Wearing a Suit and a Tie

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by Bro. Robbins

I think you and I will just have to agree to disagree on some points. I have a very different view point on most of it. I frankly despise that we are so geered in our culture about "comfort". I don't expect to be "comfortable" anywhere but the house. I don't expect to be comfortable at work, civic or social gatherings, church, etc. I actually despise that outlook and how prominent that it is today. Comfort is of the very least of my considerations when planning how I dress, where I go, what I do, etc outside of my home.

I would be too embarrassed to dress in jeans and flip flops anywhere but at home. I won't weart them to the grocery store, much less on a ministry visit.

Again, your using a pretty broad brush there. I am in my 30's, and most of my friends (most of whom are not Apostolic or even Pentecostal) or in their 30's/40's. I would say about 70% of them lean much more heavily in my direction according to public dress... and not do the casual thing at all outside of home. Granted, all of them are conservative people, but very few are Pentecostal... so it's not a standards thing, and not an age thing.

I don't believe the church is to reflect the current day culture. Of course it has to, to some degree as far as having a/c, chairs to sit on, etc. But when it comes to our music, our dress, our fellowship, our recreation... the very culture we have.... then I believe the church is to be a culture all to its own, looking nothing like the world around us. When studying church history, the church always dictated and set culture until the mid 20th century... it was only then that the culture started affecting the church to the degree it does today. I believe we are to be thermostats of culture, not themometers. I do believe the church (the people) should stick out like a sore thumb in our conversations, our recreation, our music, our love, our compassion, our peace, our joy, our dress, our families.... all of that.

I just really don't get this. Why wouldn't you want to be comfortable? Do you equate comfort with sin? I get the whole shirt and tie thing, and wanting to dress professionally, but you can do all of that and still be comfortable!

I keep going back to my original premise - based on the comments you make, it really seems that you are trying to punish yourself for something. You seem bent on self-flagellation, making yourself uncomfortable intentionally, I'm sorry, I just don't get it.