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Way Of Life - Dressing Down To Go To Church: An Audience With The King Of Kings


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Pretty much all mu suits are from thrift stores-the difficult thing is, being a man of, shall we say, heroic proportions, (heh) it can be difficult to find suits in my size. Us man-sized men tend to keep our stuff until its unwearable anymore. Usually if I find some suits in my size, I figure someone died.

 

I read this just after taking a sip of coffee (with lots of cream and sugar) and, well UkuleleMike, you owe me a new keyboard.  :spewing:  

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Pretty much all mu suits are from thrift stores-the difficult thing is, being a man of, shall we say, heroic proportions, (heh) it can be difficult to find suits in my size. Us man-sized men tend to keep our stuff until its unwearable anymore. Usually if I find some suits in my size, I figure someone died.

Are you one of the "man sized men" or are you a "men sized man"? 

 

And dead people are one of the best sources for good, used stuff.

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Are you one of the "man sized men" or are you a "men sized man"? 

 

And dead people are one of the best sources for good, used stuff.

well, when my wife and I go out and they ask how many in the party, I say, "three, if you count me twice", so maybe a men-sized man, like the size of two men.

 

I have actually just recently lost 15 pounds, probably because, in our current trailer, we have nowhere to keep ice cream cold, so its been a while since I have had any. Maybe by the end of winter i may drop 30 or so pounds, just because...no ice cream.  Course I gave up soda and rockstar a long time ago, maybe 1-1/2 years ago and I  have done well since then.

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The funny thing is that airplane passengers have to be dressed a cretain way, golfers have to have certain attire in order to get onto the golf course, nice restraunts have nice dressed people, atheletes have uniforms for crying out loud. Why is it that the only people that gripe and complain about dressing up is Christians.


Because these places have standards in which they are trying to attract a certain clientele.do you think it is more important to come to church dressed like the guy above seeking God's face? Or coming in an Armani? Seeking Gods face? Besides I thought the Bible was to oppose performance based Christianity?
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Because these places have standards in which they are trying to attract a certain clientele.do you think it is more important to come to church dressed like the guy above seeking God's face? Or coming in an Armani? Seeking Gods face? Besides I thought the Bible was to oppose performance based Christianity?

No, the Bible opposes performance-based salvation; salvation is a free gift, but the Bible is full of commands and expectations for the life of the believer. And while wearing a suit and tie to church isn't a command, it is generally seen as an outward expression of the heart of the believer, that they have respect to the church of God and His oeople. To dress well out of respect, not like slobs.

Again, of curse we give grace to the lost, to the immature believer, and the poor. And no, we don't seek specific fashions, (Armani)-I wear suits I get for $20.00 at Savers or Goodwill. It is being one's best in all ways possible, inside AND out.

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No, the Bible opposes performance-based salvation; salvation is a free gift, but the Bible is full of commands and expectations for the life of the believer. And while wearing a suit and tie to church isn't a command, it is generally seen as an outward expression of the heart of the believer, that they have respect to the church of God and His oeople. To dress well out of respect, not like slobs.
Again, of curse we give grace to the lost, to the immature believer, and the poor. And no, we don't seek specific fashions, (Armani)-I wear suits I get for $20.00 at Savers or Goodwill. It is being one's best in all ways possible, inside AND out.

And where are these expectations put us that we have to look nice? What about our brothers in poor third world countries, they are not wearing suits?
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And where are these expectations put us that we have to look nice? What about our brothers in poor third world countries, they are not wearing suits?

I think it's been posted more than once that it's about wearing one's best. I know a great number of missionaries in third world countries, and the people who come to church there (even the lost, btw) dress in their best.  No, not suits. But their best.  Out of respect for the fact that they are coming to worship God together.

 

Our bodies are God's temple. Somehow, when looking at the instructions God gave for the tabernacle, I'm thinking He wants our bodies to be dressed well.  No, not Armani.  I don't live in a third world country, and my hubby can't afford Armani.  But he always looks neat, clean, and put together (even when he goes to work, in jeans, he's not slobby looking) in his best.  And I guarantee his best is affordable for most people.

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And where are these expectations put us that we have to look nice? What about our brothers in poor third world countries, they are not wearing suits?

To equalize all things; maybe we should assemble ourselves in grass huts, woods, cave, etc. Come to think about it; might do some folks some good.

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And where are these expectations put us that we have to look nice? What about our brothers in poor third world countries, they are not wearing suits?

I just got back from Cameroon. The thing about that particular third-world country is - when adults come to church, they wear their best. It might be a suit. It might be jeans. It might be an African shirt or dress. It might even be an aviator's hat. (Yes, I really saw that. :)) But it is their best. 

Why does someone always bring up third-world countries in questions like this?  That's like your mother saying "Finish up because children in Africa are starving." Whether or not we finish our plate will have no impact on the children in Africa. And what those children in Africa wear to church has nothing to do with what we wear. But if you really want to go by their example, there it is. And sometimes it puts us first-worlders to shame.  (Note: to be completely honest, the children in Sabga wear what they have. That is not always so nice. But if they're at church, it's usually  because they brought themselves - and their siblings - without their parents even being in attendance. Another thing to put us to shame.)

