People Who Dress Down for Church

Someone asked what I base wearing the best we have on and I gave some verses that say folks gave their best and God honored their best. I have not said you have to do any of it, you could go to church naked and that would be your business as for me I will wear my best and not be concerned about what you wear. I honor God my way you do it yours if that is legallistic in your veiw then you seem to not understand leagalism at all. I don't hold that anyone should do as I do, never said these standards were to be yours so I am not saying you need to follow them, legalism would be me requiring you to abide by them and I don't say that. You seem to believe everyone must follow your beliefs that we can dress anyway and honor God if that is what you believe so be it that is your view don't force it on me and I won't force mine on you. I won't judge you but you seem to judge me.

 

So you take OT tithing practices of food and apply it to what the NT believer wears to church?

...yet you imply those who do not do as you do are not honoring God and "giving their best".

Apparently I'm not the one who doesn't understand legalism...

le·gal·ism (lg-lzm)
n.
1. Strict, literal adherence to the law or to a particular code, as of religion or morality.
2. A legal word, expression, or rule.
legal·ist n.
legal·istic adj.
legal·isti·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
legalism [ˈliːgəˌlɪzəm]
n
(Law) strict adherence to the law, esp the stressing of the letter of the law rather than its spirit
legalist n & adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
legalism
Theology. 1. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
2. the judging of conduct in terms of strict adherence to precise laws. — legalist, n. — legalistic, adj.

That's not legalism.

I believe everyone should follow the standards outlined in Scripture, not follow me. Whether you agree, implying those who wear suits and ties "give their best" logically is also implying those who don't hold to such a view are not "giving their best." I'm not judging you at all, just pointing out your error (like we are told to do in Scripture)

 

At our church we don't care what someone wears on the outside...we care what they wear on the inside!


Let the puritanical disembowelings begin! We need proof they're wearing long pants spiritually!

 

Sounds like if they hold others to that standard they are weaker, just as those who say that those who think they should dress their best are not to do so, but Paul said we were free to follow what we felt best and not to hold others by our stanard. Those of us who feel we should wear our best can do so without holding others to that standard but does that mean we should conform to their belief? The stronger believers holds neither to a set of standards. We live by ours and let them live by theirs. At the same time the stronger forbears the younger so I guess by that I need to stop dressing up and dress down to please you guys as the weaker since you want to hold me to that standard.

 

A few are still holding the line:

Mrs. Albert Mohler, in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's "The Tie" magazine:

Southern Seminary's on-campus Sunday-best store:

Edgar’s Men’s Emporium is Open, Featuring Fritz’s Salon

Over at Southwest Seminary, Mrs. Paige Patterson encourages proper churchlady attire via her "Dressed For Service" program:

Louisville Courier-Journal: Seminary holds "Clergy Image" conference

 

No I don't hold O.T. tithe and offering system I hold that God Honored the best.

No I don't imply that those who don't dress up don't honor God.

I hold to my standard and let you hold to yours, you seem to imply because I hold those standards for me I expect you to hold them and I don't, you can come as you like and God determines who He Honors and who He doesn't. I don't judge you and you should not judge me.

Again I did not imply those who wear suits and ties are giving any better than those who don't. I just believe for me that I should do my best to serve and honor God and to wear the best I have to do that. I don't Hold others to a " Strict, literal adherence to the law or to a particular code, as of religion or morality." I don't belive we should be one who practices "the judging of conduct in terms of strict adherence to precise laws" when it comes to what we wear to church. You seem to be the one who is practicing that not me. Wear what you like and I will wear what I like, but don't hold me to wearing short pants just because you do. To keep peace would I you bet I would, would you wear a suit to keep peace?

 

In some SBC circles, the attire is extremely important. I have heard many express this belief.

 

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

Many of the BBFI pastors still hold women to wearing Dresses too. Some still hold to those strict beliefs. Others have mellowed and relaxed many of those old antiquated rules made by man that they held others too.

 

From the Courier Journal link above...

Not good.

 

"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."


Sunday is NOT the sabbath; Saturday is. If we are going to adhere to the Old Law as it pertains to the sabbath & change it to Sunday, then we should preach that all believers are to stay home all day Sunday & rest from their labors the other six days. BTW, to say that God is pleased or honored by how we dress when the church gathers is saying that it is more spiritual to dress that way. You are claiming the superiority of your position & then denying that superiority. That is a judgement of one man's dress over another's.


Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
(Rom 14:4-6)

 

I see so we must think like you do or we are wrong. I do not see myself as better than you or anyone else God knows our heart and the intents of it and He honors that or judges that. The intent of my heart is to honor God in how I dress and in my worship. I'll ask you the same question if it comes down to peace and unity I would were shorts and a muscle shirt to keep peace as Paul said we should, would you wear a suit and tie to keep peace and unity?

