rituals, and faithfulness for us and we can't begin to function as worshipping creatures without it being scheduled by the official church calendar. We can't possibly do outreach without an Outreach Program within our church. And why doesn't our church have a better plan for welcoming our visitors? Giving takes place "at church" and loving one another is an extra-curricular activity for those who do more than "go to church." Does it replace a personal walk with God? If so, it's not the church he build. The tool that God gave to help us draw closer to each other and to him, has become the idol to be worshipped and obeyed, because without it, how would anyone know you're a faithful Christian?

We will not stand before God with our church family and give account of our ministry record. We will stand before him, and "each of us will give account of himself to God." (Rom.14:12) There will be no "yes, but the church didn't have an outreach ministry" or "they never called me to help with benevolence." When the tool becomes the addiction, what was good becomes bad and what was a help becomes a hindrance. Churcholoholic? It's when we depend on "church" to "guide, guard, and direct" our spiritual maturity instead of developing a personal devotion to God. Kind of makes Paul's call to "be sober" even more dramatic. I never said it wasn't important, essential, and something we deeply love - it is the Body of Christ, but it's a tool not an end. At some point, we are to be filled with the Spirit, not living on wine. Didn't Paul say that first- somewhere?