My pet peave is hats worn indoors. I was always taught that a gentleman takes his hat off indoors. If you ever come to east Tennessee. I'm the guy who takes off his ball cap as I'm walking inside of anywhere I go.
Bet y'uns don't wear your hats inside church!!
A few months at Parris Island will make sure that you uncover when going indoors. Thirty-seven years later and I instinctively uncover when crossing a threshold.
farmer said:
My good friend Craig who is the pastor of a church in Oklahoma City, once was a guest at a neighboring church. He saw a lady walk in with her young daughter and they were both dressed rather "trashy" and were obviously there for their very first time. The lady walked around nervously looking for a seat when an older female church member walked up to her and said "dear, you can't come in here looking that way. Here, we dress up for the Lord!" The woman looked very shocked and embarrased and she and her child quickly walked out. My friend Craig thought to himself "that woman will probably never set foot in a church again". From that day forward he said that he wanted a casual atmosphere at his church where new believers would feel welcome and if someone wanted to come to church and they had no clothes, the staff would get a table cloth or rip down curtains to drape around them so they could attend the service.
+100 with your friend Pastor Craig, Farmer. That incident is like a variation of the parable of the rich Pharisee and the poor begger widow, IMO.
God knows what I look like without clothes. It's not about the wrapper, it's about what's inside the wrapper, IMO.
Twenty to twenty-five years ago a Catholic priest used to say Mass every Saturday at a public dock at Deep Creek Lake, MD. Dozens of boaters would all pull in and tie up to the dock or each others' boats and go to Mass. Some wore shorts and T-shirts, some men wore just swim trunks. Women wore one-piece suits or bikinis, with or without cover-ups. The dockside Mass was just as solemn and respectful as if in a church, and
no one said a word about attire. The priest himself usually wore shorts and either a T-shirt or golf shirt, and he wore a stole in lieu of vestments. The important thing was they gathered to worship God and give thanks for salvation.
My late father sometimes told of going to Mass in the South Pacific from late 43 to late 45. Soldiers were muddy, sweaty, unshaven, etc., but they were worshipping God, and no doubt giving thanks for still being alive.
Noah
