Things My Church Didn't Teach Me #01 The Pub

Sounds a bit negative I know but this is a series around how to make sense of life and faith in my world with a mission and ministry with young people edge...
   Growing up in the Methodist Church and my family meant a choice for 'no alcohol'! This is an understandable and sensible conservative choice and flows out of the history of the beginnings of Methodism. The Wesley's made their name in mission and ministry amongst drinkers using some well known drinking songs as tunes for some of their best songwriting...
   Trouble is, drinking or not, it means 'the pub' was a foreign culture to me and and in many ways still is... I know enough to be aware of regulars, customs, 'the local' and how different venues have a character all their own. I know enough to be aware of what I don't know and yet these days pubs are still a popular gathering place, serve some great meals and although many have too many poker machines the smoke free environments are far more hospitable and even family friendly compared to many restaurants.
   Thanks to rugby union culture, friends and now even my own family's regular birthday meal celebrations I am way more familiar with and 'at home' at the local pub...
   The deeper reflection on this is the conflict around 'being in but not of' the world, whether attendance is tacit approval of some of the behaviour of drunk people or whether it's actually about being present and comfortable in the lives, spaces, discussions and rythmn of life in the world where I live. I suppose it's a first world problem too... but hey it's just the first in the series!!