Quote:
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.
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I have much the same situation, although my best friend will go to almost any church service wearing jeans, boots, and a button down shirt. I have spoken to many people, some of whom (they are ladies) frown upon women wearing pants to church. This has made for many interesting conversations.
I also agree with you about thermostats vs thermometers. The problem has been this way for many years. Denominational and especially Mainline Christianity have become reflections of the culture. Thus they approve gay clergy after the culture celebrates the gay lifestyle in books, movies, and television. They have also turned wishy-washy on the issue of abortion, the inspiration of Scripture, and many other things. Then they want to tell us how we should dress and conduct ourselves in church lest we be seen as out of touch with the culture.
I do not look good barefoot, and you will find my feet wearing nothing shorter than a calf high sock unless in a great hurry (and even then the socks are likely to be applied in the car). I would never be caught making a call in a pair of sandals. However, if caught by an emergency, it would be expected that the first priority would be to get to the hospital.
$10 ties. I would like to know where you buy yours as I rarely pay less than $30 or so (sometimes). I generally only buy a new tie if I am buying an entirely new outfit. This generally means that I am spending about $200 total for a suit, shirt, vest, and a tie or two. This is of course me buying from JC Penny's, which only happens once a year or less. I really need two or three suits, but I only have one.
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