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does it matter what we wear to church?

evenifigoalone

evenifigoalone

Fare thee well, Felicia
2024 Supporter
Just something I'm not sure on.
My family has always felt that you ought to wear your best clothes to church, to show respect. That the most appropriate thing to wear to church for women, would be a nice Sunday dress, and for men a dress shirt and pants.

Now, I can sort of see where they're coming from, but don't understand what they're really basing this one. What does the Bible say about this, if anything?
(I wear dresses to church, but I really am not a fan of dresses most of the time. xD I get back into my comfortable clothes as soon as I get home.)
 
I know there's a lot of debate on this topic. Personally, I don't know what (if anything) the Bible actually says on this topic, but I can offer my opinion.

I think you should be respectful - i.e. guys shouldn't wear pants with their underwear hanging out, girls shouldn't be showing midriffs. Honestly, common sense type stuff which Christians frankly shouldn't do anyway. Outside of that, I honestly don't think God cares what you wear to church. I go in jeans and a pullover, usually, but I've also gone to church on many occasions wearing shorts, flip-flops and a t-shirt. Jesus spent most of his time with people stricken with poverty. He wants you there. He doesn't care what you look like.

Furthermore, what if the best clothes you have is a pair of jeans covered with holes, a torn tanktop, and a ragged pair of flip-flops that's got to be held together by a team of angels? Should you be denied entrance or looked down upon because of your attire, when your heart is in the right place and you're there to get closer to the Lord? Absolutely not!

For what it's worth, that's my two cents.
 
questdriven said:
Just something I'm not sure on.
My family has always felt that you ought to wear your best clothes to church, to show respect. That the most appropriate thing to wear to church for women, would be a nice Sunday dress, and for men a dress shirt and pants.

Now, I can sort of see where they're coming from, but don't understand what they're really basing this one. What does the Bible say about this, if anything?
(I wear dresses to church, but I really am not a fan of dresses most of the time. xD I get back into my comfortable clothes as soon as I get home.)
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I think we should dress in a neat and clean manner for church, showing respect we have for being in the presence of God. But, dress should never be a reason for us to come between Christ and someone seeking to know Him. If I could encourage ghetto boys or dirty street people to come to church, worship with us, bring them to God, I would do it.

Wait, I already have.

Christ's ministry was among the most downtrodden and lowly of society, it wasn't a sanitized gathering of wealthy elites in their finery. Our ministry can sometimes be the same. It's there that God is needed most.
 
questdriven:

I think the word you mention: respect, is very important, especially for professing Christians.

This being said, there are various viable ways of interpreting what this should exactly mean, as regards dress codes. Inevitably this is going to vary from one place to another, to some extent, and it's understandably and rightly so.

In terms of some specifics, for example, if a pastor/elder's wife 50 -60 years ago went visiting folk, she might well have worn a floppy, flowered dress.

These days, a pastor/elder's wife might well wear a tasteful combination of blue jeans and short leather jacket, worn with a scarf, maybe. It wouldn't look at all out of place; in fact, other(?) grandmothers might also wear something comparable. She would probably make herself up a whole lot more than might have been the case 60 years ago, and some pastors'/elders' wives or grandmothers might also for years now have been wearing double pierced earrings as their daughters / granddaughters do, also.

So things do change. But the mere fact of inevitable changes in such dress and appearance customs doesn't mean that they are not being respectful.

If anything I as a guy tend to err on the formal side, but I don't make a point of putting an emphasis on the outward rather than the inward.

Blessings.
 
I'd really prefer to wear something closer to my normal attire when going to church, like a nice shirt and some pants. Probably be good to choose something a little nicer than what I wear everyday.
 
questdriven said:
I'd really prefer to wear something closer to my normal attire when going to church, like a nice shirt and some pants. Probably be good to choose something a little nicer than what I wear everyday.
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questdriven:

Like, how Fundamentalist (I don't mean doctrinally) are they, do they have a no pants rule? some places do; where we go they don't.

Blessings.
 
farouk said:
questdriven:

Like, how Fundamentalist (I don't mean doctrinally) are they, do they have a no pants rule? some places do; where we go they don't.

Blessings.
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If they do, it's some sort of unspoken rule. The pastor's wife wears pants when not in church (sometimes, at least), but always wears dresses in church. From what I see, all the ladies at my church wear dresses in church.
 
questdriven said:
If they do, it's some sort of unspoken rule. The pastor's wife wears pants when not in church (sometimes, at least), but always wears dresses in church. From what I see, all the ladies at my church wear dresses in church.
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questdriven:

Well, okay, I see. Kind of not a rule among the ladies but more of a practice. I guess they would cover any tattoos, as well, unless it's still just the men who have tattoos, if they have them at all. (It usually used to be just men that got them.)

