Why I'm Wearing Pajamas to Church
Tweet
There's a movement towards the "casual" in our day. We're casual in our speech. We're casual in our showing up for events and appointments ("casual" used for "late" here). We're casual in our clothing, too. It's this last area of casual I want to talk about. I can remember "casual dress" days were Fridays at work (back in the 90s). I looked forward all the more to the end of the week because I could wear jeans, a pullover shirt, no belt. I could dress comfortably. Now casual dress day is every day in the workplace. Right? And I've also noticed it's every Sunday in the church. Which brings me to what I really wanted to say. I've been thinking about wearing pajamas to church. Do you think that's crazy? Everybody else is wearing whatever they want to we
ar ~ from shorts and baseball caps, to flip-flops and sunglasses ~ you name it. So why not PJ's? And how do you think people might react to me if I came to service looking like I just got out of bed? Or what if it was a woman showing up in her night gown? Would she turn heads? Ya think? My point here isn't that I'm against dressing comfortably for church. (I'm all for it, quite frankly, just like I was on Fridays long ago.) But when is comfortable too comfortable? I think it's an important question to ask. Is there a point where "casual" goes too far?Labels: bible, blogger, casual dress, christian, church, god, jesus, mother lode, pajamas, religion, sonora, spiritual, twain harte
posted by Mike C at 3:43 PM
29 Comments:
We saw your post on Twitter and just wanted to agree with you. No, don't wear you pajamas to church. Stay strong. Have a blessed Sunday!
It's a total western culture thing. You wouldn't even be thinking of these kind of questions if you were in a 3rd world country. We are spoiled with our lifestyle. When Chuck Smith preached to the surfers and hippies, the church complained they would dirty the carpets on Sundays. He said "Then rip out the carpets". Why are we worried about dress? Jesus didn't worry about dress. The sinners he preached too obviously looked different because the "perfect" people often complained about it.
Hey Pastor Mike - I've found that if I wear something comfortable to church I can focus better on the music, etc. I'm not good at listening to sermons, highly distractible, but I still try to. Doodling in the bulletin actually helps! (though right now we're still without a church - any job openings in CA so we can move out there? lol)
I hope you have a great day. Maybe don't wear your pj's unless they're faux denim. lol God bless!
If you are going to throw something like that out there you probably should have something biblical to back it up. I do believe it is a cultural thing and there are limits as to what you should wear to church. In America we seem to be more concerned with what we and others are wearing are wearing to church and not why we are there. Let's start looking on the inside and that will change what is happening on the outside.
Yeah what next, we might have some guy wandering in off the desert who eats locusts and wild honey- or some fishermen who have just come from a smelly fishing boat to give up everything and follow Jesus! Mind you the security will probably turn then away at the door....
There's nothing casual about true conviction or conversion, just check the fruit; nevertheless, I'd rather have a church ful'o real sheep in PJ's, than a bunch'o goats & wolves in tailored suits. Amen?
I don't think Pastor Mike is judging anyone. He's asking how far should "casual" go and said his church is casual. Personally, I try to look neat but wear something comfortable at the same time. I've had people look down on me for my jeans and sneakers. But I hardly ever dress up - my lifestyle doesn't demand that these days.
ITA we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
I think it has gotten way too casual everywhere. I see people at the store in the middle of the day in their pajamas and flip-flops or fuzzy slippers. I'm pretty sure it will soon be de rigeur at church too.~~Dee
I was raised to believe that when you went to church, you wore the best you had out of respect, not because you were trying to impress anyone. No matter what your best was, you were in the presence of the King.
While I truly believe that God doesn't care what I wear, he also looks on the heart and the motivations behind what we do.
Today, I dress casually, but I would never dream of going to church in my pajamas. That's just laziness and my Lord deserves better than that.
totally agree with Kylee from Our Little Acre
Totally agree with cha´ my friend
we´re going to visit our LORD (( to say it like that))
many times we´re loosing the good dresing manner,..
the pasts months i saw at my church a girl with a miniskirt,.. well an ´´almost skirt´´come on!!!!!
´´Today, I dress casually, but I would never dream of going to church in my pajamas. That's just laziness and my Lord deserves better than that.´´
I think if people notice what everyone else is wearing, they are obviously worried about the wrong thing in the first place and being at church likely isn't doing them a lick of good anyway. I wouldn't wear pajamas to church, but truth be told it wouldn't bother me if someone did. Who cares? I'm just glad people feel led to church on Sunday morning...
