Culture Clash: Dress Down vs Dress Up

[tinytim]

I like the yellow one! You could get on TBN wearing that.

:tongue3: :laugh: ....Now you ruined it for me!!!

That's actually close to what my youth leader said a couple yrs ago when I mentioned it to her!

OH welll.. .do you think if I Name it, I could claim it?

 

[tinytim]

When you watch the inauguration next week, please note that every man on that platform will be wearing a suit. Nothing casual. Why? Because of the dignity of the occasion and the respect for the high office that Mr. Obama (I can't quite bring myself to say President Obama) is assuming. Now compare your church attire with this. Who is more important, the President of the United States or the King of Kings? That is why I always wear a suit to church.

I understand your reasoning and respect that... but we should not try to impress Jesus with what I wear...

BTW, I am not sure I would dress up to meet the President.. Joe the plumber shook his hand, and he didn't dress up...

To me, the Prez puts his pants on the same way I do...

 

[J.D.]

I understand your reasoning and respect that... but we should not try to impress Jesus with what I wear...

BTW, I am not sure I would dress up to meet the President.. Joe the plumber shook his hand, and he didn't dress up...

To me, the Prez puts his pants on the same way I do...

If Joe were invited to sit on the inaugural podium he was wear a suit and so would you. It's a special event. Uncommon. Separate. Sanctified. Holy. A solemn assembly.

 

[Jim1999]

I dress up to honour the Lord I serve and the pulpit I occupy.........I really don't care what the people in the pew wear. Just pleased to see them there.

A true story:

Back in the 50's I had a summer resort pastorate. A woman came to me on Saturday and asked if it was ok to come to church without a hat on. I said I didn't care if she came in a two piece swim suit. Not sure what I would have done had she come in a swim suit....Phew...she was dressed, but no hat.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[patrick]

The church I am currently serving in reaches many addicts and people many churches don't target. If we came in in with siuts and ties many would freak out. They would think we were law enforcement.


God is alot more worried about our souls than our shirts. Church is not about what we wear it is about who we serve!!!


We go into jails and drug treatment centers and preach the uncompromisng Word of God. Suits and ties are not high on our list. We see prison jumpsuits and city issued clothing. By us being real these people we reach feel comfortable enough to give us a chance to minister to them.


Jesus took people as they were. I can worship God in jeans or in a tie. I don't think when I stand before the Judgement Seat of our Lord, he will ask if I wore a suit and tie on Sunday morning. He will ask me if what I did for His Kingdom!!!

 

[J.D.]

I dress up to honour the Lord I serve and the pulpit I occupy.........I really don't care what the people in the pew wear. Just pleased to see them there.

A true story:

Back in the 50's I had a summer resort pastorate. A woman came to me on Saturday and asked if it was ok to come to church without a hat on. I said I didn't care if she came in a two piece swim suit. Not sure what I would have done had she come in a swim suit....Phew...she was dressed, but no hat.

Cheers,

Jim

I know you do not worship the pulpit, but I can predict that someone out there is saying, "why do you honor a piece of wood?" But given that the pulpit should be honored, shouldn't the pew be honored too?

 

[J.D.]

The church I am currently serving in reaches many addicts and people many churches don't target. If we came in in with siuts and ties many would freak out. They would think we were law enforcement.


God is alot more worried about our souls than our shirts. Church is not about what we wear it is about who we serve!!!


We go into jails and drug treatment centers and preach the uncompromisng Word of God. Suits and ties are not high on our list. We see prison jumpsuits and city issued clothing. By us being real these people we reach feel comfortable enough to give us a chance to minister to them.


Jesus took people as they were. I can worship God in jeans or in a tie. I don't think when I stand before the Judgement Seat of our Lord, he will ask if I wore a suit and tie on Sunday morning. He will ask me if what I did for His Kingdom!!!

This ties into what we were saying the cowboy church thread. While it is great that you have an outreach to addicts, the Church is the meeting place of God's People, not addicts. Should the church change for the addicts or should the addicts change for the church? Addicts that get saved should be discipled and taught to become a member of the Church. If the Church changes then the addict does not have to change.

 

[J.D.]

By us being real

Patrick, does this mean I am not "real" because I wear a suite and tie? BTW I used to work in a jail ministry. I never had an imate say to me "I'm not going to listen to you because you wear a suite and tie".

And it was a very successful ministry. We recorded hundreds of false conversions. (a little tongue and cheek there).

 

[tinytim]

the Church is the meeting place of God's People, not addicts. .

The Church is not the meeting place for God's people.. it is God's people.. and I know some of "God's People" that struggle from addictions...

So yes, church is a place for addicts...

 

[patrick]

This ties into what we were saying the cowboy church thread. While it is great that you have an outreach to addicts, the Church is the meeting place of God's People, not addicts. Should the church change for the addicts or should the addicts change for the church? Addicts that get saved should be discipled and taught to become a member of the Church. If the Church changes then the addict does not have to change.

Show me in God's Word how we should dress. Saying only a certain way of dress Is Biblical is pretty narrow minded. I dress modestly!!! Dress is a preference like music. We will always choose what we like.


