Good morning, everyone!
This is my first post on the Apostolic Friends Forum, and what better way to start out than with a bit of controversy? Haha. Kidding.
I grew up UPC and still attend a UPC church to this day. The women at our church are definitely more "low key" than the women in other churches in the area, mainly with hairstyles. It's always obvious when a visiting Pentecostal woman walks in, because you see her 'do enter before she does. What I'm wondering is why for so many years we have jumped across the "braided hair" portion of this scripture:
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes -
1 Timothy 2:9
Women pile their hair on top of their head with intricate loops and swirls. Some will argue that this type of artwork is required because they have so much hair. We all know this is not the case. The ornate hairstyles simply draw attention and make the women feel "attractive". Isn't this immodesty? Modesty isn't simply defined as the length of your skirt - it's a matter of character; it's an attitude.
Anyway, I just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this.