nebula Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.76 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.95 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted April 23, 2006 I have a 21 year old daughter who says she has a hard time finding dresses that are both dressy but modest enough for church... Ain't that the truth, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbershay Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 49 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 562 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/03/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted April 23, 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? This seems very odd but much coming against barefeet and sandles Flip flops . top say it has relaed is so far off base its unreal. some seem to forget what the Lord says to do when you are on HOLY GROUND............ take off your shoes (bare feet) NOw preaching in the fields do you think people went to go put on their finest closes they probly didnt even have any. This dressing up thing to me seems to be a pride thing that comes from a religious spirit and traditions of men. I think its better to wear your fancy clothes on the inside of your body. Normal wear is good , i also believe normal wear should be modest . My biggest problem is beautiful woman showing so much skin in the fancy clothes beautiful hair and make up and high heals, they are really sexy and thats the biggest problem i have with the clothes issue. One more thing the house of GOD isnt a church building......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbershay Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 49 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 562 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/03/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted April 23, 2006 well if you wear a suit with a tie for respect that fine. But thats your preference doesnt mean everyone else has too. Its the same as one day is important to one and one day isnt as important but all do it to respect God. What ever works for you. Meanwhile some wear casual dress for a different reason , for them suits and ties represent tradition and not normal attire. One generally dresses up for respect in the regular world . clothes make the man. People who come causual do so so they can take off the world and approach God as themselves with open hearts. If you actually look up what the origin and mean of a tie is as a christian you would see its and abomination and i would hope that you would never wear one again. As for woman wearing pants cross dressing that is just crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peaceafire Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 8 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 119 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/18/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/18/1961 Share Posted April 23, 2006 Ramblings rattling around my mind regarding raiment... Here in North America it seems as though the middle class is dwindling, there are the haves and the have nots, now the haves they dress up pretty in their suits and dresses, baubles and bangles and they come to worship the Lord, (who am I to question otherwise), and the have nots well their choices are much more limited. Perhaps they only own one outfit and it is meant to be durable for all functions of living, I know of one man who wore the same sweatpants 7 days week for for over 6 months to church, to work, to the grocery store every where he went he wore those sweats till they near fell apart on him. This same man would call on the homeless of the streets with a sack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sit with the lost offerring hope of salvation while hungry hearts and bellies feasted on sandwiches and the Word of God that spills from his mouth. Then one Sunday not that long ago he arrived at church in a different pair of sweats a little less threadbare, but not new. I overheard two of the haves speaking "Thank God, I thought those old sweats were gonna fall right off him " and they laughed. He didnt hear them becasue he was rushing off to buy more peanut butter to feed the hungry. I learned that day that though he was a man of little means he used his means for others rather than himself. Glory to God for the works of a humble man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hat_town21 Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 59 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/25/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/10/1984 Share Posted April 23, 2006 I haven't read the whole thread...a lot to read, so I'm just posting comments from the title. The Lord wants you to come as you are. Granted you can't show up looking like a stripper every Sunday but I would hope that if a stripper showed up she would be loved and cared for not judged and mis-treated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iryssa Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 117 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,860 Content Per Day: 0.56 Reputation: 9 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/10/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/13/1984 Share Posted April 23, 2006 As for woman wearing pants cross dressing that is just crazy. Then it is equally crazy for anyone to point a finger at a man wearing a dress and say he is guilty of cross dressing. Some time back, I got a solicitation from Concerned Women For America. They were complaining about a book that was to be used in the public schools called "Jessee's Dream Skirt." It was about a little boy who liked to wear his mother's clothes. He always wanted a skirt of his own, so his mother made him one and sent him off to school in it. The kids made fun of him, however one little girl spoke up and said, "Well I wear pants, so what's the difference?" This turned into a lesson in tolerance. Notice that the skirt was made by his mother for him, meaning by the standards of today, it was a boy's skirt, though it gave him a femine appearance. It is funny how Concerned Women For America were so