We do Disciple. We offer one on one as well as groups 6 nights a week. Many of our former leaders are addicts and alcoholics. I have been involved in ministry for over 12 years and this is as close to a NT church as I have ever been a part of. We are are not here for show but to change lives with the Gospel of our Lord Christ.


We aren't interested with your station in life, what you wear, or what you drive!! Most churches in our area have shunned and ridiculed these people. The suit and ties crowd. Jesus had a lot to say about those caught up in external trappings of religion. We offer a relationship with Christ and keep the religion from getting in they way!!!

 

[patrick]

Patrick, does this mean I am not "real" because I wear a suite and tie? BTW I used to work in a jail ministry. I never had an imate say to me "I'm not going to listen to you because you wear a suite and tie".

And it was a very successful ministry. We recorded hundreds of false conversions. (a little tongue and cheek there).

You kinda have a captive crowd.:tongue3: How many ended up in your church?

 

[J.D.]

The Church is not the meeting place for God's people.. it is God's people..

God's people meet. It's the "assembling of yourselves together". People commonly use the word "church" to describe this meeting. That is the way I intended it.

While God's people indeed struggle with a multitude of besetting sins, the Church is the gathering place of people that have been delivered from the dominion of sin. Those that display a love of sin are subject to the church's discipline. Yes?

 

[tinytim]

I was hoping you meant it that way...

 

[J.D.]

You kinda have a captive crowd.:tongue3: How many ended up in your church?

A couple of them came to out church in a casket on their way to the graveyard.

Many of them swore they would come but went back to their old friends as soon as they were released and then went back to jail after a brief visit with freedom.

There was one that really seemed to change and became a member of
another church where his mother was praying for him. I left that work soon after and I don't know if he's still there.

 

[patrick]

We run around 475 on Sunday morning. About 200 of those have been reached through our outreach. The proof is in the pudding. What we doe works. God is blessing us and our jeans and t-shirts!!

 

[J.D.]

We run around 475 on Sunday morning. About 200 of those have been reached through our outreach. The proof is in the pudding. What we doe works. God is blessing us and our jeans and t-shirts!!

The old my-church-is-bigger-than-your-church argument. It's hard to argue with results. I know a church of about ten thousand members where women who wear slacks are condemned. Given their success, they must be right.

 

[patrick]

JD,

Goodnight. I hope you have a great night. I have to get some sleep. I am about to fall over my keyboard. May the Lord continue to bless you and your family!!!

 

[patrick]

The old my-church-is-bigger-than-your-church argument. It's hard to argue with results. I know a church of about ten thousand members where women who wear slacks are condemned. Given their success, they must be right.

I can care less about the size of our church or yours. I do want to make an impact in the Kingdom. If the church of 10,000 is making an impact, hopefully it will continue. If it is empire building than it will fall someday.


In our 3+ plus years we have planted 3 churches in our area. We have set up after school ministries to reach kids other churches don't target. We go into places other churches don't want to go. We have leaders in our church that would not get a chance in the average church. I am proud of our vision and mission. We have built over 20 homes in mexico. We have dug 2 wells in Africa. We are in the process of opening atleast 2 halfway houses. So, We are not your normal SBC church. Our entire staff is non-paid. We decided we did not want to do church but we wanted to be the church.

 

[TC]

I usually dress casually. However, I have worn a suite and tie to church on occasion. Does wearing the suite make me any more spiritual? Or does or make me more saintly? Absolutely not! That is an external thing than man uses to judge people, but God looks on the heart. James says so in his book in the Bible. Sunday best is a tradition of man and is not found in the Bible. Jesus never once told anyone to go home and put on their best clothes and then come and follow him.

 

[blackbird]

I had a personal encounter recently with the dress-down vs dress-up culture war.

I attended and preached at the funeral of an in-law who was of the dress down variety. BTW I don't mean that disrespectfully.

As we began dressing (there were many of us in the same house) for the services, a clear split became apparent as some of the family put on jeans and others put on dress clothes.

Fortunately, no arguing broke out over the issue, but some polite conversation did take place. The bottom line was that the dress-downers dressed down because "that's what we do", and the dress-up'ers dressed up because "that what we do".

What do you think? Is wearing jeans and tennis shoes to church okay? If so, why do some people insist on dressing up?

I don't understand why the problem exists ------- whats the problem with dressing up for church???

I CAN relate a similar experience that might would shed lite-----my son is into Golf------he's in his early teens---I decided--"Well---if I'm gonna be taking him to practice and such I might as well join him

This excursion is through our homeschool group-----of which my wife attended the first official "golf" meeting---------I was getting ready to take my son to his second meeting when I came out of the bedroom with a pair of jeans on

My wife says-----"They won't let you on the course with jeans----it has to be pressed slacks---no denim!!!"

So I thought----no problem-----I change into a pair of slacks

Next trip out I discovered that all golfers MUST wear a collared shirt----I'm thinking---"They have a problem maintaining good grass on the putting green----and they want me to wear nice slacks and collared shirt??? Give me a nice green, dude and I'll give you a collared shirt!!!!"-------I know that if I want to play golf with my son-----I better dress up in slacks and a collared shirt!!

We see no problem with a dress code for golf----but run a hard course uphill when it comes to "dressing up" for church

Now---the OP included dressing for funerals---absolutely no denim and tennis shoes