Do you dress up for church?

[Castor Muscular]

Castor, frankly, I think you went over the top.  You didn't quote my post in context.  There was no "church" judgment in my post...only a sorrow for young girls who don't respect their own bodies.

Of course I did.  It's called humor.  I didn't mean to quote your post in context, only use part of it as a leaping point for a joke. 

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Would this topic even be relevant if we were meeting in church houses like they did in NT times?

Just wondering...

 

[christundivided]

or of other Christians in this ekklesia by dressing down to cloak yourself in a false humility would be an error taking God and His people for granted and making our worship a glib and onerous thing.

And yes, I have noticed your constant denial of God.  Whenever anyone posts about their desire to honor our magnificent LORD by preparing themselves to come before Him, you completely remove God from the context and claim it is in order to impress others or for an "I'm better than you" condescension, a strict flesh view.  In this you are wrong.

There you go.... I have never meet one person in my entire life that "dressed down" to present a false sense of humility. You're a pompous turd. Since you're so fond of "Scriptures", by all means present such a case from "Scripture"????

However, the Pharisee often "dressed up" to present themselves "before God". Do I need to post those Scriptures or do you remember them from your "daily studies"? Ever read the phrase "enlarge the border of their garments"?

 

[Castor Muscular]

Would this topic even be relevant if we were meeting in church houses like they did in NT times?

Just wondering...

No, it wouldn't, IMO.  And that's getting right to the point. 

Also, think of it this way.  If you dress up out of reverence for God when you go to a church service, but don't dress up out of reverence for God when you pray or read the Bible, then what makes the difference?  I'll tell you.  Nobody (maybe your wife, but she doesn't count) else sees you when you're praying or reading the Bible.  In which case, that pretty much debunks the idea of doing it out of reverence for God. 

 

[christundivided]

Would this topic even be relevant if we were meeting in church houses like they did in NT times?

Just wondering...

Probably not. Then again, they did have issues with lying, cheating, and many other "things". Serving God during any "period of time" has been a challenge of dealing with the "masses" or the "mass" mentality.

 

[rsc2a]

Would this topic even be relevant if we were meeting in church houses like they did in NT times?

Just wondering...

Yes. After all, even then, some people were doing things to show off* (e.g. braiding hair, wearing fine jewelry).

* I am not saying that everyone who dresses up is putting on appearances.

 

[Castor Muscular]

Would this topic even be relevant if we were meeting in church houses like they did in NT times?

Just wondering...

Yes. After all, even then, some people were doing things to show off* (e.g. braiding hair, wearing fine jewelry).

* I am not saying that everyone who dresses up is putting on appearances.

Do you think it would have become the norm, though, like it has with many building-based churches?  Or worse, taught that it was expected of members to dress up for home-based meetings?

 

[ALAYMAN]

Are you advocating that those who "dress up" to go to church........ are doing so..... solely as way of being "obedient"?

I'm sure that many people dress up for a variety of differing reasons and motives, so I wouldn't say all that dress up for church do so out of a pure motive of obedience to their conscience and Scriptural injunction.

I'd like to know how you draw a distinction between "seeking favor" and being "obedient" to God? Your entire argument hinges on this distinction. Please elaborate.

"Seeking favor" in the context that I was alluding to Castor's parody post was in reference to the mistaken/misplaced notion of attempting to obligate God to us by performance based deeds.  The grace of God by its very nature is not beholden to our deeds, but, on the other hand, as a <super>natural response to the grace of God we act in repentance and faith to comply with His revealed will/commands.  As James said, faith without works is dead.  And as Paul said in Ephesians 2, we are saved by grace, not our own merit, but God has created us unto good works.  So "obedience" (works) are a natural outcome of a relationship of true faith.

You analogy of Sharpton and the "Uncle Tom" seems self serving. Could it also be said.... that those who "judge" "dressing up" to go to go church as being obediant, are do nothing more than setting a standard that all should obtain?

"Dressing up", in proper context", would look different for differing people.  The farmer might put on his best pair of bibs to "dress up".

 

[prophet]

Castor, frankly, I think you went over the top.

