Beer and Theology

Last night I was part of what may have been the coolest Bible study I've ever attended. For old times sake and to see some old friends I attended the Tuesday night gathering and worship of Lutheran Campus Ministries at Minot State University.
In many ways LCM was like family to me while I was at MSU. It was there that I could find the few other "Christian rebels" on campus, the people who, like me, professed faith in Christ, but also harbored the blasphemous notion that gay and lesbian people are not going to burn in hell for all eternity, but rather should be accepted as they are, accepted into the body of Christ and perhaps even *gasp* ...be allowed to be ministers!!! Or the equally blasphemous and perplexing idea that being a Christian is not really about prosyletizing to the "sinners" and "unsaved " on campus, or about raising your hands in worship and looking holy (Although if that's truly how you experience your Creator, more power to you.) but rather it's about serving one another, fighting for justice, working for peace and living the Gospel daily. Imagine that!
So I got together with some of these really cool people last night. We worshiped together and ate supper and conversation and laughter ensued. Then I turned to Pastor Tim and politely suggested that we head over to the The Blue Rider* and continue the evening there with the weekly Bible study. Hearty approval from all sides! Afterall, what could be more fun than beer and theology? Martin Luther would be proud.
There at the Blue Rider, our thoughts lubricated with Moose Drool, Guinness and Heffeweisse, we read Job 29-31 which launched us into a lively discussion on social justice, treating the poor with dignity, the wrongness of the right wing fundamentalist theology that claims that natural disasters and disease epidemics are really just God's judgement and a little bit about Job himself. It was truly a good time. To those of you who were there, "you rock!," it was great to hang out again and here's to Beer and Theology (let's see what Campus Crusade and Pacesetters think of us now!!!)

*For those reading this who've never been to Minot, The Blue Rider is an art/cowboy bar tucked away in a dark corner of downtown. It's owned by Walter Piehl, an art professor at Minot Sate University, who is also a bit of a cowboy. It's quiet, smoke-free and frequented by an interesting mix of college professors, well-dressed professional types and cowboy and farmer types. The bar's name comes from the title of a painting "The Blue Rider" or "Der Blaue Reiter" by the German Expressionist painter Wassily Kandinsky, Walter Piehl's favorite artist. (or so I'm told.) The walls are covered with prints and originals by various artists. It's the only bar I know of, anywhere, that has German Expressionist Art (Franz Marc anc Paul Klee) hung in the women's bathroom!!