Nicole’s e-Pistle

May 14, 2025

Greetings, friends!

I am sure you have heard the phrase, “Eat, drink, and be merry…” I love to quote this phrase to myself, especially when I am craving a sweet treat! Of course, I know there is more to the line, depending on where you happen to find it. The best example comes from Ecclesiastes, which is surprising, since the biggest theme in that book of Wisdom is that everything is vanity – in other words, everything is pointless. Still, in Ecclesiastes 8:15, the author says, “So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat and drink and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.” Hmm… that’s not so bad!

Then there is the phrase found in Luke 12:19, “And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry…’” – Also not bad, until you read what surrounds it. It is part of Jesus’ parable of the rich fool who stored up treasures for himself to relax in his old age, but God says to him in verse twenty, “‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’” Then there is a succinct version from both Isaiah 22:13 and 1 Corinthians 15:32, “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.” Both instances were meant to admonish those who squandered the time they had left with pleasure rather than in obedience and service to God.

I have taken a slightly different approach to this phrase for Sunday’s sermon title, “Eat, Drink, and Be Loving.” I won’t spoil the sermon now, but in preparing for the sermon, I have been thinking a lot about my daughter’s dance recital this past weekend with the theme, “Gotta Dance!” Our very own Berrien Long and her daughters Lily and Jo Beth put on a magnificent recital, especially with the littlest dancers (if I do say so myself)! The youngest dancers were dressed in little “Dumbo” costumes from the Disney cartoon, complete with headbands that had elephant ears and circus hats on them. They danced around and then “flew” through hoops to the tune “I think I seen ‘bout everything, when I see an elephant fly!” Then my daughter’s group, dressed in the most precious pink tutus with tule and pom-poms hopped and skipped around to the song “The Goldenwing Circus.” Watching the 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds dance and skip about the stage with pure abandon reminded me of how true joy can cause us to feel that we’ve just gotta dance!

While the phrase “eat, drink, and be merry” comes with a warning label in scripture, there are plenty of passages that remind us that we have the freedom in Christ to find joy in life and to share that joy with others. (Okay, perhaps I can spoil a little of the sermon in advance!) As those of us in Dalton look forward to sunnier days ahead, and as those of you who are traveling are off on grand adventures, I hope each of you finds time to eat, drink, dance, hike, play, swim, bask, and fellowship in ways that fill you with gratitude and love!

Blessings and peace, friends!