Quote:
Originally Posted by Baron1710
I understand what you are saying. I don't know if they are few and far between, I know the one we attended when coming to DC is that way. Platform = abide by UPC dress code. But if you are in the Sunday school department or a greater, make up jewelry, etc is fine.
I think the idea is that they are trying to loosen some of the restrictions, but it results in those creating two classes of people those that will look a certain way have greater privileges than those who won't.
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In the churches I've been a member of, if you hold any office at all, you were held to the same standard. This included choir members, SS teachers, greeters, ushers, praise singers, orchestra members, etc.
When I was a member of the choir in the church I posted about the other day, my pastor took me into his office and told me his expectations. He said that he would ask that I don't wear pants or immodest attire, no makeup that could be seen, and minimal jewelry, mainly limited to rings with a purpose, like wedding bands, class rings, etc.
He wanted me to live this way at home also. Since I wanted to be in the choir and didn't see anything wrong with his 'rules', I abided by them. No, he didn't require all women to follow those rules, but just the ones who held some kind of office or particular position in the church.
He did have some exceptions. He did preach that it was better for a woman to wear culottes when performing a duty that might make her immodest in a skirt, such as climbing ladders or gardening. He also allowed makeup as long as it wasn't seen, like for those with complexion issues. He also allowed women to wear pants on the job if their job required it, like a surgical nurse, paramedic, police officer, or someone working in a factory. So he wasn't hard nosed like some might be and tell those women to find another job.
I will tell you this though...if anyone gets gossiped about in the church, it will more than likely be someone who holds a position or office in the church. The choir gets picked apart. I've heard it done. Nobody cares what Sis. Benchwarmer does in her spare time, but if Sis. Ima Choirmember wears her skirt slightly above her knee, they just split hell wide open and the church is a buzzin. Am I right?
I believe this is why they are held to higher standards in the church. The above gossip scenario happened at my church quite often, and usually by people who had nothing better to do than sit back and pick apart those people as if they were vile sinners. That's wrong.
On the flipside, I also attended a church that, while they required adults to adhere to platform standards, they didn't of the teenagers. This meant that the teens could sing in the teen choir, praise sing, and even lead service wearing t-shirts and jeans, jewelry, and cutting their hair....and I'm not speaking of the boys either.
This creates a problem as well. Not only did they just look like they were at a ball game, but it was disrespectful to the entire church, knowing what the pastor stood for in regard to the adults. I asked a friend of mine, when is the pastor going to inform those girls that it's wrong for them to wear jeans on the platform? When will it be wrong for them to cut their hair?
These are girls who's mother is in the church and doesn't partake of those things, but her girls are allowed to. Another girl, who's parents are also in the church...same thing.
Now, I don't care what they wear outside of church. My own daughter wears pants outside of church, but she wears appropriate attire for church and church functions. This is her own decision as well. But I think it sends a mixed message to people who wonder what the church really stands for if certain people are allowed to do what others aren't. And to be honest, if I was a visitor seeing the above, I'd wonder if I was in a UPC church or a charasmatic one.
Anyway, just my thoughts for the day. Trying to clear my stuffed head...LOL!
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