I am glad I disagree with the first part of your post "Many have forgotten that Sunday is set apart, and that it is not like every other day" with all the times I went to church and then played softball and footbal later in the afternoon. Sunday is set aside to worship in our culture and by the early church Fathers. Once we honor God in worship we are free to do what we want as any other day and of course until Sunday evening worship time. We worship when the doors are open and live our lives for Him the rest of the time.

 

I don't. I believe God honored the sacrifice of the things that would best represent the future sacrifice of the Lamb. It had nothing to do with clothing styles and everything to do with the innocent paying for the sin of the guilty.

Your comparison isn't logical. No where were the Jews commanded to dress one way or the other (except for the priests).

 

I have my beliefs you have yours. More power to you. Abel wasn't a Jew and he gave the best of the fat and of the first. God honored the sacrifice that Abel offered because of his heart, Cains was rejected because he did it from works and his heart was not right.
We honor the Lord in the way the Holy Spirit leads and I feel that to dress up and look good is honoring God, you believe being caual is Honoring God if both our hearts are right we both then honor God.

 

I never said I agree with it. I was quoting it from another's post. According to Romans 14, Sunday is no different than any other day. The church gathers on Sundays according to tradition, not Biblical command.

 

Me Thinks Someone Needs to Reread James 2:1-13

:type:These few verses speak loudly about those w judge how others dress when they come to church.

Yes, I realize that what you are referring to have nothing to do with those who attend church and can't afford to adorn oneself with proper clothing. You are talking about a "choice" versus not having a choice, still, these few verses say it is a sin to judge another for their manner of dress and lack of adornment.

Me think that maybe you are being a little harsh on people and what they where to church. I'd rather have every pew filled with people in common every-day clothing, then a church half-filled with people dressed in suits and fancy dresses with glitzy adornment hanging off their necks and wrists and fingers.

Remember, this is my opinion, and you have a right to yours. If you want to establish a certain dress code for Sunday mornings, so be it! I just happen to think that I don't believe it makes a difference to our Father as long as the building is filled with hearts of those who love and cherish Him and His Son.

As for me, as a preacher, I seldom wore a tie due to a physical problem that involved an uncomfortable pain from having anything snuggly tied around my neck. I always wore a nice shirt and sport coat. However, a suit tie was reserved for funerals and weddings, and I always paid for the sacrifice with undue pain following the events.

Before you judge, check out the fact, they may mean a world of difference and keep you from placing your foot so far down your throat that your gag reflex are set off, and you embarrass yourself! :tonofbricks:

Shalom,

Pastor Paul

 

My preference is to dress nice and I feel that God is honored in me wearing it, you can't and many don't that too God will honor. He honors our heart.

 

A buddy of mine (youth minister in his 30's) told me a story once of how one of his teenage youth.....a 17 year old boy....missed Easter Sunday service because "I didn't really have anything fancy to wear to church". The youth minister told me that he made the decision right then and there to never wear a coat and tie again to church......now he always wears a t-shirt and blue jeans because he said he never wants any teenager not to come to church because they think they have to dress up.

Last summer I was in a tent revival and look down the same row I was sitting on to see a woman holding a cat in her lap......on a leash.....during the service. People couldn't have cared less what others wore or even if they brought their pet cats. They were just there to worship.

I hope I never keep someone from coming to church because I made them feel out of place because of their attire. If you can't get them inside the building, doesn't matter how nice they look........

 

When I was 15 years old, before I was a Christian, I was told not to come back to a church if I was wearing shorts.

Years later, after I became a Christian I was told the same thing at another church. I attended a Sunday Night Worship service after Mountain Biking with my brother. Instead of missing church by going home and getting dressed, I went in my shorts (not my mountain biking shorts, regular shorts).

Both of those churches are more lenient than they once were, but I hope no one was shunned away from hearing the Gospel because they couldn't get over their fetish for pants.

 

I'm going to play devil's advocate here and argue a position I don't believe in because it's always good to take a second look at what we think and why. For the moment, I'm going to switch and say that dressing in our best for church is the proper thing to do.

Why would anyone want to dress casual? A formal Sunday morning church service happens once a week and is our call to meet with others of like faith, worship God together, and learn more about how to apply God's word to our daily lives.

That's very important. We know it's important because Scriptures say we should not forsake this assembling of ourselves. We know that getting that break from the world to be restored and renewed is something special.

Why shouldn't we take the effort to recognize it as such taking extra care with our appearance and wearing the best we have, therefore showing ourselves and others that we hold this day of the week in high regard and that we have the utmost respect for what is about to take place? That bit of extra time preparing allows us to focus on what we are about to participate in and further, it shows our children that this is something special. It's not the grocery store. It's not the zoo. It's not the movies. When they see us doing this and learn to do likewise, it teaches them to reflect on the day and respect what it is all about.

Why is that too much to expect?