Clothing and Church Meetings

[JL]

     Mohandas Gandhi, though he was a Hindu, had read the four Christian Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He came to admire Jesus greatly, and often quoted Him. Ghandi was impressed with this Man whom Christians worship and follow. One Sunday morning Ghandi decided that he would visit a Christian church. Upon seeking entrance to the church, he was stopped at the door by the ushers. The ushers basically told him he was not permitted to attend this particular church because he was poor. Sometime afterwards a Christian missionary met with Ghandi and asked him why he rejects Christ. Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ." At another time Ghandi is quoted as having said "I'd be a Christian if it were not for the Christians!"
     What I think Saint Paul was saying in his first letter to the Corinthians (10:27-29) is that something may not be wrong for you to do, in and of itself, but if it will steer somebody else away from God you should choose not to do it.
     Ghandi was told he couldn’t attend church because he was poor. In America that type of blunt discrimination isn’t so common in churches, at least not nowadays. But there are subtle things that are done that turn the poor people away from attending church. One thing is the emphasis on the way people dress when they go to church. Jesus, nor any of His disciples in the New Testament, ever said to dress nicely when you attend church. The teaching of many churches to “dress nicely for God,” may not in and of itself be wrong, but it turns poor people off from attending church because many poor don’t own clothes that the average person considers “nice”. If you were to go somewhere, and everybody else wore nicer clothes than anything you own, you would either buy nicer clothes, or you would stop going there.

[Tibby]

Actually, he was a deist, not a Hindi. And he did not just go to church one Sunday, he spend over a year with a Christian family, before he decided Christianity cannot be the true faith because her people do not follow it.

[JL]

Actually, he was a deist, not a Hindi. And he did not just go to church one Sunday, he spend over a year with a Christian family, before he decided Christianity cannot be the true faith because her people do not follow it.

"...he also drew significant inspiration from his own Hindu religion." - the History Channel's website

My point though, was not to debate about Gandhi.

When you walk into most churches it becomes obvious most people are out to impress others, or at least out to protect their own pride. God's not impressed by what we wear, so why not dress casually? At least then we would be humbling ourselves like Jesus told us to, and we would also make poor people feel more comfortable. The reason we don't is because we have too much pride. We know that pride is against what Jesus taught, so we come up with excuses like we are dressing nicely "for God." I suggest we know longer go to church with anything but ordinary, everyday, casual clothing. When you get dressed to go to church don't think about how to fit in, or impress others, but how to humble yourself, and make it easier for the poor to fit in.

[Brother Love]

Actually, he was a deist, not a Hindi. And he did not just go to church one Sunday, he spend over a year with a Christian family, before he decided Christianity cannot be the true faith because her people do not follow it.

"...he also drew significant inspiration from his own Hindu religion." - the History Channel's website

My point though, was not to debate about Gandhi.

When you walk into most churches it becomes obvious most people are out to impress others, or at least out to protect their own pride. God's not impressed by what we wear, so why not dress casually? At least then we would be humbling ourselves like Jesus told us to, and we would also make poor people feel more comfortable. The reason we don't is because we have too much pride. We know that pride is against what Jesus taught, so we come up with excuses like we are dressing nicely "for God." I suggest we know longer go to church with anything but ordinary, everyday, casual clothing. When you get dressed to go to church don't think about how to fit in, or impress others, but how to humble yourself, and make it easier for the poor to fit in.

Right On!

Brother Love

<))><

[sincereheart]

The teaching of many churches to “dress nicely for God,” may not in and of itself be wrong,...

I always thought it strange that most churches concentrate on the outward appearance to please God when that's not what He looks at!  


but it turns poor people off from attending church because many poor don’t own clothes that the average person considers “nice”.

Sad, but all too true!


If you were to go somewhere, and everybody else wore nicer clothes than anything you own, you would either buy nicer clothes, or you would stop going there.

I've seen it happen all over the US.  