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Because these places have standards in which they are trying to attract a certain clientele.do you think it is more important to come to church dressed like the guy above seeking God's face? Or coming in an Armani? Seeking Gods face? Besides I thought the Bible was to oppose performance based Christianity?

You said it, they have set for themselves a standard. All I'm saying is there are lots of Christians leaving their 150,000 dollar homes making sure their $100 per month satelitte is turned off so their $600 big screen don't waste energy to keep their light bill under $250 all while making sure they have their $200 per month phone with them before they get in their $20,000 car that requires $150 month of insurance and takes $75 per week to fill up so they can get to church in their $20 jeans.

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You said it, they have set for themselves a standard. All I'm saying is there are lots of Christians leaving their 150,000 dollar homes making sure their $100 per month satelitte is turned off so their $600 big screen don't waste energy to keep their light bill under $250 all while making sure they have their $200 per month phone with them before they get in their $20,000 car that requires $150 month of insurance and takes $75 per week to fill up so they can get to church in their $20 jeans.

P.S. I have a wife that stays at home and 3 kids (two are 14 and one is 7) and I support them on my job making less than $2400 per month. All glory goes to God for providing for his own.

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Wow! Everybody at once!?!
Chapter and verse please? What do you call giving God your best? I think I read somewhere that if we trusted God through faith, why do we try an please God with our flesh.
I ask again, is it more important to look a certain way or come
To church with the right attitude,seeking God?
IMHO, society is ever changing, evolving if you will, ( not in a Darwinian sense). We are not the same society we were 70 yrs ago, we're not even the same society we were in the 90's. Technology , commerce everything. We don't have the same styles if clothing music, books etc;
Clothing styles have changed. Do we go back to the 50's? How about we go back to the turn of the century with the overcoat and top hats? Why lets go back to the 1700's with tight pants and powdered wigs? Where do we go?
Look we're changing, But the Gospel transcends everything, no matter what we wear.

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One of the problems is, there often seems to be someone trying to judge what is or isn't someones best. As I've mentioned elsewhere, for many around here, their best is their newest blue jeans. In some churches nobody would think anything about them wearing their best blue jeans to church, but in some other churches there would be those thinking it was terrible they came to church wearing blue jeans.

 

Ones "Sunday best" differs from one person to the next, and from one part of the country to another, as well as in different parts of the world.

 

While I suppose some do, I've never encountered anyone who purposefully "dressed down" for church. Whether it be a suit, khakis and a polo, or blue jeans and their best shirt, it seems most folks I know of wear their best to church.

 

One thing I don't care for is when a church has "casual services" and they let just about anything go for that. One church I know of many of the people come dressed as if they were going to a back yard BBQ. Many outfits, on guys and gals alike, not in the modest category at all.

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Yeah, we're ganging up.  :nuts:

I believe I referenced at least that our bodies are God's temple?  I thought for sure it would be recognized as being from scripture, but here it is: 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.  

So - we are to glorify God in our spirit - attitude. Yes, attitude is very important.  And quite often attitude can be seen by the way one dresses.  

We are also to glorify God in our body.  So, God is saying physical as well.  (I realize that these verses follow verses about fornication, but in the context of the entire chapter they are not just dealing with fornication.)  There are many ways to glorify Him in our bodies - by remaining pure, not putting in it things that are harmful to it, etc.  And dressing said body is another way.  

 

I also referenced the tabernacle. Those verses will be found in Ex. 25-31.  Very explicit instructions as to how to dress the tabernacle, with gold, the colors purple, blue, and red (the colors of royalty), etc. Specific types of skins, dyed a certain way, etc.  And then we could go on to the temple beginning in 1 Kings 5.  Very elaborately decorated.  

 

The tabernacle was the precursor to the temple, and the temple was the precursor to the time when the Holy Spirit would begin to indwell believers: whose bodies are the temple of God.  

 

We are to glorify God in our bodies, as scripture mentions, as well as our spirits. Does that mean dress fancy?  No, of course not. But it would indicate that we should dress in our best.  

 

What is our best (I don't think giving our best was mentioned, but rather dressing our best)?  That would depend on each individual, wouldn't it?  Some can afford very nice best. Others can't.  But clean and neat. Purposely dressing shabby doesn't bring honor to the Lord.  If all one has (and this would go to the third world comparison) was "shabby", that is their best. Right?  So, for an American Christian to dress shabby when they don't need to it is not their best, but rather a statement on their attitude.  If jeans are all one can afford (and I know for a fact that if someone can afford jeans, they can afford dress slacks - the jeans we bought our son for Christmas, even at half price, cost a bit more than the slacks in the same store...), then that is their best.  

 

Yep. Society is ever changing.  And not for the better...I do so find it amusing that folks who think we shouldn't emphasize dressing nicely for church (in one's best, whatever that best might be) bring up third world countries, going back in time to other eras, etc.  Yes, the Gospel transcends everything.  And when one allows the Holy Spirit to truly transcend, it will be obvious to the onlooker...

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