dressing up for church

Yeah, you're being snotty, just as you are everywhere else. </font>[/QUOTE]Brother, as you have told me on other threads, we must keep it civil! [/QB][/QUOTE]He's a "moderator" in another forum, he can "get away" with it.

 

Sorry, but you can wear all the right cloths and still be a horrible ambassador of Christ. It's not about how we dress to go to church, but it's about if we have and display the love that Paul mentions in 1 Cor 13.

James 2:1-9
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

We can see that God doesn't care about how people dress for church, but about what our attitudes are toward those that come. So, why should we care so much about how people are dressed? This is a prime example of making a mountain out of an molehill.

 

Paul makes it a point to tell people not to allow themselves to be judged in things like food, drink, types of worship, or days of worship. I dare venture that same principle can be applied to dress as well. Let no one judge you because of what you wear, and let each person reach an appropriate conclusion in his own mind.

 

I am sorry so many have misunderstood what I have said regarding this topic. I only use these verses for judging myself. I want all to come to our church dressed just like they are. I am not the pastor and he does have certain standards for the church he pastors as far as holding positions in the church. I abide by those and acknowledge they are right.

I never have had the expectation of every church abiding by the same standards, nor do I expect anyone who doesn't know the Lord to meet any qualifications in mode of dress. I thought I made that inadvertantly clear when I invited everyone to the Atlanta City Baptist Rescue Mission for a church service. Hardly anyone there is dressed as we were, at best were the ones as the disciples and those who are involved in this ministry. All else came just as they were and not a one was turned away. While we were preaching even one slammed on the glass door begging to be let in and the administrator opend and let the fellow come right in.

John, If I took what you said literally and I wasn't a Christian, I could get drunk as a skunk and come to any church naked as a jay bird. I would hope some one would have enough decency to cover my nakedness and let me sit in the congregation.

Oh, I wonder how many I slammed and made slurrs to saying that?

 

"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165

 

Thank You Granny umbo, me too!

 

And rightfully so. No problem there.

IMO, a pastor or pastoral body does have the right to call for minimum dress standards in a church, as well as minimum standards for things similar.

I would concur. Each church is allowed to set their individual standards. For example, in many asian churches, you take off you shoes before entering the church. It's common courtesy, and if I were attending church in an Asian country while visiting, that's what I'd do.

I wasn't responsing to anything you said.

Of course, if you were in a church where our standard of nakedness was the norm, say, in parts of central Africa, then there'd be nothing wrong with that. As far as drunkenness, if you were drunk, church would be THE place you'd need to be, methinks!!

 

I'm afraid I think just a wee-bit more of jesus than that. I used to sell men's suits for Belk Gallant In LaGrange, Ga. when I was 18. I wore a suit to work then, I wear what is appropiate for my job as a plumber now; work pants, usually jeans and a tee-shirt, sometimes when the weather is cold long-johns and even a zippered and hooded sweatshirt, but I would never wear that to church, I'm just too old fashioned for that. Even though once I had to go to a house for some other Christians who didn't live in that house and had some one hook-up a washing machine for them and it leaked all over the place because they didn't tighten the hoses well. Uh, he was remarried to this widow and they had two houses, her's was this one. I thought it really out of place for them to say their ox was in a ditch, and couldn't wait till Monday, it was on Sunday.

Boy, did they look surprised when I handed them a bill for a service call on Sunday for a whopping $35. The deacon I did the job for was the one to call me and never called me to do another job for him because of this. (sarcastically)

I had to go to church that night in my work clothes. Everybody understood, but I did feel out of place, but that's just me.

Now, I really don't believe I give the impression to anyone that I am business man trying to sell Jesus to anybody. Your remark is way out of line, but I'm used to it here on BB. I guess I'm just not too liberal.

 

Proverbs 18:19

 

You made a house call on a Sunday and ONLY charged $35???!!!!!
That is the very definition of an "ingrate!" [sic]
If that had been me, I would have said:
"Thirty five dollars? Okay." Then I would have handed you a check for $100.
I think you got a crown for that one........

 

Richmond on Sunday would be $1135.00, and you would have to call me on Saturday for me to get there in time for church first! Of course in my "Sunday Best", the Lord deserves the respect.

 

God's "house" was on a hillside surrounded by peasents and rich alike. His "house" was in the streets of whichever city He was in with peasents and blind beggars wearing rags. His "house" was a cross with a criminal on either side of Him. His "house" was where ever He was teaching His word. His "house" was NOT in a ornate building with a steeple on the roof with a bunch of people wearing suits. How is it His "house" has become a certain thing with certain rules and a certain dress code? Oh yeah, mad did that, not God.

You say you don't mean one thing, then you slide in every sligh comment you can to prove yourself otherwise. You can keep up with your "I wear a suit because God deserves the respect" speech all you want, you only prove what others, including myself, have said as true. I respect God whether I am nekkid in the shower, in the yard working in a ripped up t-shirt, or in church in jeans and a sweater. Respect doesn't come from a suit.

 

Good, they can go to work for me next week. We'll see if they feel the same way or quit after just a day, we'll be doing a little, uh, alot of digging. I will pay rather well for rather good work.

But comparitively, you wouldn't wear your workclothes, right?

If some one remarks about my clothing it doesn't "rip me to shreds", I'm a little more mature than that. (No slanderous intention or a slurr either) They wouldn't be behaving much like a Christian if they did, but that also goes along to say if I dressed down to provoke those who might have something negative to say about the way I dressed is as un-Christian.

Then set an example, I go for the throat of legalism, so does the Lord. Legalism is the "monster" that tries to earn salvation, it has nothing to do with sanctification; which is out of the hands of men anyhow.