The best lesson I ever 'saw' was when I was a teen (MANY years ago). My mom invited a new friend to attend church. The friend didn't wear dresses and so knew she would be uncomfortable attending. To put her at ease, my mom wore slacks and brought the friend. I'd like to say that the church members just welcomed the lady and that was the end of it. It wasn't. My mom received many subtle and not-so-subtle jabs about it. But they did wait till the friend wasn't there. Thankfully, my mom wasn't worried about the religious folks, she was worried about an unsaved lady getting to know a wonderful Saviour who didn't care how she was dressed!

[Brother Love]

The teaching of many churches to “dress nicely for God,” may not in and of itself be wrong,...

I always thought it strange that most churches concentrate on the outward appearance to please God when that's not what He looks at!  


but it turns poor people off from attending church because many poor don’t own clothes that the average person considers “nice”.

Sad, but all too true!


If you were to go somewhere, and everybody else wore nicer clothes than anything you own, you would either buy nicer clothes, or you would stop going there.

I've seen it happen all over the US.  


The best lesson I ever 'saw' was when I was a teen (MANY years ago). My mom invited a new friend to attend church. The friend didn't wear dresses and so knew she would be uncomfortable attending. To put her at ease, my mom wore slacks and brought the friend. I'd like to say that the church members just welcomed the lady and that was the end of it. It wasn't. My mom received many subtle and not-so-subtle jabs about it. But they did wait till the friend wasn't there. Thankfully, my mom wasn't worried about the religious folks, she was worried about an unsaved lady getting to know a wonderful Saviour who didn't care how she was dressed!

[Brother Love]

The teaching of many churches to “dress nicely for God,” may not in and of itself be wrong,...

I always thought it strange that most churches concentrate on the outward appearance to please God when that's not what He looks at!  


but it turns poor people off from attending church because many poor don’t own clothes that the average person considers “nice”.

Sad, but all too true!


If you were to go somewhere, and everybody else wore nicer clothes than anything you own, you would either buy nicer clothes, or you would stop going there.

I've seen it happen all over the US.  


The best lesson I ever 'saw' was when I was a teen (MANY years ago). My mom invited a new friend to attend church. The friend didn't wear dresses and so knew she would be uncomfortable attending. To put her at ease, my mom wore slacks and brought the friend. I'd like to say that the church members just welcomed the lady and that was the end of it. It wasn't. My mom received many subtle and not-so-subtle jabs about it. But they did wait till the friend wasn't there. Thankfully, my mom wasn't worried about the religious folks, she was worried about an unsaved lady getting to know a wonderful Saviour who didn't care how she was dressed!

AMEN Sister, AMEN!!!

<))><

[Evangelist]

I'll never forget one time when I was in Flagstaff, AZ doing some meetings on one of the nearby Indian rez's. I got invited to the Sunshine mission in downtown Flagstaff to do some music. When I got there, the regularly scheduled preacher (from one of the bigger churches in town) was waiting, all dolled up in his best Sunday go-to-meeting suit. I was in jeans and boots. Boy, did he look dissed!!

We sang, he preached. When the service was over, he left, and we stayed for dinner. When we sat down, one of the street people said "are you gonna eat with us?" I said, "sure, if you don't mind." He replied "are you sure you're a Christian?"

"Of course", I said. "Why?"

"Well, because none of the other preacher types stick around....guess we make 'em nervous, or somethin'."

The service was over at 6:30pm. Dinner was over by 7:15pm. We stayed singing and talking scripture until almost midnite. And the angels rejoiced over 37 new souls in the kingdom of heaven!!

 

[Gracey]

And the angels rejoiced over 37 new souls in the kingdom of heaven!!

Hallelujah!!!

[sincereheart]

I'll never forget one time when I was in Flagstaff, AZ doing some meetings on one of the nearby Indian rez's. I got invited to the Sunshine mission in downtown Flagstaff to do some music. When I got there, the regularly scheduled preacher (from one of the bigger churches in town) was waiting, all dolled up in his best Sunday go-to-meeting suit. I was in jeans and boots. Boy, did he look dissed!!

We sang, he preached. When the service was over, he left, and we stayed for dinner. When we sat down, one of the street people said "are you gonna eat with us?" I said, "sure, if you don't mind." He replied "are you sure you're a Christian?"

