Posted on 07/23/2012 12:09:39 PM PDT by NoKoolAidforMe
Yesterday at mass, a man came in with two girls (both of an age where each could stand and speak on their own.) ten minues after the liturgy began.
He stood along the side aisle wearing shorts, an advertisement tee shirt, and sneakers and leaned one foot against the wall of the church while standing. There were seats available.
When we stood for the gospel, he then decided to sit down. He did not pray with the girls nor follow along with the missal. He held one girl up for the entire mass, talking throughout with her feet on the top of the pew in front of him, even through the announcment that asked parishioners to show up on time and dress appropriately for mass and set a good example for our children. He bounced her up and down, kissing her repeatedly throughout the entire liturgy.
I write this diatribe because I am not sure if I am being unreasonable in expecting people to show up on time for mass, dress in attire that does not look like you are going to play baseball in the park, and behave in a respectful manner (you know, don't talk in church.)
Whatever happened to manners? Does anyone else notice this?
In the old days every church in Mn filled up from the back. The last seats taken were always in the front row.
Just the culture.
I have no problem with tees and jeans, though I don’t wear them to church myself. The problem is with the selfishness of people who feel free to distract others from their worship with noise, display of bad behavior, or display of skin. People who object to having their treasured worship time ruined with preventable noise don’t necessarily have anything wrong with their hearts.
Yes, men can be slobs, but the womens dress like hos to get the mens to look at them. I do enjoy looking, but it isn’t very appropriate.
Dress up AND show up on time? That is asking for too much in this day and age. :P
Be sure your church follows up with the family so they will feel welcome next Sunday.
Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.
There is always a tension between wanting your kids to be in church, and not wanting to disrupt the rest of the congregation. I was in church once, and we had a retired bishop preaching, and a kid started to bawl, and the parent started to leave with him, and the bishop bellowed “Do Not Remove That Child!!!” His position was the kid was part of the group and had a right, a NEED to be there and that was more important than grownups having to deal with a little bit of ruckus.
You are exactly right I didn’t say the “current” occupants!
In some extremely hot climates, the bishop will give special dispensation to wear shorts, sandals and t-shirts.
I'm an usher (in FL) and must wear suit or sport coat and tie.
5.56mm
I detest people who are late, whether for church or anything else. It’s a sign of disrespect of others. It always seems to be the same people. They don’t seem to know or care that they are disrupting people.
I do think people should dress appropriately for where they are going, but I would prefer they actually get there on time.
I was a single parent to two boys for years, and we always managed to arrive on time, appropriately dressed. My sister never could manage it and actually took pride in it.
Exactly correct!
For those who want to wear suits and or skirts (females & Scotts only), WONDERFUL for YOU. If you “think” this is showing repect to God, great! I would never say you shouldn't, or it was silly. If this is your way of showing respect, the Lord will decide if it pleases Him or not.
The problem comes when you try to impose these views on others, as if YOU know what kind of clothes GOD approves of. God doesn't like “shorts”? How would you know this?
Romans 14 is not just about “FOOD”. It is a metaphor for so much more. Read the entire chapter.
Romans 14
New International Version (NIV)
The Weak and the Strong
14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[b]
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
A few years ago we had a multi-garage sale at our home. Several customers were bartering the prices on the items. A woman zeroed in on my red sweater (a favorite) and asked if she could have it for 50c. Although I had gotten my use out of it, I found myself not budging on the price and after she left, I noticed there was a huge spot on the front that I don't remember seeing before.
I always thought she may have been an angel and learned a lesson about giving that day.
“...a young 20 something woman came in wearing a very thin , bright yellow dress...so thin you could see her white thong underneath crystal clear..yes, that is all she wore underneath..”
At such moments I close my eyes and pray, “Lord, I thank Thee for granting Thy humble servant this heavenly vision of some of the beautiful things which Thou hast made!”
(Just kidding!!)
I support modesty & appropriate dress in church for both sexes. It is the house of the Lord, after all. That was an old Lewis Grizzard line about a strip club locating next to a church.
Come as you are, and better late than never.
Its better he and his girls be there than stay home.
More irritating is people leaving early or during the call for people who want to come to Christ, or join the church. Our Pastor makes an announcement everytime during that call that “no one leaves, no one stirs “. It is almost always perfectly still and perfectly silent during that time.
SnakeDoc
Came here to retort almost the exact same thing; ya beat me to it. I'm COMPLETELY tired of the holier than thous at church and within religion in general these days; like you sat, they need to mind their own business.
Nor do people who do such things. They might be new believers that are young in their faith and need guidance. Also, I wasn't talking about 'preventable noises', I was referring to normal everday attire.
I always thought she may have been an angel and learned a lesson about giving that day.
Or she spit or smudged it out of spite.
But that's because I'm the worship leader.
Excellent post. Thank you for posting. Basically, God knows all and knows why you are dressing whichever way you choose. If it pleases him, then so be it. If it doesn’t, then that’s between you and God.
This is a good question and a good vanity finally after (and during) so many bad ones on the subject of Aurora, CO, so thank you.
What I have to add is that last week a Northeastern singer-songwriter, an undeservedly obscure one, asked a similar, and to me quite shocking having seen what I’ve seen, question on his Fakebook page or in e-mail, I don’t remember any more. He asked if people thought it was fine and dandy to appear on stage wearing shorts (his idea that it wasn’t.)
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