Beer and God?

One friend told me "the church has been feminised". People in church today are talking about "their feelings to the Lord". I have heard of a church where "they colour their emotions on Sunday on a response slip, and paste it on the wall". The popular imagery of men being wild, macho, and detached seemed to be foreign in some churches I visit. I remembered one instance where I tried so hard to cry during altar call, wondering why I can't cry as easily as a few other ladies in the same row.

Men in churches, in Malaysia as far as I have known of do not drink, smoke or womenise. We become domesticated. There's a widespread saying that goes on in certain Malaysian communities, "If you want to find good husbands (that do not drink, smoke or womenise), grab the guys in Christian churches".


Though I affirm that it is true that in the Bible that it is strictly a sin to womenise, the Bible did not condemn drinking and smoking. After all in the past century, smoking is not something queer as it is a common thing among British men after World War I & II, although in the latter years we knew about its health hazards. According to Mark Driscoll, in his Radical Reformission book, said that "a number of God's people down the years have greatly enjoyed alcohol'. St. Gall was a missionary to the Celts and a renowned brewer. After Charlemagne's reign, the church became Europe's exclusive brewer... Pastor John Calvin's annual salary package included upward of 250 gallons of wine to be enjoyed by him and his guests.... Martin Luther's wife Catherine was a skilled brewer, and his love letters to her when they were apart lamented his ability to drink her beer. When the Puritan's landed at Plymouth Rock, the first permanent building they erected was a brewery."



He longed for the glory days of Christian pubs where God's men gather to drink beer and talk theology and suggested brand names for brews like 'Lord's Lager, Holy Hefeweizen, Pastor's Porter, Alleluia Ale, Saintly Stout, and Lucifer's Light.'.



I personally feel that if we are to identify with our Chinese community (or certain Indian communities), we need to recover our Christian appreciation for liquors. After all, the Chinese in the ancient past have been great makers of liquors. Tsing Chao wine is often used in cooking, Red Wine is used widely in Foochow cooking (especially their wine mee suah), DOM wine (invented by a French priest) is consumed widely by Chinese women during their maternity. Besides XO, Tiger Beer, Guiness Stout have been favourites by the Chinese community during festivities.

If we can only appreciate the beauty of drinking liquor, having a toast of beer as a sign of friendship, fellowship, equality, and celebration can be very much a spiritual activity, if done in moderation and not lead to drunkenness.

Why can't we see Christian men flock the pubs to talk theology and to plan their men's fellowship outreach activities? Why can't we see our churches run Christian cafes and pubs as a healthy avenue for the community to have a healthy, moral social outlet? Why can't we see our men go watch football and toasting beer, forming friendship and fellowship between men in churches?

My last words, the beer and the love for God can go along, side by side, like this, hehe. Probably we can start our own 'Lion of Judah Beer' or 'Guiness Holy Stout', Maranatha Tapai or even Hallelujah Toddy.