Standards of Dress

S'ok, Bro. Bill, I should also apologize for being so quick to my guns, I knew what you meant.

But the "nasty now-and-now" in contradiction to the "Sweet by-and by" is that what all of society deems as formal mandates to us all in our mode of dress.

I put it this way, Do we think people are able to see inside us and knowwe are honouring God with all our heart? No. they can't, but they can see by the outward expression of how we're attired that we at least show utmost respect to that degree of dress in our attitudes towards Whom and what we worship.

IOW, we ARE trying to witness to people, not trying to limit our witness only to God who is the Only One able to see our inward parts to know our motives, whether that be surmised in dress or actually our attitudes towards one another. (Scriptures come to mind)

 

I have read this entire thread. Took awhile to read 6 pages.
The original poster asked for opinions.
Here is mine.
Most of the time I wear a shirt, tie, jacket, slacks, polished shoes, to church sunday morninng.
Why?
Because I am an AMBASSADOR for Christ. As such, I want to represent Him in my best attire. He knows my heart. My neighbor may not, although I have witnessed to him and invited him to church. My neighbor may think within himself if he sees me in my 'flip-flops' going to church, "Well, just LOOK at him. And I though he was serious about being a christian." Whether I like it or not, the lost folks inside and outside of church judge us by outward appearences and outward deeds. When I go to church, I go to meet with God in corporate worship with fellow believers of like minded faith and fellowship. The key to that statement is LIKEMINDED.
Bottom line = if you are comfortable in jeans or whatever, fine, find a church of LIKEMINDED faith and fellowship. If you are more comfortable in your finest to meet with THE FINEST (Jesus) then fine, find a church of LIKEMINDED faith and fellowship.
As for me. As an Ambassador of Jesus, I want to represent Him the best way possible.
I try to do this every day but when it comes to fellowshipping at church on Sunday, only my finest will do.
At one time, my finest WAS jeans and a t-shirt. But that is another story.
In His service;
Jim

 

Good post Jim.

 

I don't know where it is you live, jim, but you obviously haven't been to Colorado Springs. I live there. This is one of the most laid-back lifestyles I have ever experienced, and having once been a soldier, I have been to a lot of places.

In the vast majority of churches here, is is SOMEWHAT looked down upon to go to church all decked out in a coat and tie and dress and hose for women. You are considered a "stiff" and outside of the mainstream. Trust me on that one. I am only 28, and I am very involved in youth and college-age ministries. If I were to go to a young person's home to visit with their parents, or sit in with a group of college kids over coffee and talk Jesus and, well, life in general, they would almost immediately tune me out if I were decked out in a coat and time. My American Eagle, Old Navy brand clothes do just fine for any occasion, from the above to Sunday morning. It's what I'm comfortable in, it's what (especially) the lost are comfortable being around, and frankly, like others have said, God couldn't give a darn how we look as long as its modest.

As far as representing Him the best way possible, stop imagining up your own righteous standards to make yourself feel worthy before God. Instead, is it that difficult to simply apply the Biblical standards of modesty and humbleness to everything you do, let that permeate your life, and let the Holy Spirit control the 5W's and the How of leading others to Christ? Man, we as Christians make this such a difficult concept sometimes.

 

Jason said,"As far as representing Him the best way possible, stop imagining up your own righteous standards to make yourself feel worthy before God."

How DARE you?
You owe me an apology brother.
READ WHAT I SAID AGAIN.
In His service;
Jim

 

So now the lifestyles and mode of dress mandate and are concurant to the way society sees fit as modest or immodest?

Remember what life was like before the 60's?

Notice the flagrancy of dress in association with the moral aptitude that has slide downhill speedily since?

Of note; "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" Wonder how THEY dress? Hint: seductively/casually/subtility in their attire. Hmmm?

Wonder where that leads us?

Hmm?

Moral depravity do I hear?

 

AMEN Ralph.
Still waiting for the apology from Jason.
Not likely to happen. We have butted heads before.
The young can afford to spout off about that which they do not know and get away with it I suppose.

Always amazes me how folks can approach a Thrice Holy God as if He is their hunting buddy. Just some bloke down the street.
And by the way, does anybody here grasp the immensity of worship?
Do a word study sometime. You won't ever find anybody in Scripture approach God in worship in any other way than on their face.
Ain't seen that in church lately have ya?
In His service;
Jim

 

Amen and amen! As far as what the mainstream is doing, they are going to hell too, why should we care if they think us square?

 

I would never judge someone for what they wear to Sunday worship. I don't know their circumstance and the most important thing is that they are there to worship God.

However, I don't want to be looked down upon because I wear a suit and tie every Sunday morning. I wear suits and ties throughout the week, meet many clients and politicians, so I'm looking my best. Years ago I decided that if I was going to look my best Mon-Sat, I owed it to God to be dressed my best and be respectful in his house on Sunday. The dress code at my church is pretty much anything goes. But one small way I can honor God is to look my best on Sunday morning as I prepare to worship him.

If someone takes offense at my dressing nice on Sunday morning, they're probably looking an excuse to be dissatisfied.

