When you walk into a church, do you pay attention to what the pastor and/or choir is wearing? Do you care if they are wearing robes or not? Is it important for you to have a church that has leaders wearing robes, or is that too much "pomp" for you?We are having this debate in my church right now, and it is part of this "dreadful change" that is inevitable in every church... or is it?
Please let me know what your thoughts on robes in a church are. I want to hear from as many people as possible (especially on choirs wearing robes.)
I won't tell you my opinion yet... I want to hear what you have to say about it.
7 comments:
It has been my tradition to have both pastors and choir members wear robes. In the summer both groups shed their robes. I like it without robes. I think the robes make them seem unapproachable and squelches their individuality for both pastors and choir members. I am fine with pastors and choir members not wearing robes. Believing in the priesthood of all believers, no robes make it all the more evident.
I have never been in a church that wears robes, however it might be nice to see the choir wear robes. (but we kind of need a chior first then they could wear robes).
I kind of think that robes make people look starchy. Like its a church without fun. I guess I would rather go to a church that is more laid back than that. But I like a choir that wears robes because it makes them look unified and professional.
I like robes on the choir. It is nice to see people looking their best in church and I believe robes help that. I'm not a big believer in robes on the pastor unless it is a very formal occasion such as an installation or important church service. I guess it comes down to what feel you want your church service to have. Mom
I think it's mre about the heart and the inside dress than outside dress...but if the lack of robes, or the presence of robes is causing someone else to be distracted in Worship, then remove all obstacles to allowing someone to Worship (and not be that distraction).
To a point.
I say live and let live; either way it is not a doctrinal issue to me.
So I guess I don't really have an opinion, except I agree with the first poster that often robes set people apart as "better" or unapproachable--especially to newcomers.
I think robes are horrible. HORRIBLE! lol....
It might be due to the fact that I went to a Southern Baptist school for a year, and they punished dress code violations by making us teens wear a green choir robe for the day.
And in the 80's, green was the most horrible color ever....especially if you had to wear it on Thursday because there was an urban legend among most high schools that if you wore green on Thursday, you were gay!
I once had to wear a choir robe to sing in a choir. It was a Christmas choir, so our robes were white. I am not a small woman. While everybody else looked like an angel, I looked more like the Michelin Man. And while everyone else had no problems under the stage lighting, I nearly passed out from the heat.
Robes are horrible.
Nothing says louder to me and perhaps my entire generation, "Run from this place while you can", then walking in to a bunch of uniformity. In this age of diversity and self-expression, you just aren't going to reach my generation (I'm in my 30's) and younger with that sort of mindset. It screams loudly to us, "You have to be just like everyone else here, or you don't fit in", and it makes us want to run.
So, I guess it all comes down to whether you care more about what things look like, and how "nice" your service is, or whether or not you want to reach the younger generations.
I guess I would fall back on Paul's advice to the Corinthian church [1st Cor, chapter 8]--it's not whether we eat food offered to idols or not, it's the relationships that our actions set up. Why are we wearing robes? or not? What relationships does that help or hurt? Do we wear robes to honor our connection with the church/saints of the past? or to set ourselves up as 'better' somehow? Are we not wearing robes to show that we are a with-it bunch? or to be welcoming to folks who don't understand the clothing symbols? I can see where each congregation might answer these questions differently and still be faithful Christians in their own context. So I guess my answer is "it depends." pastorbethatcovenant
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