Week 2: 7: Clothing

    

Welcome back. This week we’re going to be discussing the chapter about clothes. To be honest, this is not an area I feel like I struggle with. I tend to have an affinity for tank tops, hoodies and flip flops, but I’ll wear them to death. If I have clothing that I haven't worn in a while it's probably due to the vicious cycle of being normal sized, getting pregnant, post pregnancy chubbiness, working my way back to being normal sized, and then getting pregnant again. And repeat. Once I’m sure that the baby making is all done, and that I can hopefully stay in the same size shirt and pants for more than 6 months, I plan on whittling down the wardrobe further. I do tend to overbuy clothes for my children, but 90% of what they own is from yard sales or consignments. Also, I know that most of their clothes will be passed on to my friends (with Gabbi’s old stuff then coming back to me so Evie can wear it). By the time all is said and done, whatever I buy for Gabbi or Micah goes through at least 2 other children. Not too bad, especially when I try not to go over $5 per piece of clothing.

But that’s just me. I am blessed to be able to stay home and dress comfortably all the time. I’m also blessed with little to no fashion sense, so I don’t really have the desire to look current and cute.

What interested me most about this chapter (and about the discussion on Marla’s Blog, which you can find here) was her thoughts on how we should dress at church.  Here are two passages that really stood out to me.

                “As we worshipped and studies the Word and enjoyed good weather and even better company, God reminded me that gathering the saints is powerful not because we look our finest or make a big production of the details but because we unite to seek Jesus. That’s the magic. I suspect God is more glorified in a humble room of earnest worshippers than a massive production designed to sound “relevant” to the listeners but no longer relevant to God. When the worship of God turns into a “worship experience,” we have derailed as the body of Christ.”

“Finery and opulence never impressed Jesus; quite the opposite. He lambasted religious leaders for their fancy robes, strutting around as if their ceremonial dress had any bearing on the condition of their hearts. There is something noble about an assembly of believers in simple clothes, where the lobby isn’t filled with people saying “You look pretty” to one another. Maybe looking pretty isn’t the catalyst for the Spirit’s movement. Perhaps an obsessive occupation with dresses and hair and shoes detracts us from the point of the gathering: a fixation on Jesus. When the jars of clay remember they are jars of clay, the treasure within gets all the glory, which somehow seems more fitting.”

                

Here are your discussion questions for the week:

1. Where do you fall of the clothing continuum?

• Don’t really care about clothes.
• Love clothes but consider yourself more creative than excessive.
• Sense you might have a clothing addiction.
• Other.

2. Another quote that really hit me was this:

“We cannot carry the gospel to the poor and lowly while emulating the practices of the rich and powerful.” What do you think about this?

3. And now for the more controversial question: What do you feel is appropriate church attire? Why? I may play “devil’s advocate” in the comments section, so please don’t be offended if I question your position. I’m just trying to get some good discussion going. 

Seriously, this random white highlighting might just make me nuts. Oh well.