Last week, the Ladies talked coffee. This week, they’re at the other end of the beverage spectrum, with an honest and hard-hitting Wild Card conversation on alcohol and Lutheran churches.

Is drinking a sin? How does Scripture inform our use of alcohol? What did Luther think and say about alcohol and drunkenness? What place (if any) does recreational drinking have in our life together as Lutherans? How can Lutheran women enjoy alcohol responsibly while also extending grace and compassion to those whose lives have been negatively impacted by alcohol abuse?

To learn more, check out the following resources:

• LCMS.org FAQ on “What is the LCMS’s stance on the consumption of alcohol?”
• Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller on “Martin Luther’s Top Five ‘Beer’ Quotations”
• Eleanor Health on “Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism—How to Know if Someone Has a Problem with Drinking”
• “Alcohol Facts and Statistics” from the National Institutes of Health
• “Data on Excessive Drinking” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If you are shackled by addiction, let the chains fall. Jesus took your pain and struggles to the cross and you are loved and forgiven. There is hope and help for you on this earth until we await Christ’s return. To speak to someone right away about problem drinking, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline: 1-800-662-4357.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].