Green t-shirt; yellow
polo (and blue and maroon
and striped and black and
turquoise and gray and
plaid; when did polos become
the standard worship uniform?);
silk blouse; black dress;
shorts; slacks; jeans; cutoffs;
standard button-down shorts;
fashionably wrinkled top;
unfashionably wrinkled top;
pressed suit; jacket
with/without tie;
hands in air; hands
held tightly to sides;
standing, sitting, kneeling all
at once; a riot of color and
style singing the old
words How Great Thou Art
framed by the music of new:
a collection of hearts at
the 11:15 Sunday worship.
To celebrate Him is also to celebrate all the diversity He has created.
ReplyDeleteIs this a snapshot of your church? I'd love to see that in real life!
ReplyDelete"A collection of hearts"
ReplyDeletehow lovely.
Hearts all dressed up, or not.
Hearts all the same.
Khaki's are a uniform for most. But I'm kinda a jean and t-shirt type of guy.
ReplyDeletelove the imagery in this Glynn.
Were you writing this during church? I must admit, I write during church. Hey, it's where I get inspired!
ReplyDeletea collection of hearts.
ReplyDeletethat reminds me of kathleen
and her collection fo heart rocks.
how did people know when to meet
before clocks?
uniform
uniform
of One
form
thoughts
just
thoughts
at 9:09
I love it that it really doesn't matter what the outside looks like - it is the heart.
ReplyDeleteYour poetry ministers Glynn.
These are just my humble opinions and are not meant to offend anyone.
ReplyDeleteI recognize that there are differences in churches, but I feel that all the casual attire are a slippage in the church.
It makes me sad to think that the words in the Bible commanding us to dress in a respectable manner to worship God are no longer honored.
As I read these comments, I can't help but wonder where our convictions are. I agree it isn't about the clothes... it is more about the heart.
I'm trusting you were in nice clothes Glynn. :)
I think naked should be the standard worship uniform.
ReplyDeleteIn the spiritual sense, of course.
I love this, Glynn! My church is more formal -- my husband wore a tie this morning!
ReplyDeleteIt's the rainbow of promise, isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought reading this...all are welcome in the house of the Lord!
ReplyDeleteOur church is pretty contemporary, and we too have quite the mix. And I'm glad!
My summer church uniform is blue t-shirt with blue skirt with a lace poncho over the t-shirt. The poncho masks the casualness of the t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteHopefully at Church, my heart is open and unmasked. It is the heart that He is looking at.
I loved the poem.
My first thought as, "Why aren't you listening to the sermon, Heathen!" (Kidding.)
ReplyDeleteMy church is casual, our worship of God is not. There are folks at our church who might be looked down upon at another church. A church where people dress up in their Sunday best. Mature Christians has differing opinions about what's appropriate attire for church. We're hoping people who aren't Christians come to our church and are introduced to Jesus there. I'm grateful and humbled that they felt a level of comfort with us on their first visit to come back--tattoos, body piercings and all. You have to look past the exterior if you ever want to see their hearts. When you're able to do that, you'll find there not so different from you or me. We all are in need of a Savior. We're all broken. Some of us just clean up better on Sunday morning.
I love the way Jon Burke puts it:
"Come as you are. Just don't stay that way."
And I don't think he was talking about a dress code.
Indeed He is more interested in the inside of the cup instead of the outside.
ReplyDeleteWhen I dress for "church" am I dressing for Him or for the other people I am gathering with?
But.. if my attire were to cause another to stumble.. perhaps I SHOULD be paying attention...
Our worship service would like much the same as your Glynn.. though I most often have my eyes closed to it all, fixed on Him instead.