Kat @ For the Love of Chaos
www.katrobertson.info
I think people should dress up some on Sundays when they go to church, it should be more of a formal affair, then a "dress down Friday" type of event. A personal story is on Easter and Christmas I like my family to really dress up in suits. But this year my husband showed up on Easter Sunday without a tie and blazer on and I was humiliated. Here I was all dressed up and the kids and everyone else. And he looked like he just got off work and ran inside. I know looks shouldn't matter, but people dress up for other special events, then why not on the holiest days for God?
I'm reminded of 1 Samuel 16:7, which says that God doesn't look at the outward appearances, but at the heart. With that in mind, why would "dressing up" show any sign of respect to God? It would be like showing respect for me by tattooing my name on your chest. (And, FWIW, I think tattoos are gross, but not a sign of condemnation.)
I'm obese enough that I couldn't afford to keep myself in a suit & tie without buttons popping. And, yes, some will condemn me for "gluttony" there, too.
That's why this is such a hot button for me. I'm there for God, not for a fashion show.
Justin Flores, I agree with you.
I think you should wear what you want to Church. As a Christian, I see Jesus as a good friend. If I went to a friend's house dressed up in fancy clothes they would think I was crazy. 1 Samuel 16:7 "man looks at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart". Who are we to judge someone by what they wear?
Furthermore, what if a stranger off the street came to a Church where everyone was in smart suits and expensive hats? would they not feel uncomfortable in their "casual" clothes? Would they feel they were being judged?
Oh, and there's a difference between jeans and a T Shirt and pyjamas/pajamas
I'm really big on dressing comfortably, but it doesn't mean I dress sloppy for church. You can dress smart and comfortable.
If you would dress up for a date, or dress up if you were going to see a king or a president, or dress up for a party, then I think you should dress respectfully when you go to meet with God and your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Why does it matter what we wear to church? I don't think pj's go too far. Everyone should be able to worship God no matter what they wear. I hate churches that will "reprimand" someone because of what they wear (been there, done that because I wore jeans). If a poor man walked in off the street and couldn't afford clothes would a church turn him away because of how he dressed or smelled? We should embrace him and admire him because he wants to find God. America is so judgmental.
We allow anything not obviously vulgar and people tell us it makes us look "accessible" or "not fake".
We allow anything not obviously vulgar and people tell us it makes us look "accessible" or "not fake".
God's Bible is His word. He says to dress modestly. So, if I appear ANYWHERE in a G-String, or women/girls wearing bikinis (bras & panties)or showing their cleavage, then is that modest?
A pastor kept recommending me to wear a suit. I left that church.
My church asked a homeless man to leave once. So, some of the congregation left.
Kids made fun of a new kid's hat, & told him he should not wear that to church. That was the last they had seen him.
Did King Jesus where a look-at-me crown & the best of robes?
@MightyManGMan (Twitter)
This is a great article, and I totally agree with you!!!!!!!
You wouldn't be the first, I've seen it...
I grew up in a church where it seemed people put more emphasis on what they wore than what was in their hearts. As am adult I've attended churches that go to extremes in being casual or dressing up. I agree with another commenter that I want to dress out of respect for being in the presence of God. Most of all, I want my heart to be at its "Sunday's best" every day of the week. God knows what's in a person's heart.
Hi from Malaysia! About your post, I am somehow of the opinion that people might have misunderstood the meaning of comfy with sloppy. To emphasize my point, you can still be comfy in a pair of sneakers rather than flip-flops. The same goes for well-worn jeans rather than shorts. Being raised with the opinion that going to church is going to meet God, how could you dress sloppily? Someone wise once mentioned (Sorry can't quote because I forgot who), you wouldnt wear shorts nor flip-flops when you meet the Prime Minister, are u going to church like this to meet God, when He himself is the highest above all? It makes perfect sense to me, so I always make mental note to make myself presentable, as I am going to see Him. :)
I agree with you Pastor Mike, but here in the Third World country where I live we still wear our best to church! Well apart from those church that try very hard to opt western culture.
I like this reply. Our parents dressed us in Sunday best. I lived it because I got to wear my "nice" dresses, bows, you name it! I understood it was for God. My parents weren't mean about it either. It went without saying!!
Pastor Mike: You used no scripture to back up your earthly-minded opinion.
Good Morning Pastor Mike……… As long as what one is wearing doesn't cause anyone to sin.... (provocative clothing) it shouldn't matter. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Luke 16:19 "There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him." Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
I rather see a man dressed spiritually well then materially well! I say dress appropriately for the situation..... For Church.... nothing that would "provoke" sin..... (lust.... covet.....
@Yuan Shelyn..... the Church is a building. Our body is the Temple God is with us 24/7 and if I wore flip flops or sneakers would that make me a better Christian. When we go to Church it is to gather with other believers.... to worship together not be be judged on our clothing.... that's what the world does. Our focus should be on spiritual things.
Post a Comment
<< Home