Dream Awakener

German pub friends
Originally uploaded by Camera Freak

A guest post by Mark Steffey

WHAT’S ON TAP?
“I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.”
- Homer Simpson

Over 10 million Americans are estimated to be alcoholic. Thousands of families are affected negatively by the abuse of alcohol.  The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences estimates that each year alcoholism and alcohol abuse in the United States cost society from $40 to $60 billion, due to lost production, health and medical care, motor vehicle accidents, violent crime, and social programs that respond to alcohol problems. In the United States, nearly 100,000 deaths annually are related to excessive drinking. One-third of all suicides are estimated to be associated with serious alcohol abuse. And the toll doesn’t limit itself to adults. It has been estimated that there are over 3 million problem drinkers between the ages of 14 and 17 in the United States (Institute of National Academy of Sciences 2006)

The United States has a unique and constantly changing culture.  One of the major shifts that has happened and is continuing to happen is the shift more and more towards an urban society. In the midst of this change, more and more people are living closer and closer to one another, but becoming “insulated” within the walls of whatever urban dwelling they reside in.  Many people who live in these urban centers find themselves on the margins of society.  As Andrew Davey notes in his book “Urban Christianity and Global Order”, “The church needs to understand and realize its potential as it connects and affirms the communities and individuals in the margins of the global city (Davey 2002: 37).”

People get up in the morning, go to work, come home, watch TV and surf the web, and then go to bed.  This pattern repeats over and over again.  There are few reasons why people leave their urban dwelling during the hours when they are not working – most of these reasons are related to commerce – clothes shopping, grocery, shopping, and the like.  Some people exercise at public clubs, and many attend sports and cultural events.  Some go out to eat dinner.  However, the most common reason for leaving the home after working hours among Americans for an activity other than shopping is to go to a place that is classified as a “drinking place.”  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 48,478 places that were classified as “drinking places” as of 2006 (Labor 2006).

In these nearly 50,000 establishments, where the primary product is alcohol, there are nearly 300,000 employees.  While it is hard to give an accurate figure on the number of people that frequent bars and pubs, there is obviously a large segment of the general population who frequent “drinking place” establishments.  That is significant because it indicates a mostly untapped mission field in our communities.  In other words, there are not many places that are like a local pub or bar.  There are several characteristics of these bars and pubs that make them unique, and places where Christians should consider spending some time…

     ➢ People frequent anywhere from once a month to daily.  You are likely to see the same people there on several occasions, even sitting in the same spot.
     ➢ People sometimes go alone. 
     ➢ That are often close by to where patrons live.  And if this is close by to where you live, it is way to find out who is in your community.  Here is an anecdote from my own life.  We moved into our house four years ago, and had little interaction with our neighbors on either side.  Then, this past summer, my wife and I decided to go out to dinner at our local pub, where we’d never been before.  Two of the first people we saw when we walked in the door of the establishment were our two neighbors, one who was sitting at the bar, and the other who was tending bar.  This was, literally, the first time we had encountered either of them anywhere other than seeing them walk to and from their car to their house.
     ➢ Where strangers often feel comfortable striking up conversations with one another.
     ➢ Where the product being consumed serves as a natural agent of “ease” in the social dynamics between strangers.

So why aren’t followers of Jesus in the bars and pubs, meeting new people and starting good conversations over a pint or a pitcher?  Have the world of beer and the world of church intersected? Let’s start with the Scriptures.

Next post: Jesus and Wine