Of course he has.  He has done it repeatedly despite others having noted that he is intentionally misrepresenting (a form of lying) what others are saying.  He has done it in this most recent pitiful attempt at parody by equating the Biblical concept of reverence with trying to garner favor with God.  A person's convictions flow from a rightly humble heart, a heart that has received instruction from God and desires to please Him by faith.  Obedience flows as a response to repentance and faith, but Castor would have you believe that anybody with more conservative views than him is a pharisee.  That's a long-standing page from his playbook.  When you read his general tone and tenor of conversation you can see that his notion of humor is also irreverent.  He shuns public discourse, because he is an introvert, and he lets his personal peccadillos taint his theological biases.  It's the ultimate irony that such judgmentalism could cloak itself in self-professed piety, sorta like the puffed up and proud reverend Sharpton wagging his chubby little finger at all the Uncle Tom's who defend the white-Hispanic Zimmerman.

There you go, inventing definitions again.  A person's 'convictions' is their criminal record. 


Anishinabe

 

[Recovering IFB]

My wife and I get dressed up when we have our "date nights". That means a lot to her to do, even though its a pain to me. Makes her happy.

 

[Castor Muscular]

My wife and I get dressed up when we have our "date nights". That means a lot to her to do, even though its a pain to me. Makes her happy.

I think it's really cool that you have date nights. 

 

[ALAYMAN]

Castor, frankly, I think you went over the top.

Of course he has.  He has done it repeatedly despite others having noted that he is intentionally misrepresenting (a form of lying) what others are saying.  He has done it in this most recent pitiful attempt at parody by equating the Biblical concept of reverence with trying to garner favor with God.  A person's convictions flow from a rightly humble heart, a heart that has received instruction from God and desires to please Him by faith.  Obedience flows as a response to repentance and faith, but Castor would have you believe that anybody with more conservative views than him is a pharisee.  That's a long-standing page from his playbook.  When you read his general tone and tenor of conversation you can see that his notion of humor is also irreverent.  He shuns public discourse, because he is an introvert, and he lets his personal peccadillos taint his theological biases.  It's the ultimate irony that such judgmentalism could cloak itself in self-professed piety, sorta like the puffed up and proud reverend Sharpton wagging his chubby little finger at all the Uncle Tom's who defend the white-Hispanic Zimmerman.

There you go, inventing definitions again.  A person's 'convictions' is their criminal record. 


Anishinabe

Replace "convictions" with "scruples" or "strongly held beliefs" if it will help your undies get out of that bind.  And when you see the word "Trinity" just substitute "Godhead" and life will be so much easier.

 

[christundivided]

Are you advocating that those who "dress up" to go to church........ are doing so..... solely as way of being "obedient"?

I'm sure that many people dress up for a variety of differing reasons and motives, so I wouldn't say all that dress up for church do so out of a pure motive of obedience to their conscience and Scriptural injunction.

I'd like to know how you draw a distinction between "seeking favor" and being "obedient" to God? Your entire argument hinges on this distinction. Please elaborate.

"Seeking favor" in the context that I was alluding to Castor's parody post was in reference to the mistaken/misplaced notion of attempting to obligate God to us by performance based deeds.  The grace of God by its very nature is not beholden to our deeds, but, on the other hand, as a <super>natural response to the grace of God we act in repentance and faith to comply with His revealed will/commands.  As James said, faith without works is dead.  And as Paul said in Ephesians 2, we are saved by grace, not our own merit, but God has created us unto good works.  So "obedience" (works) are a natural outcome of a relationship of true faith.

You analogy of Sharpton and the "Uncle Tom" seems self serving. Could it also be said.... that those who "judge" "dressing up" to go to go church as being obediant, are do nothing more than setting a standard that all should obtain?

"Dressing up", in proper context", would look different for differing people.  The farmer might put on his best pair of bibs to "dress up".

Nice job at talking around the issue.

1. Do you see "dressing up" as a way of being obedient to God. Please include anyone for any reason.
2. Does "obedience" bring the "favor of God" in any shape or form?
3. Would the farmer be okay if he wore a tank top with his "pair of bibs"? If not, then why not?

 

[christundivided]

My wife and I get dressed up when we have our "date nights". That means a lot to her to do, even though its a pain to me. Makes her happy.

