Too much theology on tap

With all the talk about churches meeting in bars, and Bible studies over beer, ABC has an interesting story about a Christian couple who tried to turn an English pub into, well, a pub.  But with no swearing, gambling, darts or other “pub-like” behavior.  Patrons hated it, and the owners fired the couple.

Which brings me to a thought — maybe bars and Bibles don’t mix.  Don’t get me wrong, I think we ought to reach out and engage folks wherever we can.  But there is a basic incompatibility with the barlife and the Christian life.  People go to bars to drink, smoke, gamble (pool, liar’s poker, sports, etc), and let their hair down.  Last time I checked, this is not what we do at church.

Granted, we might draw a bigger crowd at church if we had a few cold ones on ice, but the point of church is not to draw a crowd.  If we just want to draw a crowd, there are lots of things we could do.  But I’m thinking, we ought to leave the bar business to the bars.  After all, Jesus promised living water, not a cold Sam Adams.