So apparently a number of churches had a "Wear Your Pajamas to Church" service on Christmas. It was to "promote a sense of intimacy."
It seems people are just too darn lazy to put on some clothes when they get out of bed and if we promise them they don't need to make that effort maybe please God they'll come to church.
I'm sorry but I think the practice of people over the age of two putting on clean clothes and maybe even washing their face before they leave the house is a good one.
I confess I already have a bad taste in my mouth about this public wearing of bed clothes from when my daughter was in high school and they had pajama days. Really? I'm already fighting the skimpy dress code and trying to keep the boys off my daughter and now they are ENCOURAGING them to dress like they all are going to one big co-ed slumber party????
Well then, why don't we just all come butt-naked? I say for the same reason we don't come to church naked, we don't wear our bed clothes. A little modesty. To show that coming to church and worshiping God and being with fellow Christians IS worth the effort it takes to put on a clean pair of clothes?
Don't have a pair of clean clothes? Well then let's buy you a washing machine and give some nice clothes and work for a world wear you can have clean clothes. Isn't that better than saying - "oh fine just wear whatever you sleep in."
I hear some pastors even showed up at these things in bathrobes over their clothes. That's just stupid. They haven't come as they are, they've put on a costume. So now bathrobes replace church vestments?
Not to mention it takes the focus off of Christ and it becomes all about "Look how clever and funny we are - we are wearing PJs to church!"
Not to mention it takes the focus off of Christ and it becomes all about "Look how clever and funny we are - we are wearing PJs to church!"
While not technically the worst idea I've ever heard (the Fourth Crusade, witch-trials and Iraq invasion all come to mind), this is certainly a very bad idea.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the church and its worship have been dumbed down badly enough over the past half-century. Do we really need to take one more idea from children;s summer camps?
Beyond the lack of reverence, what really concerns me is the idea of creating "intimacy" by seeing each other in bedclothes. Frankly, there are a lot of people in the world, and therefore in churches, who don't handle intimacy well. Some are scared off by it, and others -- in both pews and pulpits -- have been known to abuse it very seriously.
A little formality protects everybody. You know, basic stuff -- keep the desk between yourself and the attractive penitent; don't spend time alone with children; wear your freaking clothes.
You say it so well Father Anonymous. "WEAR YOUR FREAKING CLOTHES!"
ReplyDeleteYeah...what he said and what you said. Stunningly stupid idea. What's sad is that I'm not surprised by anything like this anymore.
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