Had a date night last Friday. Wore jeans and T-shirt. Had a really good steak with a Red Oak draft. Just one. Went by the ABC store on the way home. Bought so good "Irish Creme". Stopped by Wendy's and got 2 large frosties....... spent the rest of the night laughing till we fell asleep. To each his own. I'm not saying my night was any better than your night. Its between you and your wife. Just like its between me and my wife. Just don't think your night was the right way to handle the evening.

 

[Castor Muscular]

My wife and I get dressed up when we have our "date nights". That means a lot to her to do, even though its a pain to me. Makes her happy.

Had a date night last Friday. Wore jeans and T-shirt. Had a really good steak with a Red Oak draft. Just one. Went by the ABC store on the way home. Bought so good "Irish Creme". Stopped by Wendy's and got 2 large frosties....... spent the rest of the night laughing till we fell asleep. To each his own. I'm not saying my night was any better than your night. Its between you and your wife. Just like its between me and my wife. Just don't think your night was the right way to handle the evening.

Any kind of date night sounds wonderful to me.  But the really good steak makes it sound even better.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Nice job at talking around the issue.

I'll try to remain civil, since we've done pretty well at that of late. 

I didn't "talk around the issue".  To tell you the truth, I didn't understand your post very well, so I attempted to interact with it as best I could.  In doing so tried to tie my answer back to what we'd been talking about, but to be honest, I couldn't make much of a connection out of what I perceived your question(s) to be.

1. Do you see "dressing up" as a way of being obedient to God. Please include anyone for any reason.
2. Does "obedience" bring the "favor of God" in any shape or form?
3. Would the farmer be okay if he wore a tank top with his "pair of bibs"? If not, then why not?

1) I believe corporate worship particularly lends itself to a somber mindset, more so then when I read the Bible for devotions to ALAYboy.  Both are important, but the atmosphere and conditions of the two differ in such a way so as to make a distinction in one being more formal than the other.  In that respect, I believe that to "dress up" for formal worship is an act of obedience in the sense that I am keeping my outer comportment in line with the somberness that ought to accompany an inner heart condition of preparedness to meet with the Lord and His people.

2) In short, obedience does bring the blessings of God, but my motive for obedience is not to come from a position of treating God like a Genie in the bottle.  The obedience comes by God's grace and enabling Holy Spirit through faith, and in a synergistic fashion I let the Holy Spirit control/lead me so that I perform what I know to be the will of God (as revealed through the Scriptures).

3) I fail to see the relevance but I'll try to answer what I think you're asking.  I'm not the Holy Spirit, and I don't know what the farmer would consider "his best".  In that regard, if his arrangement was modest, and he felt that it was the thing that reflected an attitude of worshipfulness then I've got no problem with it at all.

 

[Castor Muscular]

1) I believe corporate worship particularly lends itself to a somber mindset

somber

1 : so shaded as to be dark and gloomy

2 a : of a serious mien : grave <somber dignitaries>
.. b : of a dismal or depressing character : melancholy
.. c : conveying gloomy suggestions or ideas

3 : of a dull or heavy cast or shade : dark colored

Maybe if you didn't show up, corporate worship at your church wouldn't be so somber.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Maybe if you didn't show up, corporate worship at your church wouldn't be so somber.

lol

Is that the edifying spirit you amened rsc2a for yesterday? 


"sober", if it makes you feel better, typo Nazi.

 

[Castor Muscular]

Maybe if you didn't show up, corporate worship at your church wouldn't be so somber.

lol

Is that the edifying spirit you amened rsc2a for yesterday? 


"sober", if it makes you feel better, typo Nazi.

It wasn't a typo, unless you meant to type "sobriety" and accidentally typed "somberness".  That would be quite a feat.

1) I believe corporate worship particularly lends itself to a somber mindset, more so then when I read the Bible for devotions to ALAYboy.  Both are important, but the atmosphere and conditions of the two differ in such a way so as to make a distinction in one being more formal than the other.  In that respect, I believe that to "dress up" for formal worship is an act of obedience in the sense that I am keeping my outer comportment in line with the somberness that ought to accompany an inner heart condition of preparedness to meet with the Lord and His people.

Pwnage.

 

[ALAYMAN]

It wasn't a typo, unless you meant to type "sobriety" and accidentally typed "somberness".  That would be quite a feat.

Yeah, that's it, you've really nailed me this time lil buddy.



And people wonder why folk don't come to the FFF anymore for legitimate discussion.