INteresting Subjects

Interesting topics, the ones that are cropping up here on BB. Topics on whether we should dress up, dress down, or dress up while dressing down, when going to church.

The truth is both sides are correct.

We need to put on our Sunday best (has that phrase gone into oblivion in today's modern English as well ?) when coming to church, after all, we would put on clean, pressed, suits or dress shirts, and a tie or bowtie to boot (no matter how choked we feel) when going to a job interview to be asked stupid questions by somebody who expels as repulsive smelling a blast (or whisper) of hot air as we do.

What more when we come before the presence of the Most Holiest Creator of the Universe ?
Don't we all think he deserves some respect from us in the way we are dressed ?

However, the "not-so-very-formal-I-will-come-as-I-am-after-all-I-have-liberty-in-Christ" types are just as correct in their position.

The Bible does not prescribe how we are to dress, because God looks at the heart, weighs the heart and motives, not the outside appearance.

Well and good, that argument.
In the Philippines, we do not usually have suits and ties and formal slacks and dress shoes and dress shirts and all those beautiful, wonderful things you Americans have.

Sunday best for those in the cities would be a starched, white shirt, a well-pressed denim or something of like material for pants, shoes would be a washed and whited pair of sneakers (if available, otherwise flip-flops will work for men, and clogs for women). The more blessed ones will have on a pair of shined leather shoes with rubber soles, and the really, really blessed ones will have on a pair of leather shoes with leather soles. No socks for some, though.
(they'll have to make do with soaking their feet in warm water with baking soda before and after, like me, most of the time).

In the villages and provinces, anything not smelling of mud and the farm will be alright. Some children will have on a pair of clean shorts topped with a blouse or shirt free of darning and repairs. They can't wait for Sunday because that is the only day they feel like human beings, putting on those Sunday clothes, instead of the clothes that they wear all day to school, and all night to bed.

The point is that everybody dresses up in a decent and orderly way (if I ever met a minister who demanded that everybody come in a dress shirt, tie, or suit I would have given him a window in his smile).

The music ?

Well, there are varieties of them.

To tell the truth, I lost some respect for most Bible Baptist churches because they were condemning a Bible Baptist church in one of the municipalities near Metro Manila, because the pastor of that church allows his womenfolk to wear pants, and his church to use drums and electric guitars.

Oh, by the way, I was in my early 30's then, so to me metal-like secular music and metal-like Christian music didn't sound unenjoyable, really. Although I did have my membership in a Bible Baptist church that used only the piano, the accordion, and an occassional keyboard.

But, some years later, I did go to that church they were condemning and
decided the pants on the ladies were indeed too buttock-hugging (if you know what I mean) and too thigh-tight it distracts me (hey, I'm not made of wood, you know), and the decibels were too high for my already dwindling hearing.

But, condemn them ? Who am I ? Jesus Christ ?

They can go their way, I'll go mine, who knows, maybe one day they'll come to the realization of the errors of their ways, wot ? :smilewinkgrin:

Right now, I am content with the church and the people I belong to.
We don't have choirs, we don't have Sunday School, we don't have special numbers, we don't have preacher's schools, or mission conferences, no pianos or keyboards to tune, we don't have to worry about printing out the order of service every Saturday morning, or staying up late for choir practice on Fridays and Wednesdays so the congregation can be "carried away" by the wonderful blending and the superb directing.

Just plain, simple, Scriptural order of worship: sing, pray, preach.

Folks come in their best Sunday attire.

Suit and tie. Or dress shirt and tie. Or dress shirt with no tie. Or just a plain old clean and pressed shirt. Or a polo. Jeans. Khakis.

I thank God that while in the Primitive Baptist church I joined, was baptized into, and pastored for a wee while, we have never had to preach about how people ought to dress up when coming to church, yet God's people in that small section of His kingdom came to church doing things "decently and in order".

Just an old man's musings while wondering where he put that glass of water with his teeth in it.

Honey !!! Did you see where I put down the..........