YOUR Church has put a DRESS CODE in place!

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Brothers & Sisters......

My question may not be for everyone,,,,,,,this Topic has been discussed many times before ,some people hold fast to the customary,traditional mindset that ladies wear dresses to church & men wear suits,these folks probably have a separate wardrobe reserved as "Church Clothes" & they are not the best candidates for this imaginary situation,,,,,,,,There a group of individuals that believe that God does not look at outward appearance & He sees a persons heart,they feel their apparel is irrelevant & some of them will be sure to wear a clean shirt & neat jeans while the rest will throw anything on,,,,,,my question is for them........

Okay,so you don't believe in "dressing up" for church and you go to a church were the Pastor wears jeans & a T-shirt,,,,,people dress however they want and you are happy as a clam because you love God,you love your Pastor,you love your Church and you love the service,,,,,,wouldn't change a thing,,,,,,,,,every Sunday you leave church filled with the Word of God,,,,,,,,,,,Now the Pastor announces,,,,,We have put a "dress code" in place,,,,,,,,,men must wear suits & ladies must wear dresses! If you cannot afford it we will give you a gift certificate to help........What would you do? Would you leave or stay?.............Just curious.............

The reason I ask is because as I see the "dress code" at church has slipped away into oblivion I do believe I see more people in attendance that may not have been there if they had to "dress up",,,,,,I wonder if being "uncomfortable" for an hour or two would prevent some people from going to the Church they say they love everything about? Well,let's see what the majority is and who has the best answer........

                                                                                                                          With love-in Christ,Kwik

BTW,,,,,,,,,I don't know that I am supposed to answer,,,,,,,I am one of those people that do "dress up" for church no matter where I go and no matter what anyone else does,,,,,,,,,keep in mind,the question really is not about what you prefer but "What would you do?"...........

[Qnts2]

48 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings Brothers & Sisters......

My question may not be for everyone,,,,,,,this Topic has been discussed many times before ,some people hold fast to the customary,traditional mindset that ladies wear dresses to church & men wear suits,these folks probably have a separate wardrobe reserved as "Church Clothes" & they are not the best candidates for this imaginary situation,,,,,,,,There a group of individuals that believe that God does not look at outward appearance & He sees a persons heart,they feel their apparel is irrelevant & some of them will be sure to wear a clean shirt & neat jeans while the rest will throw anything on,,,,,,my question is for them........

Okay,so you don't believe in "dressing up" for church and you go to a church were the Pastor wears jeans & a T-shirt,,,,,people dress however they want and you are happy as a clam because you love God,you love your Pastor,you love your Church and you love the service,,,,,,wouldn't change a thing,,,,,,,,,every Sunday you leave church filled with the Word of God,,,,,,,,,,,Now the Pastor announces,,,,,We have put a "dress code" in place,,,,,,,,,men must wear suits & ladies must wear dresses! If you cannot afford it we will give you a gift certificate to help........What would you do? Would you leave or stay?.............Just curious.............

The reason I ask is because as I see the "dress code" at church has slipped away into oblivion I do believe I see more people in attendance that may not have been there if they had to "dress up",,,,,,I wonder if being "uncomfortable" for an hour or two would prevent some people from going to the Church they say they love everything about? Well,let's see what the majority is and who has the best answer........

                                                                                                                          With love-in Christ,Kwik

BTW,,,,,,,,,I don't know that I am supposed to answer,,,,,,,I am one of those people that do "dress up" for church no matter where I go and no matter what anyone else does,,,,,,,,,keep in mind,the question really is not about what you prefer but "What would you do?"...........

Ok, good question.

Let me start with a couple of comments about myself. I wear jeans and an oversized t-shirt, with a loose fitting blazer or jacket. I have a single dress which I wear for those situations which require a dress but as soon as that occasion is over, I rush home to take off the dress. Dresses are extremely uncomfortable for me, to the point of distraction. I am not comfortable and the entire time I wear the dress, I wiggle, pull at it trying to get it comfortable. I can't sit down without constant concern about the way I am sitting so as not to show anything. 

