Whatever happened to dressing up on Easter Sunday?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, April 10, 2004 | Alyson Walls

[Willie Green]

Although famed musical composer Irving Berlin thought them lovely enough to write a sonnet, nowadays few women are donning Easter bonnets.

In fact, you're more apt to see wrinkled khakis and rumpled polo shirts than pressed suits and pastel pumps at church on Sunday.

While Easter Sunday has traditionally been the day to show off your new spring finery, America has become a nation that dresses down, and not just on "casual Fridays" in the office.

[Aeronaut]

I wore a suit and tie today. I almost never do that for work, and part of my job is flying the Governor of Minnesota.

[Dante3]

Dressing up becomes a psychological problem with some, epecially those who believe in moral relativism -- no right or wrong, no beautiful or ugly (would disagree that Cindy Crawford is prettier than Helen Thomas).

As for those who say nice clothes are "uncomfortable" they most likely have brought the wrong size or a bad fit. All my dressy outfits are comfortable.

[HiTech RedNeck]

"Whitewashed tombs, so pretty on the inside full of uncleanness and dead men's bones"

I bet your minister wears an ornate breastplate with the names of the church families engraved in it? That's Old Testament worship.

Oh, and be sure to skip the braided hair, the gold, and the pearls. The New Testament forbids that, right?

Of course both ideas are silly. The foremost rule for dress should be so as not to create offense to yourself or your neighbor. If you wear finery, do so because you want to celebrate thereby, not because you have some misguided idea that it makes you look better to a God with X-ray eyes.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Yes, I was a young girl when I thought of that...and the Bobby so and so that I remember (along with another altar boy whose name escapes me) got in alot of trouble...but never got reprimanded because Bobby's grandfather was high up in the Knights of Columbus...so they got away with anything.

[JenB]

Nice clothes are 'uncomfortable'. At least in contrast with jeans. I wear dress shoes every Sunday, and every Sunday I am in misery because with flat feet, only tennis shoes feel comfortable. I absolutely hate pantyhose, and I don't like dresses either (always leave me feeling a bit under-dressed, for some reason)

However I was brought up to believe that you dress up on Sunday, so I do. In fact I wear hats every Sunday because I hate getting dressed up so much.

All the same, better be there in jeans than not be there at all.

[HiTech RedNeck]

All the ritual externalities of the Old Testament have been subsumed in Christ, having served their illustrative purpose in history. The Great Physician is looking at your X-rays. He isn't looking at your hospital robe. Refrain from offending (moving to sin) your neighbor or yourself and you have fulfilled the law of love. In places where fine dress is expected by men on earth, dress finely. Where it isn't, you needn't. The church that does is no holier than the church that doesn't.

[valleygal]

Skimmed much of this thread but your post re: ADD/Asperger's really caught my eye. Just found out last year that my 14 yr. old son is PDD-NOS and somewhat ADD and I can't get him to dress up for anything. After reading your post, I understand a little better.
He prefers very loose clothing and bare feet, though he obviously has to wear shoes to school and church. :)

I got him new pants for today (though, not dress pants) but he looked like he usually does, very casual. He did pull out his Homer Simpson, "This I your Brain on Donuts" shirt and have the good sense to say, "I probably shouldn't wear this." LOL (I wouldn't have let him anyway).

[texasbluebell]

Now that's what I call an Easter bonnet!

[Gal.5:1]

Our resurrection day service is held outside on grass in a park. Many visitors come off the street to the service.

Today there were at least 2000 people who sang worship songs, heard a young lady's testimony of how Jesus Christ saved her, heard a message about the Lord Jesus and how 'now is the time' to decide about Him- to believe in Him by faith, or not.

About 500 people watched 2 dozen people get baptized in the lagoon to proclaim to the world that they are now in Christ by faith, and belong to Him.

We all dressed in jeans, tshirts, sweatshirts and jackets and sometimes hats for the sunlight (it was overcast and cool today). For us, this is about our Lord Jesus and how He is alive, and clothes are just for keeping warm.

[freedox]

"Dressing up becomes a psychological problem with some......"

Yes, it does. I think that has been clearly demonstrated by some of the responses on this thread.

"As for those who say nice clothes are "uncomfortable" they most likely have brought the wrong size or a bad fit."

Perhaps......and perhaps that is because they have put little effort into finding a comfortable fit in clothes that they have a "psychological problem" with. Some people seem to actually revel in their alleged discomfort when wearing nice clothes.......they make no effort to be comfortable in them, psychologically or otherwise.

[Dante3]

I have found dress shoes made from soft leather that are so confortable it's like I have no shoes on. I avoid high heels for many reasons, especially health. Also, if you wear a longer dress you can wear knee-highs or over-knees -- many prefer them to panty hose and no one can tell the difference.

[threat matrix]

I dont have a problem with the people who I know are trying, and maybe don't know how to shop for properly fitting clothes.

Unless you are living in Maui or the Bahamas, shorts are not appropriate for Easter or Christmas services.

[valleygal]

I saw it and it sounds like a load of crap to me. Tell me, just what is it about "nice" clothes in particular that offend your enhanced tactile sensitivity?

Anyone in your family have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder? If not, please don't tell someone who has an ASD that what he says is a "load of crap". Thanks.

[bethelgrad]

Hey I wore a suit today. Yes, I am one of those who normally wears wrinkled khakis and a polo shirt. But today I made an exception. Anyway, I'm sure that had I worn my wrinkled khakis God wouldn't have minded since His main concern is the condition of my heart.

[freedox]

I wholeheartedly agree. IMO, what is important is the personal effort put forth (i.e., what is coming from the person's heart.)

[RockyMtnMan]

It's also a good way to show how materialistic you are. Clothes don't make the man, the MAN makes the man. Christ didn't die so you'd have a day to show off your most expensive suit and shiny Rolex.

When it comes to dress, the external is an indicator of the internal.

Saddam dressed nicely and he wasn't much of a saint.

[WKB]

Matt 23
25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

[SamAdams76]

That's because God is looking at the place that matters, the heart. All of the "dressing up" in the world won't conceal that area.

Well said. Adam and Eve came into this world bare-naked. I doubt that God provided them with a wardrobe of fine clothing (if you believe in the biblical Creation). If you believe in evolution, well it is clear that early humans didn't have clothing either. Eventually humans made and wore clothing for practical matters, such as to protect them from the elements. Eventually, as civilization developed, some humans made finer clothing to differentiate themselves from "lesser" humans who weren't as well off as they. Therefore the wearing fine clothing is a function of our own vanity. We don't wear fine clothing to impress God. We wear fine clothing to impress our fellow humans and to establish ourselves higher up in the pecking order. So admit it everybody. It's not about God at all. We wear fancy clothes to church to show off to each other.

[WKB]

see # 257

[dsc]

"I bet your minister wears an ornate breastplate with the names of the church families engraved in it? That's Old Testament worship."

Ummm....no. Where did that come from?

"Oh, and be sure to skip the braided hair, the gold, and the pearls. The New Testament forbids that, right?"

Not that I know of.

"The foremost rule for dress should be so as not to create offense to yourself or your neighbor. If you wear finery, do so because you want to celebrate thereby, not because you have some misguided idea that it makes you look better to a God with X-ray eyes."

I didn't suggest any such thing. It is a way of showing honor, and what God would care about is that you loved Him enough to want to honor Him.