what should the dress code be?

When my son was going with a sweet young Asian
girl, who was being reared in a Buddhist home
with different ideas regarding dress, I was
approached by the pastor's wife and told to
advise the girl regarding "church standards." I
was told that now that she was Christian, she
needed to get rid of her earrings and stop
wearing her ring, bracelets, and necklaces, and
that she wore to much make-up. I told the woman
I would not do it.

If the jewelry had been Buddhist in nature, I would
have talked to her, but she wore the regular
jewelry one sees on any American girl.

Odd, how we try to play "Holy Spirit" with one
another, trying to convict them of things that are
little human rules added to the Bible in order to
improve upon our God's salvation. I wonder if
our God has some kind of special judgment for
those who unlawfully try to impersonate the Holy
Spirit.

Oh, by the way, my son married her years later, and
I have two beautiful grandsons, ages 3 and 2,
whose mother busily teaches them Bible verses
and reads to them from a children's Bible. All of
her family, except for her father, eventually to the
Lord. We're praying for the father.

 

What a wonderful post Abiyah made. Praise God for your children and precious grandchildren.
One brother expressed concern about a woman who's short skirt was a distraction. I think he had a legitimate concern there. Yet, the woman had been approached and wasn't going to change. I would say that that's all that can be done.
But the older deacon who wanted him to wear a suit was out of line. I don't see the two things to be the same at all. While I'm a suit guy at church myself, I actually asked one of my praise team members to NOT wear a tie so that those who came casually dressed could identify with someone on the platform. (Because I'm Assoc. Pastor, I felt I needed to dress up.) He was cool with that for a while, but eventually went back to his tie. I guess he felt more comfortable and I've never mentioned it again.
There is no such thing as a "worldly" clothing style. There is only one passing reference to "modesty," and it isn't defined. I appreciate Abiyah's earlier attempt, apparently based on some historic evidence she has found, but I would respond that the Holy Spirit did not choose to define "modest." So a more dynamic approach is needed. If someone continually comes to church dressed immodestly, then someone of the same sex may have to lovingly and privately talk with that person. But of course, before such a confrontation could take place, there should be some kind of relationship already established. Seems to me that a man or woman without enough sense to dress modestly is a very immature Christian, if one at all. So why isn't the church discipling that person? Why the focus on the clothing when that's just the tip of the iceberg? What is this obsession, this fear, that someone might come to our church and not be as godly as they should be? Is the church a club for the spiritually elite or is it a place where sinners are loved and encouraged to grow? Someone once said that God loves us just as we are but loves us too much to leave us that way.

 

How about just being clean. Why not focus on the worship, and not whats going on with attire.

I think that those who focus too much on attire, and not the Lord, are very immature in their relationship with God sometimes.

And then there is always those that say things about lust. Well get your head out of the gutter, and focus on that of above. If you are going to lust after something, you are going to do it whether they are wearing a potato sack or no socks.

Sometimes drawing attention to something is worse. As you grow in your relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit teaches you what is right and what is not.

Sherrie