appauled by this, yet they probably wear pants and didn't see their own hypocrisy. I guess it is crazy to complain about such material being marketed to our children, and it is just fine for little boys to have long hair and wear dresses? This just shows me how far this society has sunk into moral depravation. Oh for pity's sake! No, a guy wearing a dress is NOT the same thing because that is not a social norm. Do YOU see guys regularly running around in dresses? I'll bet you see a lot of women wearing pants though, right? Yeah...that does actually make a difference. Anyway, last time I checked, I don't even buy my pants from the guy's section. There are LADIES' pants as well as GUYS'. *shakes head* Back in the 18th century, the "it's the same thing as a guy wearing a dress" argument would have been valid. However, this IS the year 2006 A.D., last time I checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwordFish Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 104 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/25/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted April 23, 2006 just a thought but maybe we should ask the question in reverse What is "not" the proper attire for public worship? As far as worship goes I can worship God out mowing the grass or digging in the garden weeds with dirt all over my face and God see it as beautiful as the word says "praise is comely" comely means a beautiful thing in the eyes of the Lord. Especially when we do it while we are walking in the spirit pleasing to him (in the truth living out what we profess) in spirit and in truth. Our sacrifices of praise are always acceptable to him in this manner. I just know if someone has genuine love for God in their hearts they should possess a certain respect and hold in high esteem the God of their salvation. And walk in a referent fear in all humility towards him in places of public worship because God can be offended by our behavior towards him. A person has their own conscious towards God in regards to right and wrong but the question I ask here is are we really conscious toward the God of our salvation or are we only focused on our selves and what makes us comfortable. If that is one's focus then it is walking selfish towards God not regarding him in high-esteem and God knows the individuals heart in why they are doing the way they are so if God is not pleased with one's sacrifices of praise and worship then all their motions and so forth are but vain repetition in his sight it is not a thing of beauty but of disdain in God's eyes. If we were to visit a person of high esteem such as the president of the united states I wonder what our attire would be towards him. Well it should be no different when we go to public places of worship to praise and worship the king of kings and lord of lords. Just my thoughts swordfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabowd Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 112 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,489 Content Per Day: 0.48 Reputation: 13 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/28/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted April 23, 2006 That is casual dress and I have no problem with that, since it is all many can afford. At the same time, I believe it is an abomination for women to wear jeans and a sweat shirt. It is one of the reasons I don't attend church anywhere today. To me this is inviting a sinful practice into what is supposed to be a house of worship. 1. We are the "house of God", not some building where we happen to gather. 2. You've allowed your judgmentalism to seperate you altogether from other believers (i.e. regular church attendance) and you don't think this would be an abomination to the Lord? It must be a lonely world to live in, when your rigid beliefs keep you from fellowshipping with other believers. How much of an impact do you think you can have on the world, when you won't even accept the majority of fellow believers? It's one thing to have personal convictions, but it's another to have such a critical spirit that you remove yourself from contact with those who's "convictions" are not the same. I'd say that when your strict adherence to rules and standards prevents you from being able to show grace to those who's standards differ from yours, then you've completely lost sight of the bigger picture. Rules, convictions, standards...those can all be good things. But when those things become more important than people, we've lost sight of why God created them in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwordFish Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 104 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/25/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted April 23, 2006 we are the temple of the lord for certain and our mannerism should so reflect that we are the house of the lord such as our speech and the way we look towards those that are without the gate we should even be so concerned with those who have different opinions as that which we ourselves hold and be careful in what they see flowing out of our temples of flesh and blood. We are to be ambassadors of Christ in all lowliness of mind and heart. Our dress code of today both in the world and in houses of brick and mortar does not do this today it instead is ambassador of the world instead of christ. Swordfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apothanein kerdos Posted April 23, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 331 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 8,713 Content Per Day: 1.21 Reputation: 21 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/28/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted April 23, 2006 For anyone interested, it's worthless debating butero on this point. I proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that pants use to belong solely to women, that it's subjective to culture, and that the Bible doesn't forbid it, in a previous topic....but he is set in his ways. It's merely an excuse to stay out of church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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