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Should we dress up for church
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
I don't have the time or brain power to watch a 33 minute video right now but my feeling is that we should be neat, clean and presentable. We don't do suits at our church and I've been known to wear a nice pair of jeans, a sweater and boots to church but I'll also wear a skirt or whatever else I feel like wearing that week. I actually need to figure out what to wear for tomorrow! Now that it's getting cold, I'm just not sure what I have!
For our congregation, honestly, I just want them there. I prefer clean and neat but other than that, I really don't care anymore.
For our congregation, honestly, I just want them there. I prefer clean and neat but other than that, I really don't care anymore.
I'm listening to it now.
[1] So far he claims that because God told Moses to take off his shoes and for the people to wash their clothes that we should dress "up" for church because God is to be feared.
[2] Now he is saying that because David wore "fine linen" when he went to get the ark of the Covenant supports the fact that we must dress up for church because it communicates reverence for God.
[3] OK, now he is saying that Mordecai dressing in sack cloth and Paul telling Corinthians women to wear veils in church supports that we should dress up for church to communicate the proper message to others.
[4] Now at 15.30 he is saying that John T. Malloy's experiments in panhandling at Grand Central Station - one hour with a tie and one hour without a tie - and collecting more money with a tie supports that being dressed up is the cultural sign of showing respect.
[5] His idea of dressed up for reverence for women is skirts and dresses and dress shirt, tie, and coats for men.
[6] OK, finally he says that because the OT priests' outfits were cumbersome and uncomfortable that we should sacrifice our modern comforts and dress up in clothes that might be uncomfortable, but at least they are showing "reverence."
[7] OK, FINALLY, he compares people who don't dress up to the 9 lepers who were healed by Jesus and didn't come back to thank him. He said that Jesus did not command them to do that, but that Jesus condemned them for being ungrateful because it showed where their hearts were. He said that there is no verse in the Bible that says you have to dress up, but it shows where our rebellious heart is when we don't.
[7] He says that refusing to dress up for worship is defiance before the Lord.
None of those points connect together for me. He seems to be connecting dots that don't connect.
He seemed like a soft spoken and nice guy, but he is being legalistic. In fact, this is legalism sure and simple.
Dress clothes = reverence
Casual clothes = defiance before God.
He just plain wrong on this and I know he thought he made connection after connection between dress clothes and the fear/respect/and reverence before God, but he didn't.
[1] So far he claims that because God told Moses to take off his shoes and for the people to wash their clothes that we should dress "up" for church because God is to be feared.
[2] Now he is saying that because David wore "fine linen" when he went to get the ark of the Covenant supports the fact that we must dress up for church because it communicates reverence for God.
[3] OK, now he is saying that Mordecai dressing in sack cloth and Paul telling Corinthians women to wear veils in church supports that we should dress up for church to communicate the proper message to others.
[4] Now at 15.30 he is saying that John T. Malloy's experiments in panhandling at Grand Central Station - one hour with a tie and one hour without a tie - and collecting more money with a tie supports that being dressed up is the cultural sign of showing respect.
[5] His idea of dressed up for reverence for women is skirts and dresses and dress shirt, tie, and coats for men.
[6] OK, finally he says that because the OT priests' outfits were cumbersome and uncomfortable that we should sacrifice our modern comforts and dress up in clothes that might be uncomfortable, but at least they are showing "reverence."
[7] OK, FINALLY, he compares people who don't dress up to the 9 lepers who were healed by Jesus and didn't come back to thank him. He said that Jesus did not command them to do that, but that Jesus condemned them for being ungrateful because it showed where their hearts were. He said that there is no verse in the Bible that says you have to dress up, but it shows where our rebellious heart is when we don't.
[7] He says that refusing to dress up for worship is defiance before the Lord.
None of those points connect together for me. He seems to be connecting dots that don't connect.
He seemed like a soft spoken and nice guy, but he is being legalistic. In fact, this is legalism sure and simple.
Dress clothes = reverence
Casual clothes = defiance before God.
He just plain wrong on this and I know he thought he made connection after connection between dress clothes and the fear/respect/and reverence before God, but he didn't.
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Inquiring minds want to know: what about open-toed shoes?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he's well dressed. There ain't much credit in that.
~Charles Dickens
~Charles Dickens
NaasPreacher (C4K)
Well-Known Member
Anyone who is 'fully convinced in his own mind' that he/she should 'dress up for church' certainly should do so.
Dressing like the world?
In all things we shouldn't be like the world EXCEPT FOR when we go to church.
Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo using Tapatalk.
