Dressing Down For Church Has Gone Too Far, CNN Article

[Bruce Wayne]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/19/stop-dressing-so-tacky-for-church/?hpt=hp_c3

 

[Edward]

Good for him if his church is zo popular he can be prissy about what his congregation wear.

 

[Feraud]

The well worn current trend of apathy among the rabble..

 

[ChiTownScion]

The article also mentions airline travel as an occasion seen in the past as one for dressing up. That's how I remember it in the 1960's. Nowadays, an airliner is little more than a Greyhound bus with wings, and its passengers including many who dress like vagrants on their way to a hobo convention.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Dressing nicely for Church is a response to the recognition of worshipping a Holy God. It's not just 'dressing up' either, but acting respectfully and reverently in the Sanctuary (ie. not talking idly, gossping etc there). I couldn't imagine anyone in my Church looking down on someone in our midst no matter how shabbily they were dressed, but as that person grows in faith it's a natural progression for them to want to dress appropriately for meeting and worshipping God.

 

[sheeplady]

Dressing nicely for Church is a response to the recognition of worshipping a Holy God. It's not just 'dressing up' either, but acting respectfully and reverently in the Sanctuary (ie. not talking idly, gossping etc there). I couldn't imagine anyone in my Church looking down on someone in our midst no matter how shabbily they were dressed, but as that person grows in faith it's a natural progression for them to want to dress appropriately for meeting and worshipping God.

I think that this is an excellent way to put what I hope the article was trying to get at. I hope the pastor in that article was being misquoted/ quotes taken out of context, as it comes across as overly harsh towards those that are not dressed "appropriately" according to his judgement.

 

[Matt Crunk]

I don't regularly attend church, but if I did I'd surely dress up in my "Sunday best" for it. It's not about showing off, it's about showing respect. Just another area of our society where we've gotten way too casual.

 

[Edward]

The article also mentions airline travel as an occasion seen in the past as one for dressing up. That's how I remember it in the 1960's. Nowadays, an airliner is little more than a Greyhound bus with wings, and its passengers including many who dress like vagrants on their way to a hobo convention.

Almost without exception, you'll find the very worst dressed are those in First Class. On the whole, though, I've never noticed people to be worse dressed, on the whole, when flying than out and about in general. [huh]

I think that this is an excellent way to put what I hope the article was trying to get at. I hope the pastor in that article was being misquoted/ quotes taken out of context, as it comes across as overly harsh towards those that are not dressed "appropriately" according to his judgement.

That's what I thought of it: comes over as if he's more interested in superficilaities like looking nice rather than the more significant preserve of the theologian - the immortal soul. Where, of course, looks become important is if they are a signifier of people being in financial distress ('faith without works is dead' and all that).

 

[HudsonHawk]

I think that this is an excellent way to put what I hope the article was trying to get at. I hope the pastor in that article was being misquoted/ quotes taken out of context, as it comes across as overly harsh towards those that are not dressed "appropriately" according to his judgement.

I don't think pastor in the article in any way intended to judge or minimize those who could not afford to dress to a certain level. He was clearly talking about those who have adopted this idea that sitting in church should instill no more reverence than sitting at Denny's eating french toast. In the strict Southern Baptist tradition in which I was raised, the idea was that you wore your best, whatever that may be, and you respected the sanctuary as a place of worship. You didn't treat it like a coffee shop.

 

[Feraud]

He was clearly talking about those who have adopted this idea that sitting in church should instill no more reverence than sitting at Denny's eating french toast.

That is exactly how I read the article.

 

[sola fide]

A pastor put it this way when worshiping a Holy God that we should wear our best, be it worn coveralls or a suit and tie(God knows our hearts).
-I have attended Church with an attitude of, "What are you going to do for me God?" instead of thanking Him for not giving me what I deserve.
-Some folks, especially me, fly into Church at the last minute having not took the time to prepare our hearts and minds to worship leaving little time to groom oneself.
-I would add that dressing up requires work versus throwing on a pair of wrinkled jeans and polo type shirt.

 

[jamespowers]

-I would add that dressing up requires work versus throwing on a pair of wrinkled jeans and polo type shirt.

Work, forethought and action.
I suppose people nowadays just don't understand the term respect as they also don't understand the term shame. They need some of the later to understand the former.

