Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I wouldn't say it but it is good she did. . .

From Adriane Dorr's blog (you know her, the managing editor of the Lutheran Witness). . .

take my jacket

Ladies, we have a real problem. It’s our clothing. And, in particular, it’s the clothing we wear to church.

I get that there are certain kinds of clothes that make us feel better about ourselves, that give us a waist, that show off our curves, that make us feel feminine and confident.

But despite what the culture told you, it’s actually not all about you. There’s these other people in the world (they’re called men), and often times, the clothes we wear doesn’t exactly help them focus. That’s not helpful. In fact, it’s so not helpful, it’s hurtful.

The problem is exacerbated when we show up to church in clothes we shouldn’t. I’m not recommending women button up like we’re Amish or start wearing floor-length jean skirts. That’s not feminine either. But if your skirt is so short that it reveals your gender when you sit down, honey, it’s too short.
And think about your pastor. Young ladies, how’s he supposed to be preaching God’s Word to you when your skirt is so tight you can read its size on the label?

Or nursing moms? Please cover up. No pastor needs to turn around and see you adjusting all your feminine glory for your child. (And honestly, I don’t want to see it either.)

Or middle aged ladies? Put a tank-top on under that blouse. Your pastor has to bend over to give you Holy Communion, and he’s got enough on his mind to not have to deal with seeing all your girl bits too.

Dressing modestly isn’t the same as dressing like a frump from the 1980s. This doesn’t mean that you can’t feel good or look feminine or have a figure.  You don’t have to wear a burqua, and you should never, under any circumstance, take to wearing oversized, lumpy sweaters that make you look like a dude.

You don’t have wear long dresses Little-House-on-the-Prairie style. It doesn’t mean you can’t go to the swimming pool. It simply means that you don’t have to let all the parts of you that are uniquely feminine cease to be un-unique by showing them . . . constantly . . . to the whole world.

Besides, covering up a bit adds some mystique. Turns out you actually don’t have to give everything away in a guy’s first glance at you.

Lutheran ladies, we can get ourselves back out of this mess. We can work on our wardrobes and choose to wear things, especially to church, more suited to being in the presence of the God of creation who comes to meet us there. And we can choose to think more of our neighbor, of our pastors, of the guys we interact with than we do of ourselves, and then dress in a way that bears witness to the beautiful creations God made us to be.


Deal?
Deal.
Let’s get to it.

5 comments:

Janis Williams said...

I love the fact that Adriane Dorr has pointed to the men around us in the Church. They are our brothers and neighbors. How can we sit back and say, "It's their problem....dirty minded creatures!"

Help your neighbor! Imagine if you were actively convincing your best friend to seduce another friend's husband? Worse yet, to seduce your own husband? Worst of all, if you were seducing your own pastor?

Anonymous said...

ATTENTION MEN
There seems to be a lack of respect
for God's House when you pick out
your Sunday morning wardrobe. Casual
Fridays at the office spill over to
Sloppy Sundays at church. In an
LCMS parish last Sunday I saw a
60 year old usher wearing blue denim
jeans and a plaid flannel shirt. Many men have shed sport coat, tie, and dress for attire more
suitable for attending a rodeo.

I realize our gracious God looks at our heart when we worship and
not our apparel. Yet out of true reverence for our Lord we will want to look respectful and wear
our best.
for attending a rodeo.

Anonymous said...

Please disregard the last 4 words
of previous post on the bottom line
"for attending a rodeo." I do not
know how they got there.

Carl Vehse said...

And while the properly dressed (male or female) churchgoer is at it, leave the stainless steel insulated mugs, the giant Starbucks cups, the McDonalds Breakfast remnants, the soda cans, the Dunkin donuts, and the Thrivant cups of coffee out in your SUV or at least in the narthex. You can survive one hour without liquid or pastry sustenance.

And turn the ringer off on your cell phone. Not only do you have too many friends who apparently don't know you go to church on Sunday morning, but you made a lousy choice in ring tones.

Anonymous said...

Don't be surprised when people dress like slobs for contemporary worship.
Have you ever noticed that the smuttier-dressed women are always the first to complain about sexual harassment? Dress influences behavior. If women were to become modest in dress and in behavior, then we would be closer to achieving a post-pagan society.