Shorts in church service?

[Trapper]

This is a serious question. The answer for me is definitely no, no shorts allowed. The reason is simple. Some ladies look real good in shorts and a man needs not the temptation of stairing at legs in a worship service. I had this happen one time and I distinctly remember my focus on her instead of Him.

 

[Mrs KJV]

Originally posted by tyndale1946:
Just a little insight to church worship attire. I remember my Dad telling me when he was a child that farmers would come to church in overralls. They would be working in the fields and quit the work in time for church. Clean up and come to church in their overralls and as soon as church was finished go back to the fields. They came to church in the best they had and that circumstances allowed. Brother Robert do you remember that or have heard of that? Shorts... NEVER!... Brother Glen

I really believe it is a cop out if they say that shorts is all they have. Poor things would freeze to death in the winter.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Originally posted by ChristianCynic:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Mr. Curtis:
Hey CC, you look like a snob in that picture

I know. The people we work for, or others, may require us to dress or talk in certain ways, and that's the only picture I have had taken in recent years.</font>[/QUOTE]I hope you realize I was joking!!!!!

I don't think it's necessary to spend a lot of $ to look nice. I find a pair of Levi's Dockers, a nice shirt & tie, & jacket look great. You can find good looking clothes in Wal-Mart, if you look around. I'm a little bigger than most men, so I have to poke around, but I'm a single dad, & don't have a lot of money to spend on clothes. I work as a technician, so I have to wear "Dickies" types of clothes.

But there is nothing legalistic, or pharaseeical(sp?!!!) about trying to look nice when you go to church. I think you should try to dress nice on Sunday morning. On Sunday evening, I play trumpet in the services, & it's hard to play while wearing a tie, so I usually don't. On wed, I usually wear jeans.

 

[AITB]

Originally posted by Trapper:
This is a serious question. The answer for me is definitely no, no shorts allowed. The reason is simple. Some ladies look real good in shorts and a man needs not the temptation of stairing at legs in a worship service. I had this happen one time and I distinctly remember my focus on her instead of Him.

I sure hope you're kidding.

A man needs Christ. That's the one and only solution for his sin.

Admit that it's your problem if you can't focus in a worship service. It's not the woman in shorts' fault. If you need to, wear a blindfold! But please do not make the mistake of thinking that the solution to your own temptation rests with other people - that it's in their hands not yours! Pray for strength, pray for focus, admit it's you...else you'll never know what Christ can do in you in overcoming sin in your life...

 

[Headcoveredlady]

Aitb,
I appreciate that man's honesty in saying it was hard for him to focus on Christ when he had an uncovered woman before him. I once heard a wise pastor say that most men struggled in the area of seeing women and thinking more about it and women struggle with dressing up and poofing hair and makeup so they will get the attention of men. In my limited experience in this life I would agree that is mostly true.

HCL

 

[AITB]

Originally posted by Headcoveredlady:

I appreciate that man's honesty [...]

Oh, me too. Don't get me wrong...it was not his honesty but his comment 'a man needs not the temptation of staring at legs in a worship service', implying that the solution to his temptation lies with other people.

That's a failure to believe this verse:

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Either this is a lie or there was a way out, for him, that was his to take. He must not have taken it. His problem wasn't the woman in shorts - it was his failure to believe and act on what I quoted.

I would agree that women who dress the way they do to get attention from men, are accountable to God for it. But that's a separate issue from this man and his temptations and whether he believes 1 Cor 10:13 and acts on it, or not.

AITB

 

[donnA]

HCL,
See we have something in common.
Hey, I make a lot of my own clothing also. I won't even buy expensive fabrics. I have a few out fits I spent as much as $20. to make. I buy marked down at WalMart.

Smoke Eater,
exactly what I was saying in an earlier post. We shouldn't be different people in church then out.

Mr. Curtis,
there are a lot of people who can't even buy cheaper clothes at WalMart. I know we once could only buy second hand clothing, and a lot of them came free from charities because we didn't have a $1. for used jeans. So for some what little they have is it, and most of that looks like work clothes. These peopls feel unwelcome to go to church.

 

[SueLyn]

At my church there are children that wear shorts, or some in the youth department. I personally never have worn shorts to any service, morning, evening or Wednesday evening. There are some ladies that do wear shorts in the evening services, but they aren't short, they generally come to the knee's. I do wear pants or jeans in the evening service or on Wednesday nights, and I would only wear pants on Sunday mornings if it was below 20 degrees outside. I have no idea where some people are going to church, but the shorts worn at my church are very decent.
Sue

 

[cdouglas76]

I think God looks at the heart in such matters but keep in mind:

1 Corinthians 10:23
"Everything is permissible"–but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"–but not everything is constructive.

Potentially causing someone to lust is more than enough reason NOT to wear shorts.

I prefer wrapping myself in about 20 different layers of clothing so that the shape of my body is no longer discernable. (just kidding)

 

[donnA]

Sounds good to me Sue. Not all shorts are short, or tight. My shorts are knee length, and currenly very baggy becasue of all the weight I've lost since last summer. I am very heat sensitive, I nearly passed out shopping with my mom today and it was only lower 90's, so I wear a lot of shorts, today was dress. I get so bad about heat, I keep my house cold winter and summer, and don't wear a coat unless it's below 0 ,Well I don't think I even own a coat.

 

[Clint Kritzer]

I believe all opinions have had adequate time and space to be expressed. This will be the first topic in this forum to be closed due to length. If any of you wish to continue this subject please start a thread in General Baptist discussions, all other discussions, or it may be interesting to start a similar thread in other religions.

The results of this poll were as follows:

Poll Results: Shorts in church service? (47 votes.)
support shorts in church service? 45% (21)
against shorts in church service? 55% (26)


Thank you to all who contributed in an edifying way. This topic is now closed.

Clint Kritzer
Moderator