If I visit a church which requires a dress, I wear a dress but I have trouble following the sermon as I am unable to simply focus on much because the dress is so uncomfortable, it is a distraction for me. I also don't spend time visiting with people because I am anxious to get home and change clothes. If I am the speaker, it is not quite so bad as I am standing up and speaking but I am still glad to get home to change clothes. And as a visitor, it would not be a weekly thing.

So, if the church I love changed to have a dress code, I would probably comply for a time, but I think the dress code would cause me to be so uncomfortable, the dress code would cause me not to love going to that church anymore.  In the end, I would have to leave that church to find one where it would not be so uncomfortable. It would not be the churches fault that I find it so bad to have to wear a dress, and  I would be very sad about leaving the church, but I would have to leave.

 

[appy]

James 1: 1 thru 4

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

 

I'm very sure this thread isn't about the scantly clad verses the modestly dressed. But against men who don't wear a suit and tie or ladies who don't wear expensive looking dresses to church. Its the tie vs no tie issue. How one dresses should be based on personal conviction. What one person considers dressing up may not be consistent with what other people think. Very quickly you start down a road that leads to legalism and pride.

Jesus was constantly around the sinners of his day. Not the affluent and wealthy. The Pharisees were the religious of the day who were impressively dressed. They really thought of themselves as pleasing God. but Jesus had some of the harshest words for them. There is scripture that says the pharisees were so careful to clean the outside of the cup, but inside was filthy. 

A dress code does not equalize people, it instead divides between those who can afford a suit and tie /fancy dress and those who can not.  And above all else, it has no affect on keeping people from temptations and weakness's.  Since a person is required to do more than just shower and wear clean clothes , this has more to do with personal pride than our walk with Christ.  And as it has already been said.  This leads down to the road of legalism and pride.

.

[Willa]

Most people wear fragrances when they dress up.  These trigger severe asthma in me so that I must leave the service, and often I am sick for several days thereafter.  So I would not attend a church where people dress more formally unless it was mandated that fragrances not be worn.  I cannot attend churches that have air fresheners in the wash rooms, either, and have left 2 churches primarily for that reason.    

[missmuffet]

I would certainly wonder why the change and why a dress code had been put in place. That discussion I would bring up with the Pastor.

[kwikphilly]

Of course you needn't answer if you prefer not to,,,,,

Quote

,,keep in mind,the question really is not about what you prefer but "What would you do?"...........

Perhaps I should have been more specific,,,,,,,would you continue to go or would you go elsewhere to where you could wear what you want to? I wasn't trying to press the issue of legalism ,,,,maybe pride could be in there? Hmmmmm?

[Ezra]

8 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

Now the Pastor announces,,,,,We have put a "dress code" in place,,,,,,,,,men must wear suits & ladies must wear dresses! If you cannot afford it we will give you a gift certificate to help........What would you do?

Sounds reasonable, especially if a gift certificate is offered to assist. For hundreds of years, Christians have recognized that when they gather to worship, they need to dress appropriately. Since even secular jobs have dress codes, this is not an onerous expectation.  Obviously, it is an expectation for members, not visitors. 

One of the best examples of a dress code is what was required of the Levitical priests. Believers are king-priests (a Royal Priesthood), so that should also have a bearing on this question.

[Ezra]

4 hours ago, bopeep1909 said:

I would certainly wonder why the change and why a dress code had been put in place. That discussion I would bring up with the Pastor.

The reason for a dress code would be the same (or even more significant) as anywhere a dress code is applied. Since "casual" has been taken to extremes, even restaurants say "No shirt, no shoes, no service".

[missmuffet]

1 hour ago, kwikphilly said:

Of course you needn't answer if you prefer not to,,,,,

Perhaps I should have been more specific,,,,,,,would you continue to go or would you go elsewhere to where you could wear what you want to? I wasn't trying to press the issue of legalism ,,,,maybe pride could be in there? Hmmmmm?

It would all depend on what the outcome was with my discussion with the Pastor. I would not be hesitant to leave if I felt what was bring done was not Biblical.

[missmuffet]

The only dress code I would be concerned with is that women dress with modesty. I have seen some pretty scary attire on women coming to a worship service. They are not attending a bar or a nightclub they are going to Worship our Lord and Savior.