Thoughts on coffee in church

I see the youth with cans of soda... but I'm just so glad they attend! Plus, I've not seen them drinking from the cans during service so maybe it's something left over from Sunday School. Many of our Sunday School classes have coffee and donuts each week.

However, we're moving into a $5 million dollar building later this month or early next month and I wonder if there'll be some rules.

Diane

 

This is an issue where Paul's words to the Corinthians definately apply:

"If any man hunger, let him eat at home."

If the church is gathered for the purpose of eating, eating is fine. When they are gathered for the purpose of worship they should be worshipping exclusively.

Mark Osgatharp

 

Amen Brother Osgatharp -- Preach it!

 

No eating and drinking in the sanctuary during worship. I'm all for casual, but thats a little too casual.

 

As always, you have to consider the context. To use this passage to condemn coffee mugs is to readically rip Scripture out of its appropriate context.

 

I am beginning to wonder where the lost world really is. "Lord, are there few that be saved?" If a man would be my disciple, let him deny father, and mother,,,,,,,,,,,,,and let him deny himself......take up the cross and follow me.

What on earth are the churches coming to? What next, Go Go Girls leading the choruses? I shant be surprised.

Cheers,

Jim

Respect is the keyword; respect.

 

I don't think the Bible speaks directly to whether one can worship while drinking coffee or not. If that church can worship in Spirit and truth while doing such, what is it our business. Let's focus instead of helping pursecuted Christians, feeding the poor, and spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. I trust this church in question will be doing the same, whether with regular or decaf.

 

I don't think adults should be drinking or eating in church. Only when there is a fellowhip like in the fellowship building but during the service I think that is a little much...JMHO

 

Provide enough for everybody that wants some or none at all.

 

Our church does not allow eating or drinking in the sanctuary. We have a fellowship center for that.

Some of the adult SS classes serve coffee and donuts, but that is in the classrooms, not the sanctuary.

Our sanctuary is carpeted and has padded pews. They would become a mess in no time with coffee and food spilled on them. Besides, it's not a restaurant, it's a church.

 

I don't know about this, I have mixed feelings. Jesus chose a dinner feast to institute the very first communion with food all over the table. Was the location of the first instance any more or less a sanctuary than the assembly area of our local Church?

Although coffee mugs are allowed in the sanctuary in our church, I don't do it (mostly for the sensitivity of others).

In my prayer/praise/devotion time I go into the heavenly sanctuary of the Holy of Holies sometimes with food, sometimes fasting, sometimes while walking, driving, etc...

If that is the only thing you see about this church that is not "kosher", I would say be happy and overlook it.

HankD

 

What's all this about a 'sanctuary'? Sounds a bit RC to me - some bits of the church are more 'holy' or 'special' than others? There I was thinking that church was the gathered company of believers, not some piles of bricks and mortar....

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

This remainds me of the old story about the old lady complaining to the pastor and said, "The young people are chewing gum in the sanctuary!" The pastor looked at her and said, "My dear lady, you have it backwards, it is the SANCTUARIES that are chewing gum."

Besides the mess, which is a good enough reason by itself, I think it is a bad example to others, especially young people, about the seriousness of the service. It is a distraction for the drinker as well as the observer. That being said, can I still munch on my Life Saver "Cream Savers"?

 

I don't like having food or drink in the sanctuary because I don't feel that it's respectful but, in all fairness, that's based more on my background and the way I was brought up than any Biblical admonition against it.

 

How sad that one cannot deny onself coffee, softdrink, food, etc. for 1-2 hours of worshipping our Lord. Would make me wonder about other things.

 

I totally agree with you!!! My husband and I will not aloow our children to even chew gum in church I mean they can't in school and to me church should be much more respected than a school building....JMHO....AGAIN!!!

 

Doesn't hurt my feelings, nor do I want to encourage it. I've preached in very humid areas where people HAD to have watter bottles and elderly folks had to have some water nearby. What's the difference?

I hope no one makes too big a deal out of this. We have much bigger issues in Christianity to be fighting for.

 

Well Matt, I wasn't trying to be RC about it. The reason I used the word 'sanctuary' was to show that I wasn't refering to a fellowship room, a sunday school room, or the entire church building as a whole.</font>[/QUOTE]What else are you supposed to call it?