 

[Diamondback]

Almost without exception, you'll find the very worst dressed are those in First Class. On the whole, though, I've never noticed people to be worse dressed, on the whole, when flying than out and about in general. [huh]

Sadly, Edward, that also describes the problem... at least on this side of the Big Pond, you frequently see people wearing things in public that make you wonder how they avoid Indecent Liberties charges.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Makes me wonder what's worse in God's view, a person who wears jeans and a t-shirt and never misses worship, or a person who dresses impeccably at all times but would never think of going to services at all?

 

[sheeplady]

He was clearly talking about those who have adopted this idea that sitting in church should instill no more reverence than sitting at Denny's eating french toast. In the strict Southern Baptist tradition in which I was raised, the idea was that you wore your best, whatever that may be, and you respected the sanctuary as a place of worship. You didn't treat it like a coffee shop.

Well, if that's the case, why do they bother to attend? I think the problem is less a problem of dress (that is the symptom) and more a lack of faith and reverence. I imagine there are other symptoms than dress- not shutting off your cell phone, gossiping in church, not taking the teachings outside the church, etc. I think it would behoove the pastor to attack the root of the problem rather than simply deal with the superficial symptom.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Well, if that's the case, why do they bother to attend? I think the problem is less a problem of dress (that is the symptom) and more a lack of faith and reverence. I imagine there are other symptoms than dress- not shutting off your cell phone, gossiping in church, not taking the teachings outside the church, etc. I think it would behoove the pastor to attack the root of the problem rather than simply deal with the superficial symptom.

That was the point of the article. He's not saying dress is the problem in and of itself, only that it's a symptom of the greater problem of peoples' expectations of a worship service these days. There is a growing attitude of "I'll go to church, as long as they make it convenient for me". That's problematic on many levels.

 

[jamespowers]

Makes me wonder what's worse in God's view, a person who wears jeans and a t-shirt and never misses worship, or a person who dresses impeccably at all times but would never think of going to services at all?

Neither one of those. It would be the person who doesn't act correctly---period. In other words, contrary to the teachings.

 

[jamespowers]

That was the point of the article. He's not saying dress is the problem in and of itself, only that it's a symptom of the greater problem of peoples' expectations of a worship service these days. There is a growing attitude of "I'll go to church, as long as they make it convenient for me". That's problematic on many levels.

As I said before, a lack of respect and a clear misunderstand of what is appropriate and where.

 

[jamespowers]

Well, if that's the case, why do they bother to attend? I think the problem is less a problem of dress (that is the symptom) and more a lack of faith and reverence. I imagine there are other symptoms than dress- not shutting off your cell phone, gossiping in church, not taking the teachings outside the church, etc. I think it would behoove the pastor to attack the root of the problem rather than simply deal with the superficial symptom.

More of a lack of understanding of what reverence is than a lack of faith.
I am reminded of what they did with High School students when we went to Grad Night. You were required to dress in suits and dresses for the ladies. Why? Because how we dressed effected how we behaved. I could tell how some of the miscreants in the class actually calmed down. They actually didn’t get in trouble partially due to the fact that they didn’t want to screw up their good clothes. lol lol If they had been dressed like bums then they would have been swinging on the street signs in Disneyland. Sometimes what is outside penetrates inside.

 

[LizzieMaine]

In the end, I don't think it's the clothes you wear as much as it is why you wear them -- and if that's the case, dressing up can be just as wrong as dressing down. Jesus gave the back of his hand to the Pharisees, who broadened their phylacteries and wore long fringes on their garments so people could see how "respectful" and "righteous" they were, and I've certainly known people who go to church dressed to the teeth for just the same sort of reasons -- they want to put on a show, not for God, but for each other. Or, again like the Pharisees, they dress to draw specific attention to how somber and serious they are: "Hmm, brother, isn't that tie a bit too loud for worship? Sister, your skirt is a little too tight, isn't it? Look how carefully and conservatively I've dressed to come to church, you really should follow my example."

Either way, that kind of attitude, to me, is just as disrespectful and inappropriate as showing up in a rock-concert t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans because you've got to mow the lawn after services and you want to save time changing your clothes. Perhaps even more so, because at least the guy in the T-shirt and the jeans probably isn't sitting there feeling superior to everybody else in the room.