12.16.04
Posted in faith at 1:04 pm by
I’ve added categories to check out the latest blogvention news (if you’ve missed it) as well as any homebrewing techniques or recipes that I come up with. When I started this whole blogging escapade a while back, I didn’t really utilize categories as best as I could have. As a consequence, they’re pretty much a mess at this point. I’m also not going to go back and correctly refile a hundred and fifty or so odd posts. I’ll try to keep up to date on refiling from this point on.
Okay, on to my thought. I was at the bar with my friend Jon last night. We went after we bottled beer. (Which after the actual boiling process has to be my favourite part of the brewing process–I hope drinking the beer stacks up.) Anyway, we went to Founder’s Alehouse. My first beer was Red’s Rye. Red’s Rye is a beer that I first tried Monday night, and I fell in love. I also gave Devil Dancer a try. Devil Dancer is the kind of beer you drink when you are trying to get knocked on your ass. With 200+ IBUs, it’s one of the highest hopped beers in America. I expected it to be overwhelming. However, they’ve also got a pile of malt in the beer, so the hops are kind of evened out. The biggest part of this beer, though, is probably the 13% ABV. Needless to say, I had a beer buzz.
That’s not the thought, though. The thought is this. At Founder’s last night, I ran into more people who knew me than I ever have since I was a member of my father’s congregation when I was young. More people at the bar stopped by our table to say, “hi” to Jon and I than ever have at Church. What the hell’s with that? Is it the alcohol that makes people nicer? I’m not sure. Either way you shake it, it stands to reason that Church should be more like the bar. Here’s my rationale:
1. People are generally amiable at the bar, even the ones you don’t know.
2. There’s always a coming and going of people at the bar, and pretty much everyone is welcome.
3. The bar serves beer, and beer is yummy.
4. People you know (even if only a little) say hello.
5. The bar has a diverse group of people that hang out there.
6. All told, there are fewer fights at the bar than at church.
7. The fights that do happen at the bar aren’t ABOUT the bar. They’re usually a much more easily solved problem.
8. There’s a feeling of ‘togetherness’ at the bar.
Now, obviously, the bar isn’t a replacement for Church. I just wish the Church would take more of its cues from drinking establishments.
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Posted in faith at 1:04 pm by
I’ve added categories to check out the latest blogvention news (if you’ve missed it) as well as any homebrewing techniques or recipes that I come up with. When I started this whole blogging escapade a while back, I didn’t really utilize categories as best as I could have. As a consequence, they’re pretty much a mess at this point. I’m also not going to go back and correctly refile a hundred and fifty or so odd posts. I’ll try to keep up to date on refiling from this point on.
Okay, on to my thought. I was at the bar with my friend Jon last night. We went after we bottled beer. (Which after the actual boiling process has to be my favourite part of the brewing process–I hope drinking the beer stacks up.) Anyway, we went to Founder’s Alehouse. My first beer was Red’s Rye. Red’s Rye is a beer that I first tried Monday night, and I fell in love. I also gave Devil Dancer a try. Devil Dancer is the kind of beer you drink when you are trying to get knocked on your ass. With 200+ IBUs, it’s one of the highest hopped beers in America. I expected it to be overwhelming. However, they’ve also got a pile of malt in the beer, so the hops are kind of evened out. The biggest part of this beer, though, is probably the 13% ABV. Needless to say, I had a beer buzz.
That’s not the thought, though. The thought is this. At Founder’s last night, I ran into more people who knew me than I ever have since I was a member of my father’s congregation when I was young. More people at the bar stopped by our table to say, “hi” to Jon and I than ever have at Church. What the hell’s with that? Is it the alcohol that makes people nicer? I’m not sure. Either way you shake it, it stands to reason that Church should be more like the bar. Here’s my rationale:
1. People are generally amiable at the bar, even the ones you don’t know.
2. There’s always a coming and going of people at the bar, and pretty much everyone is welcome.
3. The bar serves beer, and beer is yummy.
4. People you know (even if only a little) say hello.
5. The bar has a diverse group of people that hang out there.
6. All told, there are fewer fights at the bar than at church.
7. The fights that do happen at the bar aren’t ABOUT the bar. They’re usually a much more easily solved problem.
8. There’s a feeling of ‘togetherness’ at the bar.
Now, obviously, the bar isn’t a replacement for Church. I just wish the Church would take more of its cues from drinking establishments.
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Mainsheet said,
December 16, 2004 at 1:44 pm
And Jesus first miracle was turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana …
Maybe Wesley and the Methodists ought to rethink some things. Alcohol isn’t good or bad in and of itself, but like anything it can be used for good or ill.
James said,
December 16, 2004 at 2:02 pm
Serious question for you: what is it about church/the bar that mean the bar isn’t a replacement for church?
Brandon said,
December 16, 2004 at 2:08 pm
Well, I’m not sure, James.
I think what would be more accurate for me to say is that the bar isn’t a replacement for church, but it can be a church. In which case it ceases to be ONLY a bar, but also a community.
I think a pub in a smaller town or village is more likely to give itself to being a church (in that you’ll actually know many more community members there.)
As you’ve asserted to me before, much of America isn’t really into the ‘neighborhood’ thing, as you’ve experienced it. In that sense, the bar here can’t live up to the community that it might bring elsewhere in the world.
I just don’t see a Cheers ‘everybody knows your name’ kind of bar in the US, at least not often. In that sense, the bar isn’t a suitable replacement for church…but then again…the church is hardly a suitable replacement for church in most cases.
Ok…this is getting far too long. Time to craft another entry about the topic.
Thanks for helping me think that through, James!
jpe said,
December 16, 2004 at 4:25 pm
6. All told, there are fewer fights at the bar than at church.
I see you don’t live in a Polish neighborhood. Come to think of it, I’ve never been to the Polish services, so there may be more fights there.
Streak said,
December 16, 2004 at 9:38 pm
Just fyi, Brandon, I don’t have the trackback ability, but have commented a bit on this.
James said,
December 17, 2004 at 11:01 am
For anyone who misses it, I trackbacked to Brandon’s next blog entry on this subject. You can find my entry at: http://james.anthropiccollective.org/archives/2004/12/where_everybody.html
Adam said,
December 17, 2004 at 12:39 pm
I’ve always thought that it would be cool to have a community (a church) that had a place where people could come and hang out and drink beer or coffee or whatever. Of course around here I don’t think anyone would come.
ad3 said,
April 18, 2005 at 12:41 am
ad3
8dfc9f180bb5c0aaaf582f89fd23bd43 0f24e352936dcf10ff47.