I saw something that I’m guessing is very rare this past Sunday at church.  After the worship service, as I’m walking down the hall to get my kid from his class, I see a guy wearing this T-shirt and shorts.  On the front, it said, “got beer?”  Without really processing it yet, I made a double take to make sure I really saw what I thought I saw.  And I did see what I thought I saw.  See?  And the first thoughts that went through my mind were something like these: 1)no way is this guy wearing a “got beer?” shirt to church, and a Baptist church at that. 2) What is this guy thinking? 3) Is that the most “churchy” shirt he could come up with this morning when he was in his closet?  4) Are all of his other shirts dirty?  So is he really looking for beer at church?  At our church?  I’m guessing he probably wasn’t thinking that when he put it on, it’s just a shirt right?

Then after I picked up my son and was in the car headed home, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about the guy at church with the “got beer?” shirt.  As I continued to process what I saw, my thoughts began to change.  I wonder how this guy was treated at church this morning.  I wonder if he was in a Sunday School class, and how if so, how they treated him.    Then I wonder how many churches are there that a guy would feel comfortable wearing a “got beer?” shirt to it.  Should somebody be comfortable wearing that to a church.  I would sure hope so.  I imagine at a lot of churches, he would have been stopped at the front door,  confronted about his shirt, asked to go change shirts, and told that he’s not allowed to wear that in here.  But he didn’t look like he was being persecuted when I saw him.  He just looked like any other guy walking down the hall.  I really hope that he was made to feel welcome that morning.

I wonder why beer has such a negative connotation among churches.  At many baptist churches, it ranks right up there with heroin and child pornography.  I’m glad our church isn’t like that.  I wonder if Jesus would have worn a “got wine?” shirt around the village.  Why not, he liked wine, and I’m sure he enjoyed it when people would give him some :-)