“15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”

If we think that dressing down has helped the lost and unchurched come to faith then we truly are an embarrassment. I think it is great that some churches dress down, but this is still mostly for those of the emerging generations of the churched people who would have left church if the coat and tie rules were still strictly enforced.

Many still get all dressed up for one hour once a week. This lends it self to the perception that religion and spirituality are confined to one or two hours weekly. I remember a friend of mine growing up that said if God really cared about how one dressed he would start wearing a suit to sleep at night. That way if Jesus came back in the middle of the night he would be properly dressed.

What is truly embarrassing is a religion that places great emphasis on one’s dress and less on the heart.

No matter what anyone says this is still alive in many churches today.

The failure of church as it exists is trying to assimilate people into the church culture. Dress like us, build buildings like us, sing the songs we like etcetera. Make people like the existing church instead of shaping church culture to meet the lost and unchurched.

Though it sounds trivial to some - the casual dress has done alot for the church.

Seriously?

It’s as if the only thing we have to show for ourselves is our Sunday event. Man, my skeptic friends are going to need a whole lot more than the freedom to wear flip-flops or a band T-shirt to a church meeting to convince them of the validity of following Christ. Like actually living for something, for instance.

Not meaning to pick on you particularly, KentF, but your comment is so representative of what is truly important to most church people. And 90 percent of what is important to church people is laughable to “non-insiders.” (based on my unscientific personal poll)

Baron - Sorry, I’ve been away from the blog a couple days. I’ll go release your comment. It probably got caught because of the links.

qb

I really thought you and I were going to agree on this. But not quite. You said:

“Some how we have the idea that if we live morally superior lives to those in the lost and unchurched group that this will attract them to church or to God. This could not be further from reality. In fact this attitude actually alienates people from the church and sometimes from God.”

I think you’re talking about perception so correct me if I’m wrong. Because otherwise what you said there could be read as “living morally superior lives alienates people”. I’m pretty sure we are called to live morally superior lives. And in the name of intellectual honesty, it only makes sense that a group of people who have a system of accountability and a desire to please a God that demands moral superiority will in fact behave more morally than a group who doesn’t live in such a community. I’m sure there are exceptions to this but I still think it’s true on the average.

However, I will guess that we pretend the chasm is much larger than it is (between the church and the world) and when evidence of our moral failings is made public, it causes a larger problem for us because we fail to return to the cross. So instead we sweep our dust under the rug and go on our way.

Also, you said:

“But how much of church is really about knowing specifically where we need God, confessing and overcoming sin?”

Quite a bit. I think we spend a good bit of time in adoration and praise of God. To me it seems that is his gift to us, that we can abandon ourselves for 20 minutes a week and focus on Him. But other than that, most of “church” in my life revolves around overcoming sin in our lives. I don’t think our traditional Sunday morning bible classes are the best place for people to confess the worst of themselves. But that environment can be found elsewhere. Certainly, everywhere the various church families I’ve communed with over the last 15 years has encouraged people to find this place. Could we do better? Absolutely. Maybe we need to unstuff the shirts a bit. I think that is a good idea. But I am not embarrassed by the work we have done. Maybe it’s just a matter of semantics, but I find the self deprecation business a little depressing and wholly unnecessary for kingdom work.

I’m not sure that any of that made sense.

No where do the writers of the New Testament encourage Christ followers to capitulate to sin. It instructs us to overcome it. But how much of church is really about knowing specifically where we need God, confessing and overcoming sin? Not very much! This is truly embarrassing!
In your next Sunday morning Bible class ask these questions. Where do you really need God in your life right now? What are you doing to overcome that problem? Or what has God been doing in your life spiritually? Most of the time the silence is deafening, and that is why the lost and unchurched community think the church is full of a bunch of hypocrites.

AlGuy, that ball was cleanly struck. qb