What is "Sunday Best" and is it Biblical?
Sunday Best
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by SaggyWoman, Dec 14, 2009.
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No it is not biblical.
We should be at our best everyday!... not just putting on a mask on Sunday to convince people we are holy. -
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My Sunday best this last Sunday was a pair of jeans, fleece pull over, and slip on shoes.
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Scarlett O. ModeratorModerator
"Best" is relative to the individual. There are churches that try to mandate what constitutes best, but they are focusing on the wrong things.
Going to church isn't about you and I. It's about God. Certainly, we shouldn't dress like a slob nor go unbathed and stinking, but we should be focused on our heart's preparation to be in God's house, not who's wearing what and making it a competition as to who "looks" the most holy.
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But no. Why do you ask? -
preachinjesus Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Not all occassions merit the same level of response. To my wedding I wore a tuxedo, jacket was a waist-coat and tails, shoes were extra shiney, bowtie, tuxedo shirt with silver studs, grey slacks, and had a top hat for kicks. Why in the world would I wear this to church on Sundays?
I have some friends that have special outfits to wear on Sundays. They even have special underwear...but they're Mormon.
I prefer a professional and clean look for Sundays. Khakis, rumpled shirts, and flops aren't my thing...but I can't see a biblical case for suggesting everyone has to dress in suits, ties, and dresses.
Particularly with the passage from James when we expect oppulence and look down on those who don't meet our wordly standard we violate the Gospel standard. All are to be welcomed, regardless of appearance, smell, or disposition. -
One thing you have to understand about Salty, he is military.
And looking at it from that perspective, I understand the respect of dress issue. -
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Good call, and good memory. I've been married twice. At my first wedding I wore a penguin suit. It was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever put on.
Yes, indeed, my current wife had a sci-fi wedding (you had the wrong genre, but you get point anyway :) ). We had our wedding at Star Trek: The Experience, and I went to great expense to have a TNG-era dress uniform made. And yes, it was comfortable, too. We even had male and female Klingons in character (provided by the attraction, so the costuming and making was exacting in every detail).
We just passed our 5 year anniversay, and had our wedding vows renewed, in which I wore slacks and a blazer but no tie. -
Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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The concept of "Sunday Best" is of relatively modern invention. Most people attended church in a home or barn and came from doing their chores. They had clothes that they wore. Period.
Only the rich had special "outfits" for parties, balls, political events, etc.
With princes across Europe trying to outdo each other in building churches and cathedrals in the late middle ages, special clothing became a requirement. We could not have a visiting prince come by our new church and have everyone is normal work clothes.
So Sunday-go-to-meeting attire sprung up. Attendance dropped, but the smell improved!!
I have a robe (clerical). I have a tux. These are my "best" clothes, but both would be vastly out of place in our informal house-church setting. Even a suit/tie would be too formal for us.
I think we should read James 2 again and get off the "Sunday best" mindset.
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Yes, I wore jeans and a t-shirt and sneakers to my wedding. I even climbed a mountain first and didn't shower after, but that's another story. LOL
I'm not out to impress anyone with my clothes, which is a really good thing since I can't afford to put out money on something so trivial. I've found that the more expensive something is, the less comfortable it is!
My church is a mix up of people in suits or jeans and anything in between. My husband prefers suits, and I prefer to see him in them. :thumbs::thumbs: He's good looking either way, but WHEW! Anyhow...what was I saying?
Oh yeah. I get the feeling God probably would laugh at me if I thought I could make him any happier by wearing certain clothes. For all I know, he may just like my cheap blue t-shirt with flowers on it more than he likes the more expensive suit-coat type shirt with gold buttons. I didn't think to ask Him, but both are modest and clean so they seem scriptural to me! -
I think Sunday Best was more important to my mom. We tended to get into a lot of fights when I was growing up because I didn't feel like I had to wear dresses to church all the time.
Now, I wear what I dang well please, as long as I can bear the attitude of worship when I go wearing whatever I wear. I don't want it to stand between me and worship.
I realize there are other worshippers, too, so I am careful to be....uh.. modest isn't the word because I am not immodest....
I do know that if people draw my attention by what they wear, then who am I really focusing on? -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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I'm not going to tell you what to wear so long as you dont tell me what to wear.
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time I have to concentrate on having a good attitude after getting all seven of us ready to go. Trust me, that attitude can stink sometimes, and I feel like a hypocrite if my attitude stinks right before I go specifically try to minister or be ministered to.
Whatever happened to just being neat and clean? Doesn't God tell us women it is the WRONG attitude to wear costly apparel and jewels? Most of the Sunday best I see includes the person's most expensive clothes and usually some gold or silver jewelry. Adornment that seems important in the context of that verse would be a good attitude and MODEST dress, which in this verse is talking about NOT wearing expensive items, and it sounds like it means all the time. How did people come up with making that mean women should "wear our most expensive stuff." That makes no sense. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
It is wrong to take any action with the wrong attitude. For me I do not care what other people think (within reason) about how I dress. I don't see this as a gender issue in any way. And I do not know what you should do. This is not a dogmatic issue. I do have problems with people who come to church dressed like they just came from the beach which is usually immodest. And women who need to yank on the bottom of their skirt to maintain modesty or have to hold on to the neck line when they bend over to keep from exposing their upper region need to rethink their attire.
When I dress it is about my relationship with God. If I feel the need to dress in more expensive clothes for other things than it is the least I can do for God in corporate worship. But there are other things I do as well such as I never wear a hat or cap on my head while praying or glasses on my face. I always work to try to be as reverent as I can.
I do see a concern that reverence for God has decreased as the idea that somehow Jesus is just like us. The latter is false and has lead to a very lax mindset.
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