I guess a lot of the men wear neckties, too.

It's kind of inevitable anyway that there should be variations in customs for matters such as dress codes, really. I think folk need to take this fact into account.

Blessings.
 
My church, I think, is the only one I've seen that dresses more traditionally than other churches. Most of the members are older and did come from a background with more traditional dress codes, I guess.
 
questdriven said:
My church, I think, is the only one I've seen that dresses more traditionally than other churches. Most of the members are older and did come from a background with more traditional dress codes, I guess.
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questdriven:

Well, yes and to some extent it's both inevitable and no bad thing, either.

Mutual respect among the older towards the younger and among the younger towards the older is good, and how it should be, really.

Blessings.
 
farouk said:
questdriven:

Well, yes and to some extent it's both inevitable and no bad thing, either.

Mutual respect among the older towards the younger and among the younger towards the older is good, and how it should be, really.

Blessings.
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Yeah. It doesn't really bother me, and I'm fine with it. I'd just prefer to dress in something I'd like a little better.
 
Did people put on their best clothes when they followed Jesus around! Probably not, but wore their everyday clothes. This should be the same even today that one should wear what they are comfortable in whether. I would not suggest anything skimpy that would cause another to have lustful thoughts, but use discretion in what you do ware.
 
questdiven:

I'm guessing now, but like I said, from what you've told us before, I'm sure the ladies in your church would cover their tattoos, if they have any.

So, does it matter whether tattoos are visible in church? kind of a moot point; depends a lot on which church I guess (even though it's ultimately a Godward matter with the individual).

Blessings.
 
for_his_glory said:
Did people put on their best clothes when they followed Jesus around! Probably not, but wore their everyday clothes. This should be the same even today that one should wear what they are comfortable in whether. I would not suggest anything skimpy that would cause another to have lustful thoughts, but use discretion in what you do ware.
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Appropriate dress for church in Kona, Hawai'i is very different from appropriate dress in Buffalo, NY. I don't think it matters at all, as long as people are comfortable with their dress and it fits the norm for the congregation.

My congregation here in Connecticut is primarily black, primarily West Indian and Nigerian. We get a lot of women wearing elaborate hats, and African prints.
 
mark said:
Appropriate dress for church in Kona, Hawai'i is very different from appropriate dress in Buffalo, NY. I don't think it matters at all, as long as people are comfortable with their dress and it fits the norm for the congregation.

My congregation here in Connecticut is primarily black, primarily West Indian and Nigerian. We get a lot of women wearing elaborate hats, and African prints.
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mark: Yes, well the fashion and dress consciousness of many black women is a wholly distinct and important part of the equation, I guess.
 
The only real admonition we have in the Bible is that our attire should be modest. We generally hope shorts would be "walkìng shorts" or close to the knee. Jeans or pants should not be skin tight leaving nothing to the imagination. If tights are worn, the top should be fairly loose and a few inches fròm the knees.
However, we do have people wander in who are not modest in their attire. We just hòpe they will receive Christ and soon learn to dress more modestly where ever they may go. Our pastor has rebuked those who say anything about dressing improperly.
We are told not to wear mens clothing, and I can assure you that my blue jeans would not fit a man. Nor would my shirts be appropriate for a man. They were made to fit my plump curves, and not made to fit a man.
A few women wear dresses. You can tell which ones go also to other churches because they are drenched in perfume, have on spike heals, and are dressed to kill. It always reminds me of the scriptures about giving the better seats to people who are wealthy and dressed well or treating them better. I am glad that I at first thought our çhurch is not wealthy because yòu couldn't tell who was wealthy. Everyòne dressed casually and alike. I have since learned that some of them are quite wealthy, but I still haven't learned who they are but for one, who gave it all up to become a missiònary oversees.
Still, I try not to offend others in the churçhes I have attended. And I would advise yòu to do the same. Put on a çlean dress but try for òne that is more comfortable or casual and not for show. Make it modest. If anyone objects, tell them yòur desire is to please God, not to impress people..
 
questdriven said:
Just something I'm not sure on.
My family has always felt that you ought to wear your best clothes to church, to show respect. That the most appropriate thing to wear to church for women, would be a nice Sunday dress, and for men a dress shirt and pants.
Click to expand...
I have been told we need to wear: the garment of humility; the robe of righteousness; and the garment of praise. In that order. I like to take into consideration unsaved and unregenerate people that maybe new to the service. We should dress our best, but perhaps not over due it so as to make a visitor feel uncomfortable.
 
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