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Dress up for church?

A

Angus Cattle Shower

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CANADA!!!
This morning I started making hay at six. The baler broke and it started to rain just before ten. Since I was like three minutes out of town I decided I better hurry to church. I didn't have clean clothes and by the time I had everything so I could go it was five after. I vaccumed myself off with the dust buster type deal we keep in the tractors for some reason :???: and got the other guy that I was with to drive me to church quick-combed hair, clean face and arms, but had my work clothes on still. I thought God would think more of the fact that I came to church then what I was wearing. However a select few people in the congergation thought differently. After the service, one of them took me aside and started raising the roof about how disrespectful it was that I wasn't in my good sunday clothes and that God greatly frowned upon it. I said, "Sir, I was working until now and I am sure that the Lord is not concerned about what I wear. He loves me just the way I am and welcomes anyone into his house no matter what. If you do not agree, then it is something you have to discuss with him. He appreciates that I made the effort to come, not frowned upon me because I wasn't wearing a suit." Then I left and came to mom's.

Do you think that God is more concerned about what we wear to worship then wether we come and was what I did dierespectful to the Lord?
 
I don't think God cares what you wear, I believe He listens no matter what you look or dress like, and good for you for telling that person that! Growing up we always wore jeans to church, (Catholic), but the Baptists down the street were always dressed to the nines, I don't think think God thought anymore of them than us, but they sure thought they were better! :???: :???:
 
Remember the old story of the cowboy and the fancy church:

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services
were
to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he
wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his
hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the
city.
It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen.
The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and
accessories.
As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted,
spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and
did
not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and
asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again,
have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate
attire
for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same
ragged
jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and
ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you
to
speak to God before you came back to our church."

"I did," replied the old cowboy.

"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for
worshiping in here?" asked the preacher.

"Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He
said He'd never been in this church."
Click to expand...

I've attended a lot of cowboy church sessions- where the folks taking it in just jumped over the chutes or came out of the corrals- or stopped their work washing or shoeing their horses-- and some of these folks had a lot of green stuff on them...And God didn't seem to turn them away...

Just to be respectful to those others- its not something a person should make a common practice of- but I don't think my God cares...

You don't go to church to find God; go to God to find Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Click to expand...
 
Alex...God loves you no matter what you wear. My daughter is comfortable in a church geared to young people,jeans and Christian rock music is the norm,I love the feeling in the Cowboy church I attend. Its because of attitudes like you observed today that a number of the churches in our area have closed...Sad.
 
You do not have to go to church to have god in your life...All you have to have is your faith in him and believe in him and share your love for him......he asked for no more then that.
 
This is a bit off subject as far as clothing but pertains to church and I for some reason feel the need to share it. As a new mother I would take the baby and go to church. Having moved it was a new church and I only knew a couple of people and always sat in the back row so if the baby got fussy I could get up and go stand in the back of the church. One Sunday she was on a roll and so unhappy. Stood at the back and still she was making noise. After church an elderly man I had never met walked up to me and said, "Do you know what's good about hearing a baby cry in church?" Not knowing I said I had no idea. "It means their mother is there."

That man had no idea the message he sent to me that day. He gave me the courage to keep going to church with a baby. Plus to this day when I hear a baby crying in church I still think of the gentleman.
 
"Do you know what's good about hearing a baby cry in church?" Not knowing I said I had no idea. "It means their mother is there."
Click to expand...

AMEN-- great story CattleArmy...
 
No doubt in my mind, that the Lord is more concerned about who you are than He is about who you appear to be. If you are a hard workin' farmer that thinks church is important enough to get there one way or another, He (and I) will respect that. That's the way I see it.
 
Great story, CattleArmy.

The church we attend is held in the old VFW building on Main Street of our little town. We worship where folks used to imbibe in other forms of "spirits." :wink: We sit on folding chairs. It is a cowboy church with a cowboy pastor. (He and his son and their families even put on a real good bronc riding at Kadoka, SD last Thursday evening, with 24 top bronc riders as contenders.)

Folks are welcome in any attire. There is fifteen minutes of singing, accompanied by a five-or-six-piece band. A basket is passed for the collection of tithes and offerings. Then the pastor preaches straight out of the Bible for thirty or forty minutes, and when the hour is up, he is done. He never gets long-winded, which is greatly appreciated. :-) There isn't any getting up and down doing meaningless rigamarole. Someone usually brings snacks of some kind to share after the worship is over. We all have a nice visit before we depart. It is a thriving little country church with a usual Sunday evening gathering of from forty to seventy people.

What I really admire about this church is the "no bureaucracy" approach. We don't have committees and appointed positions. Folks just seem to volunteer for whatever needs to be done. There aren't any business meetings, and the pastor never harps that more money is needed. We don't have to send any "apportionments" to a big dog church hierarchy above us, because there isn't any. The presence of God is definitely there, and every person proves it by welcoming everyone, no matter how we come dressed.

The cowboy pastor also serves other churches. One is at his ranch on the Pine Ridge Reservation near Interior, SD on Sunday mornings. Another is the Rapid City Cowboy Church held at the Central States Fairgrounds in the Celts Building on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. He holds church services in Wall, SD in the Rodeo Office Building on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and goes to Fort Thompson, SD to minister to Native Americans once a month. Pastor Dave is a busy man, and God is touching a lot of lives through his efforts.
 
