Who wears a tie to church?

[Earth Wind and Fire]

.....or a tie with a sports coat, or a tie with a suit? When I went to church the other day. I admit I did not dress up but when I got there everyone was in a suit & tie or sports coat & tie. When I went to see the pastor for a casual sit down, he was wearing a tie & as I recall a vest. LOL I went in a tee shirt, sweat pants & sneakers. I think I saw his head snap back a little. LOL

Im truly not going to make a big issue out of it...there was a time I was a staunch Sunday best dresser, but I really dont see the need for it ..... I'd rather focus in on being comfortable & relaxed when I go to worship.

Is it still such a big deal these days?

 

[InTheLight]

Easter and Christmas I will wear a suit and tie. It's the only time I wear a tie. (I don't want to dress up like the 'worldly' politicians and businessmen. Ha!) Otherwise, it's dress pants and a long-sleeved dress shirt (winter) or dress pants and nice polo style shirt (summer). I always wear dress shoes, never tennis shoes. In the summer my kids wear shorts and tennis shoes but their shirts must have a collar (no tee shirts or graphic tee shirts.) In the winter they wear khakis or jeans with a collared shirt.

It can be a big deal, depending on the church. I'm OK with most casual clothing in church but I don't like shorts and sandals on adults. I think the minimum effort should be what you would wear to the workplace.

 

[Tom Bryant]

I wear a suit and tie in our first traditional service, but take off the tie and coat for the 2nd service.

During the week, I never wear a suit and/or tie unless i am doing a funeral.

Funny story, 4 years ago i came from a funeral and went to visit a man in our church. We started talking and he finally told me that he was wondering when I came in wearing a suit, was I there to deliver some bad news.

Florida is alot more relaxed about dress so very rarely are there ties and coats in attendance.

 

[glfredrick]

The only ones doing so in our church are either visitors, guest preachers, or security detail who wear a sport coat or jacket of some type to keep concealed what does not need to be seen in public.

In the vast majority of other churches I have led or been a member of, suit and tie, or at least sport coat, or shirt and tie were the rule, and one was looked at sideways if they did not conform.

I wore a coat and tie to preach last Sunday... Felt weird. First time I've done that in a while in church service. :laugh:

 

[sag38]

If it's very cold I will wear a sports coat. Otherwise, it's a starched shirt (short sleeved) and tie. And, I only wear a tie on Sunday mornings. Coats are too hot and I'd ditch the tie except that I'm trying to compromise between the polo shirts and suit wearers.

 

[th1bill]

This is an area where the Legalistic can run crazy. For years I wore two and three piece suits to Service and to teach. I no longer do so because it is so difficult to dress myself in the final stage of MS. The issue is not one of comfort though, it is one of Reverence for our Holy Father. I wear clip ons and Zippered ties today and I still remove my hat before I enter the Sanctuary.

It is easy to go legal to this but I, personally, have no problem with the manor of other´s Worship, that´s between them and our God.

 

[glfredrick]

Bill, I feel for you in your disorder. My oldest son has a more rare form of nerve disorder that works like PLS, but is more difficult to isolate, and as yet, we do not know the final consequences. We are expecting the worst and praying for the best.

About the dress in church issue, and your reverence for the "sanctuary" has God not told us in the NT that the true sanctuary is the abode of the Holy Spirit -- our heart? I am reminded of that often, especially here in Kentucky, where so many church people smoke. They would not dare to light a cigarette in the sanctuary, but they think nothing of popping out the back door to have a smoke, all the while defiling the actual temple of the Lord, their own hearts!

Note that my stance does not include irreverence for the building set aside for gathering of God's people, nor am I in favor of disjointed, out of control church activities just because I do not take a stance on a particular form of dress, which is largely a cultural icon, locked into the particular style of the post-WWII generation.

 

[StefanM]

The issue is not one of comfort though, it is one of Reverence for our Holy Father.

I agree to a certain extent, but I also think that someone should not dress in an uncomfortable manner.

I honestly have no idea why suits ever caught on in the South, especially during heat waves. Why on earth would we put ourselves in long-sleeved shirts with a coat and cut off circulation with a tie? That's insane.

The only options then are to burn money to keep the facilities abnormally cold (which can create comfort issues for those not in a suit) or to have a congregation fully of sweaty men.

To me, reverence is more about avoiding dress that is immodest or ostentatious.

 

[glfredrick]

A good lined (dark) suit will hide a lot of sweat! :laugh:

It will also cause a lot of sweat!

Thankfully, this is the modern age and we can turn on the AC. :thumbs:

 

[StefanM]

Thankfully, this is the modern age and we can turn on the AC. :thumbs:

I know, but is that the best use of resources? We wouldn't have to keep a sanctuary frigid if we dressed accordingly.

 

[Salty]

I always wear a tie to Sunday church services. IMHO it is a matter of respect.

In the Army we had a saying - Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!

Many in our church do wear overhalls - do I condem - NO! I just put a higher priority on my looks. Could the same be said of hygene?

