yesult Posted July 4, 2008 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 3 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 326 Content Per Day: 0.06 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/12/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted July 4, 2008 Maybe she just had her shoes off because she didn't have much respect for church or God? Some people don't (pastors kids or not.) Is she actually not wearing them because she feels like she's standing on 'holy ground'? Doesn't sound like it to me. If everybody just turned up in singlets and shorts would all the posters on this thread be happy? How about respect for Gods house? Nobody says we have to wear a three piece suit or 3 pounds of make up and shoes that kill our feet to look 'right' but if you start showing disrespect through dress - why? Would you go to someone else's house for dinner who you honoured - dressed like that? I wouldn't go to church barefoot unless I was a bum. Nor would I go to a friends party or dinner barefoot (unless asked to) for the same reason. It's common, garden variety politness. Would I take them off when I got there? Maybe, depends on the circumstances. Have I taken my shoes off at church at times? Yes. As a female - not that unusual? But Gods house is Gods house. I respect God. I'd be happy to jump over aisles or dance around in socks or barefoot if it was appropriate (and sometimes it is) (and sometimes I have) - but other times it's just sloppiness. I think we would have to be there to get more of an idea which it was in this situation since the OP hasn't given us more then basic info - but it bothers me that everybody is automatically siding with the person in question here, regardless. Would all of you like everybody in your church to be barefoot in the services (every service) and always walk across the pews to get to the aisle? Everybody? Being relaxed and showing respect are both, healthy attitudes in any church. But sometimes people can be too 'relaxed' at church out of simple lack of reverence. And sometimes people can become too uptight, out of fear of tradition or offending God. In a native church where people normally walk around barefoot in their day to day lives - is it any wonder that they don't wear them to church? Then it's cultural. But in normal western churchs, it isn't cultural - so why do it? There's relaxed and there's disrespectful - and we don't know which this situation is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IslandRose Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 476 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 5,266 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 63 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/21/1954 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Speaking as a former preacher's kid (PK) and the mother of 3 PK's... PK's grow up IN church, literally. They spend a lot of time in the building They are constantly under the eye of every body in the church and to be honest they develope kind of their own culture. Church is their home and they live in it as if it is home. My husband had a few strict rule for them... the stage and pulpit was not a playground. Other then that, the church building was as much home to them as our house. The older people in the church have always corrected my kids as if they were their own. Kids resented that sometimes. LOL So more than once, my girls will have kicked off their shoes during a service then jumped up to run back and help in Junior church or run an errand for a church member. Not my favorite thing, but my kids have hearts wrapped up in God's love, and what is on their feet is of much lesser importance to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakota Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 10 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/23/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted July 5, 2008 I have never seen anyone barefoot in our church but it wouldn't bother me in the least to see someone not wearing shoes. Definitely not a good reason to leave the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletprayers Posted July 5, 2008 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 July 5, 2008 Speaking as a former preacher's kid (PK) and the mother of 3 PK's... PK's grow up IN church, literally. They spend a lot of time in the building They are constantly under the eye of every body in the church and to be honest they develope kind of their own culture. Church is their home and they live in it as if it is home. My husband had a few strict rule for them... the stage and pulpit was not a playground. Other then that, the church building was as much home to them as our house. The older people in the church have always corrected my kids as if they were their own. Kids resented that sometimes. LOL So more than once, my girls will have kicked off their shoes during a service then jumped up to run back and help in Junior church or run an errand for a church member. Not my favorite thing, but my kids have hearts wrapped up in God's love, and what is on their feet is of much lesser importance to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yahsway Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 657 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/20/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/15/1959 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Ah, the Western mindset. How to "go to church" instead of "being the church". Two thirds of the world dont even have shoes, so what would you say to those poor souls? Why should we dress any different in the "church building" than we do outside that building? God is not interested in our dress, but in our relationship and heart towards Him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shy Christian Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 23 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 198 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 57 Days Won: 1 Joined: 08/03/2006 Status: Offline Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 I'm not talking about other countries or cultures but rather a normal American Protestant church. Actually it never occurred to me that perhaps they feel so comfortable being raised in the church that they walk around as if it's their own home. Point taken. But what about walking across the pews? Should they be that "comfortable"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amor Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 1 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,194 Content Per Day: 0.30 Reputation: 34 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/18/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted July 5, 2008 If they can wear shoes all day in school, when they go to a restaurant or to the mall, they can certainly show some respect and wear them for an hour in church instead of looking like they're at the beach. It's even air conditioned inside. were you wearing shoes when you were baptised? Anyway, surely better honest clean naked feet that muck encrusted boots or stinky socks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amor Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 1 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,194 Content Per Day: 0.30 Reputation: 34 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/18/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted July 5, 2008 As those who attended to Nashville gathering I like to wear a suite to church the reason be is that I go t sort of.o political rallies and from Monday my place of employment in a suite so I figured if I dress up for those things I should show God the same respect whilst attending an event to worship Him. That said that is Just for me I think there many people who attend church in casual clothing who have a glowing relationship with God. I also realise that not everyone feels comfortable in "good" clothes and that this is even a stumbling block to many. I believe we shouldn't look on the outward appearance because God looks at the heart. Isn't the danger that in dressing up you do so not to show respect to God, but to show to others that you are a "respectable" member of the community. God knows your heart, so why should your outward appearance be of duch importance. Judging people by the way they look, drss or behave is very common in all societies, but we should be wary of using those values to criticize those whose behaviour challnges them A further issue is the danger of Idolising the places where for convenience we choose to gather for worship, one room or building even if it is called a "church" is in reality no more holy that any other place on this earth. A pew is a wooden seat with a fancy name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IslandRose Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 476 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 5,266 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 63 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/21/1954 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I'm not talking about other countries or cultures but rather a normal American Protestant church. Actually it never occurred to me that perhaps they feel so comfortable being raised in the church that they walk around as if it's their own home. Point taken. But what about walking across the pews? Should they be that "comfortable"? No, I agree, that is taking one's comfort too far. It is disrespectful of both the house dedicated to the Lord's use and the people who gather there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amor Posted July 5, 2008 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 1 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,194 Content Per Day: 0.30 Reputation: 34 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/18/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted July 5, 2008 As those who attended to Nashville gathering I like to wear a suite to church the reason be is that I go t sort of.o political rallies and from Monday my place of employment in a suite so I figured if I dress up for those things I should show God the same respect whilst attending an event to worship Him. That said that is Just for me I think there many people who attend church in casual clothing who have a glowing relationship with God. I also realise that not everyone feels comfortable in "good" clothes and that this is even a stumbling block to many. I believe we shouldn't look on the outward appearance because God looks at the heart. Isn't the danger that in dressing up you do so not to show respect to God, but to show to others that you are a "respectable" member of the community. God knows your heart, so why should your outward appearance be of duch importance. Judging people by the way they look, drss or behave is very common in all societies, but we should be wary of using those values to criticize those whose behaviour challnges them A further issue is the danger of Idolising the places where for convenience we choose to gather for worship, one room or building even if it is called a "church" is in reality no more holy that any other place on this earth. A pew is a wooden seat with a fancy name. Did I say that I judged anyone else by the way they look No in fact I was just stating I should show more respect for God as I do for my party or my employer. Your assumption is that I judge people on the way they look because of the way I dress personally which I made plain I don't. That would be like me assuming your a Moslem because you have Arabic on your signature. It wasn't meant as a personal criticism just a reflection of my dislike of the Sunday best rigmarole, and the more general tendency of us all to focus to much on outward appearance. As to my signature, if you are interested, it says the same in Arabic and indeed the closely related Maltese language as it says in English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts