David from New Bern Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 527 Content Per Day: 0.08 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/21/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/03/1964 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Our culture has made huge changes in what is acceptable business attire and what people wear even to formal gatherings. Church has also followed suit with a more generally relaxed dress code. There was an adjustment period abut 20 years ago in most churches that reflected the difference between Sunday morning (formal), Sunday night (more relaxed), and Wednesday night (super casual). Now you can't find any unspoken rules. Some applaud this as a new openness in church, and others see it as a lack of reverence for the house of God. Some see it as a spiritual issue. Is this only a generational problem? Is it immaturity to embrace or not embrace this change in our culture? This question is prompted from a real life scenario recently. I invited a former member of our church to return to our church to share his musical talent. He is now a youth minister in a neighboring town. When he came he was dressed in jeans and a dress shirt. Dressed perhaps like 30-40% of the congregation gathered on a Sunday morning in our church. However he was wearing flip flops for shoes, and when it came time to perform he did so barefooted. An older member of my church said something about this a week latter in a private meeting. I noticed the flip flops but hadn't noticed the barefeet. I had no comment, because it caught me off guard. The brother in question is youthful and talented which lends itself sometimes to push the buttons of traditionalism. My first thought but unexpressed was that he was demonstrating that he was on holy ground in his worship. My concerned member thought it was lack of respect fr the pulpit and for the pastor. I know as the pastor I'm one of maybe 2 or three who wear a tie Sunday. What is discernment on this matter for our generation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletprayers Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 135 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 7,537 Content Per Day: 1.08 Reputation: 157 Days Won: 2 Joined: 04/06/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/29/1956 Share Posted April 20, 2006 (edited) A few years ago, my children and some of their friends and other relatives started having a Bible Study at my sisters house. After a few months about 6 of the kids decided they wanted to be baptised. My son Eric, started attending church services with us, he was so excited because he felt like he had finally opened up and let God in to lead him. Let me add this, I attended a pretty "wealthy" church, Designer everything, everywhere you look, not everybody but a majority of the church is well off. My son came home from church one Sunday evening and was very upset, he said he was never going back to that church again, he would never tell me exactly what happened, but with tears in his eyes he said " what difference does it make to God what kind of clothes I wear, does he care about that" so I'm certain something was said about his attire. He stopped attending church and 2 years later was killed in a car accident. Now I can hear, he shouldn't have let what other people say change or destroy his walk with God, but a person with new faith, well it is very easy to do that with sometimes the smallest thing. I don't care what clothes people wear, thats between them and God, I need to be worrying about my own garments, "who are we to judge another mans servant". Edited April 20, 2006 by Silentprayer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinM Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 144 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 4,512 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 625 Days Won: 10 Joined: 04/11/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/07/1979 Share Posted April 20, 2006 I think it is great to just have people in Church. If you think about it, Christ never intended for a church to be a building, He wanted it to be His followers. As long as we are worshipping Him and dressing appropriately (so as not to distract others from worshipping) that should be fine. I definitely think conservative dressing is appropriate no matter what, but when people start showing more skin than clothing, especially around the interesting areas of the body, that is when we have a problem. So dress how you please, but make sure you aren't trying to impress or distract the congregation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tah Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 105 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,131 Content Per Day: 0.45 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/12/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted April 20, 2006 This might have been better put in the controversial issues as you are sure gonna get some different answers.. I think we should show some kind of respect for where we are.. Modesty people modesty.. flip flops belong at the beach and so do shorts and halter tops.. That said..if all I have is flip flops and shorts and a halter top and I needed to go to church, I would go. And I would hope God would speak to someone's heart to help me find clothing that was appropriate.. my feeling on the matter.. I think we do a lot of the things because we are ignorant.. I love a particular scripture that always gives me hope that when I do those things in ignorance that He will speak to me and teach me what I should be doing ..for me for every Christian.. Phi 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsower Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 42 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,545 Content Per Day: 0.19 Reputation: 30 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/18/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/27/1968 Share Posted April 20, 2006 I don't think it matters a bit what we where as far as respect goes or any spiritual reason, I just think it's sad that we, as a generation, don't dress up for anything anymore. Even the prom kids are slouching. It's just a general decline of anything being special. I think most people feel better about themselves when they look good. I love to dress up for church, but I'm in the choir so I really am only seen in my robe anyways. It should be an individual decision, I don't think God cares a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David from New Bern Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 527 Content Per Day: 0.08 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/21/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/03/1964 Author Share Posted April 20, 2006 6 years ago, I put on the church sign "Come as you are, we don't care if you have a dress or not". I thought it might be asking for trouble, but I did it. There is a mobile home park across the street from the church. And one guy and his live-in girlfriend decided to test it. They were dressed down, if you know what I mean. He had curly bushy curly hair that he teased out, wife beater t-shirt (sorry for the colloquialism), and two pepsi bottles. One bottle for refreshment and one for a spittoon. To make a long story short, he and his wife are still in the church, she sings in the church and he teaches and ministers in the church. He tells this story to all the newcomers testing our level of acceptance in the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 9 Topic Count: 15 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 422 Content Per Day: 0.06 Reputation: 319 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/13/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted April 20, 2006 I use dress style as a test for judging churches. If everyone is dressed formally, it seems they are all trying hard to impress each other. If there's a diversity in dress styles and nobody seems to care much, that's likely a good group. This may seem harsh, but for me it works best to avoid churches that put more value in money and image than the bible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giaour Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 179 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 3,941 Content Per Day: 0.55 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/28/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/08/1964 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Jesus wore a robe and sandals. I think that means that I can wear jeans and a sweater. "Just as I am" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tah Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 105 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,131 Content Per Day: 0.45 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/12/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted April 20, 2006 said this should be in the other section.. When called to the wedding from the streets they were expected to change their clothes..... and I still think it a matter of respect... From what I understand The white house gets more respect than churches do.. When I first came back to the Lord after a long absence I was wearing mini skirts and little tops.. to church.. God spoke to my heart that it was an inappropriate way to dress to come to worship .. Then He spoke to my heart that it was just plain inappropriate dress for me period.. I dressed modestly after that.. Modestly I said .. clothes for a Christian mother and wife to wear.. I do not "dress up" either... I did wear a pair of house slippers to church once.. Got there, walked into the building with my "normal clothes" and my slippers.. it was terribly funny... Did anyone notice the spell check on this thing does not work?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletprayers Posted April 20, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 135 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 7,537 Content Per Day: 1.08 Reputation: 157 Days Won: 2 Joined: 04/06/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/29/1956 Share Posted April 20, 2006 6 years ago, I put on the church sign "Come as you are, we don't care if you have a dress or not". I thought it might be asking for trouble, but I did it. There is a mobile home park across the street from the church. And one guy and his live-in girlfriend decided to test it. They were dressed down, if you know what I mean. He had curly bushy curly hair that he teased out, wife beater t-shirt (sorry for the colloquialism), and two pepsi bottles. One bottle for refreshment and one for a spittoon. To make a long story short, he and his wife are still in the church, she sings in the church and he teaches and ministers in the church. He tells this story to all the newcomers testing our level of acceptance in the church. I use dress style as a test for judging churches. If everyone is dressed formally, it seems they are all trying hard to impress each other. If there's a diversity in dress styles and nobody seems to care much, that's likely a good group. This may seem harsh, but for me it works best to avoid churches that put more value in money and image than the bible. Jesus wore a robe and sandals. I think that means that I can wear jeans and a sweater. "Just as I am" Amen, amen, amen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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