I love the Bible story about Christ explainin' why he was sent. He tells how healthy folks don't need a doctor but sick people sure do, and that was who he was sent to minister to. In our day, folks who need the Lord usually come in diverse packages..... ranchers, city people, rich, poor, drug users, and folks who "look perfect" from our perspective. But regardless of social or economical or physical differences, it's hard to get nearer to the Lord if ya aren't allowed to. If you are a new mom or a dusty cowboy or any other part of the flock, you gotta show up at the manger to get fed. Don't allow the coyotes to distract ya on the way to the Shepherd! :wink:
 
I'm glad you took your baby to church, Cattle Army. And I am equally glad that you are a mom that takes your baby out when he/she gets a little owly. As a single person that isn't used to crying, whining babies, that can be quite annoying. We have parents in our church that will not excuse themselves when their child has a fit, so as a result, neither parents, parishoners, or puddle makers get anything out of the service.

I guess as far as dress is concerned....I have some mixed feelings about it. I can see both sides. As a creature coming to worship my creator, I like to dress up a bit. Special attire for a special occasion, that being public worship. Our denomination has a history of wearing your Sunday best (suit and tie), but that has really relaxed in the last several years. It is supposed to be more apealing to the "seekers", whoever they are.

Soapweed, your church sounds inviting and Spirit filled.

ACS, I guess I would have more trouble with your preparation for the worship. Within the Ten Commandments, is one which states that we are to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days we are to do our work, but the seventh is a Sabbath unto the Lord.....For in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh he rested and called it holy." Now believe me, as farmers and ranchers that have livestock, this can be quite a fine line. As for me, only the most necessary chores are done on Sunday, like feeding, bedding, checking and attending to calving. But things like fencing, haying, planting & harvesting, and mechanical stuff is saved for Mon- Sat. I think the Lord knew what he was doing when he gave us that command. It is nice to be a bit more relaxed on Sunday, spend time in public worship (private worship should be included in our schedules all week long) and just let the body recoup for another hard week of work ahead. That is how I manage my life. :-)
 
Sundancer said:
ACS, I guess I would have more trouble with your preparation for the worship. Within the Ten Commandments, is one which states that we are to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days we are to do our work, but the seventh is a Sabbath unto the Lord.....For in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh he rested and called it holy." Now believe me, as farmers and ranchers that have livestock, this can be quite a fine line. As for me, only the most necessary chores are done on Sunday, like feeding, bedding, checking and attending to calving. But things like fencing, haying, planting & harvesting, and mechanical stuff is saved for Mon- Sat. I think the Lord knew what he was doing when he gave us that command. It is nice to be a bit more relaxed on Sunday, spend time in public worship (private worship should be included in our schedules all week long) and just let the body recoup for another hard week of work ahead. That is how I manage my life. :-)
Click to expand...

You might want to go back and reread Genesis again. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, as you pointed out, but that happens to be Saturday. If you are keeping the Sabbath you should be worshiping and abstaining from work on Saturday, not Sunday. Sunday is the first day of the week, not the seventh.

I am not saying that I disagree with the sentiment of saving any unnecessary work for another day, I am just pointing out a very common misconception about what Sunday is.
 
The bottom line IMHO is that you are better to come in your work clothes than not come at all. The last thing God is worried about is your attire. Jesus makes that clear in the New Testament when he is repeatedly challenged for talking to or associating with the wrong type of people.
 
The only thing that matters here is that ACS actually wanted to and made the effort and went...................doesn't matter the day..............doesn't matter the dress code..............or who saw him or who didn't see him.



All this ' fashionista" and calendar watching is what's wrong with ANY religion.

If you want to "worship" ....do it your way, when and where.

Good for you ACS!
 
Even among 'the faithful' we can't seem to resist a bit of sniping at those who don't 'do as I do' re. styles of worship services. Sad!

Some of the 'organized churches' disdained by some who accept only "faith filled preachers" and simple services DO fill desperately needed services and benefits to the needy; education of pastors through deep study of all that Jesus spoke and research of His life; even the beautiful buildings built and music performed to honor Him and serve as gathering places where faithfilled people worship Him through bible base liturgy, lessons, and prayers; support of missionaries to organized missions wordlwide, who along with all the faith filled members are sharing their faith and drawing others to Jesus.

It has to be painful to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to have us constantly bickering about who is worshipping Him best, who loves him most, who shows the best respect, any it feels that way to me from my perspective of having been through something similar when my four kids were young enough to be jealous of one another and did about the same type of bickering in our home at times!!!!!

mrj
 
The thread reminds me of an incident this summer while our family attended a Christian camp. There was an evening concert so our son in law and I were saving a row of seats for the rest of the family (which is allowed). A man came up to our son in law and asked to sit in the seats though there were others available. When he was told they were saved he got in a huff and said "If you're saving seats then you aren't a Christian!"

It reminded us that there are some people who can get upset about anything and we just have to let it roll off our backs (as long as we aren't guilty!) And, according to Jesus, we are still responsible to forgive and love them anyway since we aren't perfect either. These same sticklers can be difficult but I've learned they have some valuable talents as well and can do outstanding work for the Lord in areas beyond what I could do.

As far as not attending church, a man put it well at church once saying
you cannot grow as a Christian if you keep to yourself. We're meant to grow while learning from others and helping others.
 
I realize Kit Pharo is nothing but a salesman and that his ideas may work great for him but they sure won't work for me :wink: :wink: ....but...he has been doing a wonderful series on what the church is NOT. He talks all about the "schedules" and the "dress code" and so forth. It has been very interesting and thought provoking to say the least. If anybody would like these e-mails (about 10 or so) forwarded to them, p.m. me and let me know....I'll gladly send them to you.
 

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