Suppose I said - well, I just feel more confortable if I only take a bath once a month? (hmm good or bad anology?)

 

[StefanM]

Suppose I said - well, I just feel more confortable if I only take a bath once a month? (hmm good or bad anology?)

Bad analogy. If you only bathe once a month, your smell will be distracting.

 

[abcgrad94]

I never wear a tie, not even to church. Oh wait. . .that's for the men.

Ok, as a woman I refuse to wear nylons to church. Does that count?:laugh:

 

[Salty]

Bad analogy. If you only bathe once a month, your smell will be distracting.

and likewise someone who comes to church looking sloppy can be distracting.

Salty

ps - the smell wouldnt bother me - my nose does not work (& neither my taste buds)

 

[Jkdbuck76]

I either wear an old Led Zepplin shirt or an a Tapout shirt. :laugh:

I wear coat and tie. I only wear a suit if at a wedding or a funeral.
I've been known to go business casual at the evening services.

 

[Crucified in Christ]

Well...I might get charged with legalism, but that doesn't bother me. If the President asked me to deliver a speech to a joint service of congress, there is absolutely no way that I would arrive in anything other than my best suit and tie. Why? Because I understand the importance of the event and know that my dress does(whether we wish to admit it or not) speak to my estimation of the importance of the event.

I esteem God's people and His Word far above congress. If I would not dress less for Congress, I will not show God's people and His message less consideration.

I once read that President Reagan would not enter the Oval office except in a jacket and tie (out of respect for the office); I guess that is how I feel about my Lord's pulpit.

Having stated this, our church is full of people who wear very casual clothes...I do not say a word. I am telling you what I feel only in regards to myself. Every person has to evaluate such things for themselves in view of the freedom we have in Christ.

 

[Don]

Knew a man in Colorado who always wore the best he had. Granted, by some others' standard, he probably never bathed, and the best he had was what Goodwill was willing to give away for free. But it was the best he had.

Don't remember ever seeing him with a tie. Maybe once or twice.

Dude had this huge beard, mountain man style. Sometimes you could tell what he had for breakfast...three days ago.

BUT - he also did "chalk talks," where he would tell a bible story while drawing chalk pictures for the kids. Nowhere else, and with no one else, have I ever seen an auditorium with 200 or more kids fifth grade and under, 75% of them bus kids from broken and underprivileged and "drugs in the house" homes, completely silent while hearing the Word. It was always a powerful, humbling experience to see how God used that man.

 

[ktn4eg]

I usually wear just a casual shirt and blue jeans (full-legged ones..."cargo pants" [or whatever they're called] just never caught on with me).

I'm not a pastor or a preacher or a teacher or hold any official job title at my church so what I wear shouldn't be of any major concern to others.

Most folks at my church dress in what is usually called "business casual" (This is what my pastor normally wears.), but in reality it runs the entire gamut of suit & tie all the way to bib overalls (I call them "Tennessee Tuxedoes").

We have people from various cultural backgrounds and from all parts of the world. It isn't unusual on a given Sunday to see some African ladies dressed up in their colorful outfits in one pew while in another there'll be Filipino men in their "flat shirts." Then, too, we even have had women from India in their sari's. :thumbs:

As for ties, I prefer to reflect on the idea that I live in the "Untied" States of America. :laugh:

 

[preachinjesus]

I can't remember the last time I wore a tie to a Sunday service.

Our church culture is casual so I have no need to wear them. In general I will dress appropriately, slacks or khakis and a clean, pressed button down or polo. We want to look good but there is no need for a tie.

Ties are such weird things imho. They are really just pointless pieces of silk (or some other fabric) hung around the neck that constricts airflow. Though I get the fashion of them I only wear ties for weddings and funerals.

When I do wear a suit I prefer a tailored shirt, open at the colar. Seems more appropriate for our context.

Good discussion. Shows the massive shifts culturally that are going on. When I was growing up in church in the 1980s you would've never seen someone without a suit and tie. That has completely changed now.

I'm all for dressing well and having your best appearance but that doesn't mean suit and tie. Honestly some of the suit, tie or shirt. tie combos I see are...well...terrible. Nevertheless, if you desire to wear one that is super! Just make sure you bring a gun if you want me to wear one.

 

[revmwc]

.....or a tie with a sports coat, or a tie with a suit? When I went to church the other day. I admit I did not dress up but when I got there everyone was in a suit & tie or sports coat & tie. When I went to see the pastor for a casual sit down, he was wearing a tie & as I recall a vest. LOL I went in a tee shirt, sweat pants & sneakers. I think I saw his head snap back a little. LOL

Im truly not going to make a big issue out of it...there was a time I was a staunch Sunday best dresser, but I really dont see the need for it ..... I'd rather focus in on being comfortable & relaxed when I go to worship.

Is it still such a big deal these days?

If I am filling the pulpit I will wear a suit and tie, with my work schedule being out of town and home 1 time a month I find it hard to wear a suit and tie but do as often as I can.