I don't think Church covenants should prohibit alcohol (after all, if they were around a couple thousand years ago they would have had to put Jesus under church discipline
). Same with pot.
Is it wrong to smoke illegal pot? Yes, just as it is wrong to violate the speed limit. So there is a case about obeying laws.
But alcohol and legal pot use falls, IMHO, under the area of sole competency. It is between the person and God.
And no, I've never even tried pot. Worked for the government in some form most of my life...and still am. When I retired from the Army I said I'd never work another government job.....but here I am. And sill have to shave every day.
I’m from a drinking culture, but it is generally frowned upon to drink till people lose rationality and can’t hold a conversation.
It’s to loosen up and laugh and be social not make a Wally of yourself.
Beers can’t really get you into trouble anyway.
After work drinks now and then 6 pints is fine, 7 marginal, 8 pints is too much.
People lose respect for you if you can’t draw a line under it.
One bottle of quality wine at a heavy dinner for one man is generally good, but two bottles is over the top unless it’s an afternoon till night BBQ or spit roast birthday event which can go over 10 hours. People will only bring 2 bottles to the big events BYO if a lot of food is available, Lunch and Dinner.
A good quality scotch 3 glasses for back pain and spasms after a heavy labor days. Spirits is generally reserved for working men and old men with arthritis for at the end of the day in my book.
Feast days generally just raise a pint with dinner in thanksgiving to The Lord for the relevant saint’s service. Saint Patrick’s day is a little different, with mutton spit roast and large amounts of food 7 pints from the old country is not unreasonable culturally.
Parish picnics we use a little caution, ladies drank a bit too much a few years back. Cask wine was the culprit which holds a gallon per cask and people didn’t keep track, hot day, chilled wine on tap, of cause it would all end in tears. So now they are limited to bottles and can meter out their glasses, I suggested the common sense change.
Lent is dry, even on sundays. Easter is quality South Australian red wine with lunch.
Veteran rugby a middy glass of Jamaica Rum before or after the game, it helps with the agony. Some need a glass before and after the game.
Rum for Australia Day and ANZAC Day, Saluting day, Queens/ Kings Birthday
Rum for a match of Goanna.
Maintain all reason not acting out of your normal character and have a nominated driver as is prudent.
Offer all your corporeal enjoyment of food and drink and festivities to God in atonement and armour against blasphemy and to His greater Glory. I don’t know why this works in particular, but I was shown that it does.
In all griefs and joys, include The Lord so that nothing is missed in offering to The Fathers Glory, all times and everywhere.
If it is not given for you to be responsible with drinking, then don’t. But make that also an offering of praise and thanksgiving to The Father’s Glory.
A great draught is reserved for you alone in the next world, that is tailored for only you to savour with the Lord and no other.
Jesus is not captain killjoy He is not a lecturing wowser, He wants all things to Glorify The Father.
And The Father lets nothing interfere with the happiness of His Children in the world to come, nothing.
You can lay up treasure in Heaven in this world whether you partake or abstain of things in His Holy Will and in the just laws of your land and culture.
Don’t drink to make yourself happy, drink something because you are happy in the Lord and perhaps for your physical well-being.
We have physical bodies broken down from heavy work and pain from morning till night, great personal suffering in the cold and the heat with lime cracked skin broken knuckles and fingers. This is not to be something unrelenting for its own sake, although a pure offering can be made from it.
Jesus doesn’t drive us into the dirt, even though we grow used to pain. Satan drives his slaves into the dirt.
When you see a true blessing and relief offered, take it, it’s The Lord offering it.
Some things are offered as foretastes of the world to come, in light in shadow in friendship in joy and in sorrow.
“ Taste and see that the Lord is good “
