Image via WikipediaTwo things led me to pursue this subject: One was a sermon I heard on the radio while driving to work in which the pastor thundered about the need for women to dress modestly in church. The other had to do with the increasingly warm days we've been having here in the south. As the days get warmer, the clothes tend to get skimpier even in church, so I thought I would pose this question to an online community I belong to. Do you think women should wear shorts to church?First, I must say I was heartened by the number of responses I received. Obviously, it was a topic to which people had given some thought, but the answers were very interesting. The majority felt that women should be allowed to wear whatever they please because God doesn't look at the outward appearance, but at the heart. Their comments included not just shorts, but the types of dresses that should be worn, i.e. dresses with straps and evening-type dresses.
As I read their answers, I thought, maybe I should put this question to a male community. See what they think. Because in all the years I've been going to church, I've never seen a man come in wearing shorts, tank tops or even jeans that were too tight. It didn't matter how hot the weather, the men always dressed appropriately. Why then should women have to be the ones to be admonished about dressing modestly in the presence of the Lord? Is it because churches have relaxed their rules in order to fill the pews and the coffers? In some offices, employees are allowed to "dress down" on Fridays, but even then there are limits. Some of those places have since stopped the practice because some people showed up in attire that was inappropriate.
I maintain my position from my previous blog. There is a time and a place for everything. What you wear to the beach should be different from you wear to church and what you wear to a gala event should not be worn to church. Ladies, you know what feels right and what doesn't. If it feels too short, too low, too tight, or if you feel uncomfortable when you sit, stand or lean over, it's probably not appropriate for the house of God. Or anywhere outside the home, for that matter. Let's be able to say with Paul, "Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world ... in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace" (2 Corinthians 1:12).
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