Church Service Standards (dress code, worship, translate, Catholic)

[Richio]

Sorry!
I didn't mean to kill the thread.
'Just wanting to clarify a previous post and being a little too overly sensitive.

Anyway, I thought the OP was about standards for services - as in: what is done in the service.

[driftwoodpoint]

Our church is very casual. We just got into our first building. We have been meeting at a middle school for five years. I noticed that people were dressing a little nicer...interesting. Even our pastor wears jeans. We live in a college town and I think sometimes the church thinks it needs to do this to attract the younger person. I think you just need to preach God's word and people will be drawn.
Our music is way, way too loud. There is a group of us who are approaching the leadership committee this week to deal with it. It is so loud we have lost some people and that is so very sad to me.

[weatherologist]

Originally Posted by Fundamentalist

I personally don't care what people wear to church ...

Really? Your words sing a much different tune.

Originally Posted by Fundamentalist

...you have to admit ALL the reasons for dressing down on entering God's House is absolutely weak.

Why does it have to be "dressing down"? Why can't it just be going to worship? Does it really matter where we are or what we are wearing?

I rise on Sunday morning filled with love and joy for my Lord and Saviour. I brush my hair (and maybe my teeth) and put on a pair of jeans and a Gator sweatshirt and go to service filled with the love of my Lord. I worship Him and honor Him. Do you really think that it matters to HIM what I am wearing?

(I really don't think that this is any longer a discussion. For whatever reason, I think that it is just you argueing with me.)

May you rest in peace this night.

<><

[Chef Boyardee]

Originally Posted by Richio

Sorry!
I didn't mean to kill the thread.
'Just wanting to clarify a previous post and being a little too overly sensitive.

Anyway, I thought the OP was about standards for services - as in: what is done in the service.

That's a fair point! Although, clothing appears to be one of those issues that people feel comfortable discussing. So, it is dominating the conversation

Modesty is an obvious standard. There is no doubt our culture has disposed of modesty and our churches are not that far behind in the trend. That covers one clothing issue.

Clothing issue number two: "get a haircut punk, you look like a slob!" "is that a boy or a girl, I can't tell!" "is my daughter a prostitute, because she dresses like one!" (stereotype of WWII generation balling out Baby Boomers in The 1960s).
Our culture had a revolution in The 1960s. Part of that revolution revolved around clothing. One issue was modesty. Thankfully, there still seems to be at least lip service in this area. Another was traditional dress. In large part this involved gender differentiating clothing, style and hair. We've abandoned that and our churches have too. Although, The Old Testament Law prohibits this. So, we shouldn't have. Still another issue was self-respect. Like a prized trophy, our respect for ourselves is reflected in how we care for ourselves. This includes how we present ourselves to others. Not surprisingly, The Revolution included abandoning self-respect. Unfortunately, our churches are sliding/slouching down the same path and that is a loss; a loss of self-respect.

[Richio]

Well I did a google search for "church service standards" and guess what was #1?
This thread.

Here's a question on standards for worship services.
Should we have the Lord's supper at every service?

[TravisW]

Originally Posted by Richio

Well I did a google search for "church service standards" and guess what was #1?
This thread.

Here's a question on standards for worship services.
Should we have the Lord's supper at every service?

Ideally. We do it twice per month, but I'd prefer to have it every service.

Concerning clothes, I've been on both sides of the fence on this one. It comes down more to a cultural issue than a theological one. I personally prefer to be dressed "business casual" at minimum for church. I don't like wearing a tie in church, because it's a target for the 17-month-old crazy man to yank on through the whole service. It's hard to sing when you're being choked.

[Richio]

Originally Posted by TravisW

Ideally. We do it twice per month, but I'd prefer to have it every service.

Concerning clothes, I've been on both sides of the fence on this one. It comes down more to a cultural issue than a theological one. I personally prefer to be dressed "business casual" at minimum for church. I don't like wearing a tie in church, because it's a target for the 17-month-old crazy man to yank on through the whole service. It's hard to sing when you're being choked.

LOL I'm just picturing that problem!
'Sounds like a good argument for bow ties.

[TravisW]

Originally Posted by Richio

LOL I'm just picturing that problem!
'Sounds like a good argument for bow ties.

He's 30lbs of Lutheran fury.

Actually, on that note:

Nobody should get upset when a baby cries or an old person coughs in church. They should get upset when there are no more babies to cry, and all the old folks have died. Regardless of denomination, the cries and coughs are signs of life. The silence of apathy is the sound of a sealed tomb.

[driftwoodpoint]

It doesn't really matter to me what people wear as long as they are modest I guess. God certainly looks on the heart attitude not on the shell. I love Joyce Meyers and she has had some people comment on her clothes. Some think they are too flashy. I can't get my dad to watch her because of that. We need to listen to the message not the messanger. We need to compare what people say to the word of God. God uses everyone who wants to be used in his own way.
Years ago when I was on staff with Campus Crusade in CA a group of us went down to inner city LA. They were street preachers who literally were on a soap box. But I watched with an open heart and could see that God was using them to bring people into the knowledge of Christ.
I worked on a campus and about once a week a guy came carrying a big cross and screaming verses. I used to just die and want to hide under a bench. But God even used to that open conversations with students. God works in his own way....

[Towhee]

Originally Posted by Richio

Well I did a google search for "church service standards" and guess what was #1?
This thread.

Here's a question on standards for worship services.
Should we have the Lord's supper at every service?

We have the 'Lord's Supper' every Sunday. Ater all, every week has a 'first day" !!! That was the example set in the NT.

If someone is unable to be at the A.M. service, they are served at the evening service.