dressing up for church

I think you would have to define casual for me to respond. I have been in some churches where casual = jeans and a button up shirt. There are other churches where casual = (mainly the girls) dressing like prostitutes who got run over by the Brittney Spears wardrobe bus. If you mean the former, I, personally, find nothing in scripture against it. If, however, you mean the latter, I would probably quote scripture dealing with modesty.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Nope. There ain't none.

Great. Whatever works for you. If your congregation prefers to dress up, great. If they prefer to be casual, then that's fine too. I don't think God cares, so long as we're not lazy about what we wear, and dress appropriately. Though Robert Schuller ain't my thing, I heard him when I was a kid inviting people to come to church. He said "Come as you are in the family car". It stuck with me all these years. It seems God wants us as we are. Why not allow the churches to want us in the same manner?

I still like dressing up, though.

 

Call it what you like, but i dress in a suit and tie every time I go to the house of God, unless somehow providence prevents me.

I personally believe when you're headed out the door to church you should look like you're going somewhere, some place special. The House of God is still special ain't it?

Of course God takes us just like we are, but once He's got us, I firmly believe we ought to dress like He does, instead of the fads of the world having us.

Before all this casual dress stuff began, it was a time when the church doors were never locked and the pastor usually lived in the parsonage.

People change with the times, and so do many churches in the efforts to keep up with the trends. I guess an ol'hippie saved by grace is just too old fashioned these days, but praise the Lord for the old fashion kind of ways! It's just plain reverence and respectful.

 

It is just another building, nothing more, nothing less.

 

I like that Dr. Bob! activity-appropriate

 

Why is it that people make such a big deal about being casual and relaxed in dressing when coming before the Lord ?

Dress up ! You're meeting with the King of kings, you're meeting with Someone who left His royal robes and put on ragged robes so we can wear His royal robes. Don't that count for respect ?!

I bet if GW Bush or your pastor's favorite politician were coming to church he would ask you to dress less "casual and relaxed".

 

I don't know if this is true all over the US, but, black Christians have more respect for their Lord and themselves and each other when it comes to worship.

They may wear loose, hip hop, clothing with all kinds of colors and stuff on weekdays, but, Sundays they wear their best. Very seldom do I see Black worshippers not in their best suits, or their womenfolk not in their best Sunday whites.

We dress up because the King of kings is worthy of our best appearance (not our most casual and relaxed and whatever-feels-good appearance), we dress up because we respect ourselves, and we dress up because we respect our fellow Christians.

What. If we had an appointment with somebody, we try our darnedest best to get there on time because we respect the person we have an appointment with, or has that principle also gone down the drain in favor of "do what seems good to you".

 

I believe you should dress as if you are going to see the King. Some people dress better at a job interview than they do at the house of God, what a shame.

I believe men and women should cover theirself up. Some Christians wear shorts to church, give me a break. I heard a preacher say that the clothes some of the women wear to church now and days would not cover a knat. How true this is.

Question here is, are you a stumbling block? Do you wear clothes that reveal more than should be?

Ladies, wear a full, not tight dress.
Men, wear a loose fitting suit or slacks. Not those jeans that you've had since the teen years, that takes a miracle from God to get on.

Reason for this is, we get enough of soft porn going through the checkout line at wal-mart. We should not have this in our churches. You can be comfortable and not be a stumbling block.

 

It is just another building, nothing more, nothing less. </font>[/QUOTE]With a sorry attitude like that, no wonder no one has the respect for the House of God like they used to. Maybe you should quit going? I hope not, but if you considered just Who it is you're going to "sup" with, you'd dress for the occasion.

 

Pinoy,

I've got to agree with you there! I remember passing a mostly black church on my way to church when we lived in Buffalo, NY. The ladies were beautiful, and always had on the lovliest hats! Now I'm not going to argue the whole "head-covering" topic, but I was always so impressed by that congregation. It is a special day and place. We always try to dress our best too!

 

...and I want one of those hats!!!!

 

I love hats..... Why aren't they in style? Sigh!

In Christ,
Peggy

 

So, can anyone actually answer the initial question, or are we just gonna spew a lot of personal opinions and talk down to folks who don't dress like you?

 

It is just another building, nothing more, nothing less. </font>[/QUOTE]So is my momma's house. So is the the local opera house. So is my office building. But I always dress appropriately when I'm in each of these. It's not the building, it's what's happening in them. Same with going to church on Sundays. It's not the building, it's what's happening. Now, I don't dress up too much for SUnday morning. But many do, and they should not be discouraged from doing so. It's a darn shame when we practically make it a sin to dress up for church, as though we're supposed to purposefully dress down for Sundays.

 

It is amazing to me that we live our lves seven days a week as unto the Lord, yet people want us to dress up one day a week. What is that? Our worship is daily.

 

We need to dress daily as unto the Lord. The one day a week where we meet in corporate worship should reflect our hearts, not what the competition is.

 

I already did. No, there's no scripture that required a person to "dress up" for church. Nor is there any scripture that requires a person to "dress down" for church. So feel free to go as your conscience dictates, and your congregation preferrs.

 

So, do you that demand dress up buy suits and whatever clothes you claim is proper for those that don't have them? Or, do you just complain that people are disrespectful if they don't dress the way you think they should - as your posts imply?

Personally, I don't own a suit that fits. I have gained some weight in recent years and have only spent money on work clothes. Therefore, I dress the same every day. I have had preachers look straight at me and say stuff about not dressing up from the pulpit. I don't care because clothes don't impress me - neither do they impress God. Life is more than food and clothing. At least, that is what Jesus said. Whatever you have, be content.