How casual is too casual (or risque) for church?

I wouldn't disagree with any of that.

 

Our lives are too compartmentalized. We have a day for God, 5 days for work, the weekend to party. Worship for Christians shouldn't just take place on Sunday. Casual dress is fine. We aren't dressed up all the time so if we are doing it right and worshiping God in everything we do all the time we will be wearing what we like and are most comfortable in. God looks at our attitude. Worrying about the clothes others are wearing is just another way to put the focus on ourselves when it should be on God.

 

Oh sure, NOW you clarify.

 

Could just be my old-fashioned up bringing. They were heavy into the 10 commandments and remembering the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy. I do see we get further and further away from that. We didn't do much on the Sabbath but go to church in the morning then again at night, and visit people inbetween. It was a "special" day for our family and different from the other 6 days of the week. And I'm not saying that gave us carte blanche to do whatever we wanted the other six days. Am I making sense?
But that's just how I feel personally. Like I said, I could care less what others wear (as long as it's not revealing) it's important to be there.

 

I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is that if you have the means to look nice then you should. It's out of respect and love. I'm not saying you shouldn't worship at all, if you feel comfortable wearing an Hawaiian shirt then fine, have at it. But for me personally I would never wear shorts and sandals to a Sunday service unless I'm at the beach. Would you wear a Hawaiian shirt and shorts to a funeral?

 

I get that, Ice Man, I really do. And like I posted before, I support people who do dress up out of respect for God. The point I'm trying to communicate is that it's not necessary to have a meaningful worship experience. God is not offended if people don't show up in their 'Sunday best'. Other people, however, may be.

No, but that's not out of respect for the dead, it's out of respect for the people who are there. Actually, a funeral is a good example of what we're talking about. I don't have to go to the gravesite in a suit to honor and respect someone who's passed on. Wouldn't the most respectful thing you can do for a departed loved one be to continue his or her legacy in through your own life?

 

Yes, that is the way I had intended for this thread to go, but that's okay. It can still go that way at some point.

Me, too. We're all unique, which means we're all going to have different relationships with God. It makes sense that everyone will worship in different ways.

Most of the time I wonder if parents are involved at all in the wardrobe selection process. Sometimes I wonder if some of these people (mainly young women) even own a mirror. A size 14 shouldn't be wearing a baby doll t-shirt and low rider jeans. It's demeaning to them, IMO.

 

Excellent point, Spud. :applause:

I still think respect and worship (at least for me) is a heart issue more than anything else, but I agree that Sunday (or whatever day one observes a sabbath) should still be an exceptional day. And I also agree that generally speaking, Christians as a whole are gradually falling away from that idea. I know that far too often I use Sundays for things they weren't intended for, just because I didn't manage my time well during the rest of the week.

Dressing up, for me, would be a distraction. I grew up in a hypocritical environment where people dressed up for church and dressed me up for church, but lived very un-Christlike lives. My attending a casual church is as much about rejecting that environment as it is about helping me stay focused on God instead of my appearance. Is that wrong?

 

Doesn't make a bit of difference how you dress, what matters is your beliefs, how you live your life and how you treat others.