Neat and clean pretty much sums it up. Respectful and modest are two more adjectives I'd throw in too. I grew up where the men wore suits and the women wore dresses -- your Sunday best. But that was when men wore suits to the office as well. I haven't worn a suit to the office in almost 20 years now.
At our church, most men wear slacks and a dress or polo shirt. Some wear coats and ties, but not many. Women wear dresses, skirts or slacks. We are in the tropics, so people normally dress appropriately for the weather.
Our son's church is a much, much younger congregation, with loads of college students. Average age is in the 20's. There, the normative dress is more casual. In the warmer months, it's not unusual to see some in shorts and flip flops. It is not even an issue there.
At our church, most men wear slacks and a dress or polo shirt. Some wear coats and ties, but not many. Women wear dresses, skirts or slacks. We are in the tropics, so people normally dress appropriately for the weather.
Our son's church is a much, much younger congregation, with loads of college students. Average age is in the 20's. There, the normative dress is more casual. In the warmer months, it's not unusual to see some in shorts and flip flops. It is not even an issue there.
Churchlady guidance shared by Mrs. Albert Mohler in the aptly named SBTS newsletter The Tie a few years ago:
"a well-intentioned move to counter ostentatious attire has resulted in opening the floodgates such that anything goes. It is very difficult for us to recover and to take steps to go back toward traditional Sunday dress. The fourth commandment is still there. “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Many have forgotten that Sunday is set apart, and that it is not like every other day."
"her Sunday clothes are going to be different from her other clothes? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Unlike the discount store whose tags say, “there are no rules,” her father and I believe there are rules. There are absolutes. There is a line that you just don’t cross. I hasten to add that it wouldn’t matter if her father was a seminary president or a ditch digger, the rules would be the same."
"a well-intentioned move to counter ostentatious attire has resulted in opening the floodgates such that anything goes. It is very difficult for us to recover and to take steps to go back toward traditional Sunday dress. The fourth commandment is still there. “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Many have forgotten that Sunday is set apart, and that it is not like every other day."
"her Sunday clothes are going to be different from her other clothes? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Unlike the discount store whose tags say, “there are no rules,” her father and I believe there are rules. There are absolutes. There is a line that you just don’t cross. I hasten to add that it wouldn’t matter if her father was a seminary president or a ditch digger, the rules would be the same."
SolaSaint
Well-Known Member
I agree we should dress nice if we can afford it. I also think we can make this into a legalistic issue. But what worries me more is the website you linked. This guy is Church of Christ and teaches a Christian can lose salvation and must work to keep our salvation. I certainly won't listen to him on soteriology, so why should I pay attention to anything he says. I'll pass on this one Salty.
So you wouldn't have a problem is someone showed up in a bathing suit?
Something very similar actually happened to me about 25 years ago. A young lady in her mid 20s visited our church one Sunday morning. She was wearing a mini-mini skirt and a halter top and 5 inch spike heels. Nothing else.
One of our older ladies was scandalized by how she was dressed. She took one look at the visitor and made a bee-line for me and said, "Pastor! Do you see how she is dressed?" I replied, "Yes. Aren't you glad she came?"
The dear godly lady then said, "But Pastor, look at how she is dressed." To which I again replied, "Yes, but aren't you glad she came?"
The lady then said, "But Pastor, look at how she is dressed." Then she paused for a couple seconds and before I could respond she said, "But I am very glad she came!"
I am glad they came. We will let the Holy Spirit address their attire after they are saved, baptized, and taught.
NaasPreacher (C4K)
Well-Known Member
Something very similar actually happened to me about 25 years ago. A young lady in her mid 20s visited our church one Sunday morning. She was wearing a mini-mini skirt and a halter top and 5 inch spike heels. Nothing else.
One of our older ladies was scandalized by how she was dressed. She took one look at the visitor and made a bee-line for me and said, "Pastor! Do you see how she is dressed?" I replied, "Yes. Aren't you glad she came?"
The dear godly lady then said, "But Pastor, look at how she is dressed." To which I again replied, "Yes, but aren't you glad she came?"
The lady then said, "But Pastor, look at how she is dressed." Then she paused for a couple seconds and before I could respond she said, "But I am very glad she came!"
I am glad they came. We will let the Holy Spirit address their attire after they are saved, baptized, and taught.
I wish I could do more than just give this post a 'winner' point. Fantastic post!
It is regarded as the preferred thing Sunday Best, but if you are there after work it is really between you and God. I sometimes went to Mass after a night shift or worse, a double shift in my nurse clothes, I did discover one can fall asleep on ones knees though.....snoring is never good in church.
Mel
Mel