"Of course", I said. "Why?"

"Well, because none of the other preacher types stick around....guess we make 'em nervous, or somethin'."

The service was over at 6:30pm. Dinner was over by 7:15pm. We stayed singing and talking scripture until almost midnite. And the angels rejoiced over 37 new souls in the kingdom of heaven!!

And that's what it's all about! Amen! Thank you for sharing!




BTW- Could we ban all preachers from wearing suits?  

[CleansedSpirit]

I must admit, I WOULD prefer it if the young people in our church would dress less casually...(What I mean is, these people ARE capable of wearing less casual. But it's not like they're wearing grungy, dirty stuff they've worn in the pig's pen that's covered in mud and grit and torn and stuff.)
But, what bugs me is the various teenage girls wearing....not so modest...skirts and tops.

[Reba]

There is a balance between the inward man and the outward look.

Sandy never missed a Sunday always there always dressed.  The 60's bugged her to no end. She didn't say alot but we all knew. She never missed a Sunday or Wednesday nite Bible study...They went camping the car broke down she was about to miss a Sunday   they walked to the little town church and she was wondering if they would accept her in her camping clothes. Well they did.... She still 'dressed' for church but you could see the difference in her acceptance of others.

Most of us as we grow in the Lord so does our appierance.

[JudgeNot]

Sunday, July 18, 2004 – at the regular meeting of my congregation in Antioch, California; 4 of the 8 ushers wore Bermuda shorts and T-shirts, and not a single “tie” was evident in the entire congregation.  (100 degrees in Antioch today!) Our pastor wore a polo shirt that had colors to nicely accent his chinos.  I wore a casual polo, jeans and white sneakers.  Our worship was so spirit-filled I cried (as I do during almost every worship).  After worship our pastor presented a fire-brimstone teaching that curled the underwear of many in attendance.  Our message today concerned burning the bridges that may lead you back to practicing sin.  (Oooo – I need to begin a thread on that one!)  
This was a typical Sunday service for us – and Jesus was in attendance; I know because we all felt Him there and He spoke to our hearts.  
Dressing modestly, I believe, is mandatory – dressing “to impress” -  I cannot believe God relates to that.  

[Shammu]

I'll never forget one time when I was in Flagstaff, AZ doing some meetings on one of the nearby Indian rez's. I got invited to the Sunshine mission in downtown Flagstaff to do some music. When I got there, the regularly scheduled preacher (from one of the bigger churches in town) was waiting, all dolled up in his best Sunday go-to-meeting suit. I was in jeans and boots. Boy, did he look dissed!!

We sang, he preached. When the service was over, he left, and we stayed for dinner. When we sat down, one of the street people said "are you gonna eat with us?" I said, "sure, if you don't mind." He replied "are you sure you're a Christian?"

"Of course", I said. "Why?"

"Well, because none of the other preacher types stick around....guess we make 'em nervous, or somethin'."

The service was over at 6:30pm. Dinner was over by 7:15pm. We stayed singing and talking scripture until almost midnite. And the angels rejoiced over 37 new souls in the kingdom of heaven!!

 

Amen!! That's what it's all about!
Oh by the way Evangelist, I am in S.L. area. So you aren't that far from me. I was in Flag earlier today.

[Evangelist]

Amen!! That's what it's all about!
Oh by the way Evangelist, I am in S.L. area. So you aren't that far from me. I was in Flag earlier today.

By S.L. do you mean Show Low?  I lived in Pinetop for a season, and was music minister at a church, and then pastored a church in Snowflake for a short time, out in the arroyos of Cedar Hills.  Interesting place!!  As was Bullhead City.....HOT!!, but fertile ground for the Gospel, especially among the bush bunnies down on the river.  The only place I never could relate to, though, was that red rock country south of Flag (Sedona).....everytime I went through there, my wife and just had to pray HARD all the way.....severe oppression there.

I'm back home in Texas now, so we're probably a little further separated!....but not in spirit.