 

Amen Rock, AMEN!
In His service;
Jim

 

I'm not trying to John Kerry anybody here. when I go to church I wear a jacket and tie myself.Having said that somebody elses best may not be the same as my best.Also we are not at the same place spiritually. I think it is better to lead from the front than to push from behind.
I have gone from making a lot of money to living in a car back to making a reasonable living. I tell you that humbled me and gave me somec compassion I never had before. I don't wish that on anybody.We do need a little understanding and compassion though. Insisting someone meat our standards is not good enough. Lifting them up and enabling them then showing them a better way, I think is a better way.

 

Jim and Ralph, your arguments just don't make sense.

Try this on for size, Jim: "My neighbor may think within himself if he sees me in my suit going to church, "Well, just LOOK at him. What a stiff!" And yes, I have heard many, many, many comments like this when I was a member of a traditional SBC church here in town. That church has now dwindled in size to only around 250 per Sunday (from 1000+) and only a few public professions per year. Whereas the church I now serve at, gee, we're running around 2,000 in Sunday School and the mission of the church is to turn seekers into believers and then equip the saints to service. AND, OH MY GOODNESS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DRESS UP TO DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like I said, Jim, ANYTHING we as humans do that adds to the righteousness that God calls for is simply our pathetic attempts at making ourselves feel better about what we're doing. That's all it is.

And Ralph...as I dress to the crowd the Lord has me reaching to, you dress to the crowd the Lord has you reaching to. Tell me, is not you dressing in a suit to go to church no different from those in the corporate world dressing in a suit to go to work? Obviously, the answer is they are the same. That being said, how are YOU any different from the world around YOU? Do you see the fallacy of your logic? It's obvious.

Jim, I don't feel the need to apologize. I didn't say anything that was not true nor warranted. The two of you are casting stones of judgement in regards to a level of righteousness that is COMPLETELY made up by those of your ilk. Give it up my friends, and worry about your HEARTS and the mission the Lord has you on (individually and corporately) instead of dress.

Oh, and in case you live with your head stuck in a sand box, it is easily possible to dress stylishly and attractively to the younger generation without compromising modestly. If you don't think so, then it is painfully obvious you have NO clue what you are talking about.

 

I think "suit and tie" standards are set to create an exclusive feeling, and to deter sinners from feeling at home and coming in to see what's going on.

 

I think sometimes suits and dresses are more appropriate than more casual wear--i.e. weddings, funerals or if you're on the platform singing or preaching.

However, the rule of thumb should be to dress in a way as to not draw attention to yourself. That should pertain to men as well as women.

 

Jason, we're talking about going to the house of God in our mode of dress and Whom it is we worship, not boasting our charisma.

You're symposium just don't work when it comes to worship.

We don't "cast anyone aside" for not dressing to the expectations of the general public, we welcome everyone to come just as they are, BUT when we are talking about the King's children, well, it's expected to look the part if you're gonna claim a relationship, something obviously your liberal attitude is incapable of comprehending. That is truly sad.

You should visit opur church sometimes before you cast your stones at us with your liberal rant, you really do not know what you're talking about, and besides, YOU are the only one I see judging anyone by their right to be attired in what is associated with respect for the House of God.

 

The church I currently serve in has no requirements or "standard" of dress. Emphasis is placed on the heart of the individual, not on how they're dressed. There are men who wear suits, men who wear jeans, and many things in between. Many women wear dresses or pantsuits... some wear more casual clothing.

I lead worship. I wear a tie most days, and occasionally even wear a coat. Most of the time I wear a tie and a vest with slacks and dress shoes.

No judgements here. To pass judgment on a Christian or non-Christian because of the way they dress would be just plain ol' wrong.

 

Jason said,"Jim, I don't feel the need to apologize. I didn't say anything that was not true nor warranted. The two of you are casting stones of judgement in regards to a level of righteousness that is COMPLETELY made up by those of your ilk. Give it up my friends, and worry about your HEARTS and the mission the Lord has you on (individually and corporately) instead of dress."

Since you choose to disable PM and e-mail, and since you have made this personal...

Again, I will say, "How dare you!"
Re-read what it is that I wrote in my first post.
The OP asked for opinions and that is what I gave. You sir DID NOT read the entirety of my comments for if you had you would have seen my opinion stated clearly. If you feel comfortable in jeans, fine. Go to a church of LIKEMINDED attitudes.

Nuff said.
I am waiting for your apology.
I am NOT expecting one, considering the tone of your recent posts.
In His service;
Jim

 

Yes, you should wear your best. This is God's House we are speaking of. I have been to some churches where the young people looked like they had just stepped off the beach. This is where the parents are failing, and we will answer for letting our children dress like this.
web page

 

So by your "statement" concerning dress, you totally disregard worldliness as that which is commanded to be abstained??

What we're talking about is ASSOCIATION, even lost people seem to know more about HOW a Christian should dress than most "professing" Christians.

You want to be associated with the world? Apostacy abounds as you assist.

I'd rather hope you let the HolyGhost "lead" the worship.

Not a "laughing matter"

 

Joshua, I hope you're wearing a shirt under that vest because someone could mistake you for one of the chip-n-dales.