Red, red wine.

There doesn't seem to be much discussion about alcohol on the blogs, even the Christian ones. I have teetotaling friends and moderate drinker friends. The church I am part of encourages AA and Alanon groups to use our facilities for meetings.

When I first moved back to the rural West Tennessee area I now live in, a fellow church member invited our family over to their home. She couldn't figure out how to ask if we'd like beer or wine. She had made a similar statement to another member of the church and had been judged pretty harshly for suggesting such a thing.

Our pastor at the time did not drink until his children had gone to college. Not because he was ashamed of it, but because he wanted them to know it just wasn't that important.

I like wine. I like beer, I even like a shot of whiskey now and again. That's not very Methodist of me, in terms of what the Book of Discipline says. I suppose I should dislike it as much as I dislike the lottery that Tennessee now has.

Maybe there will come a time when I take as much pleasure in a cup of tea (I have had some really great teas before)as I do in a glass of porto. I don't think that my moderate consumption is a stumbling block to others in the faith. But I suppose we should think about it anyway.

Today, I am going to a winery. It's small, it's local, and it's owned by a relative of a friend of mine, which makes it even more fun. It's a gorgeous fall day, the sun is shining bright, and I look forward to a day of enjoying God's creation. Pour yourself a glass of wine, a cup of coffee or a glass of tea and enjoy it with me.

Peace.