The Recovering Legalist

by Anthony Baker | October 14, 2013 · 1:32 pm

Her Pain Is Mine

Fibromyalgia

I don’t know what you know about fibromyalgia, but whatever it is, whatever causes it, my wife suffers terribly from it. Over the last several years it has robbed my wife of her ability to enjoy many things in life that we take for granted, like sitting, sleeping, getting dressed, washing one’s hair, or even being hugged.

So many people doubt fibromyalgia is real. They say that if it was a legitimate illness, then there would be clearly identifiable symptoms, specific medications or treatments that would work, and even a Jerry Lewis-like celebrity raising money for research. Unfortunately, the only real constant for my wife is pain, and all that comes with never getting relief.

Putting on a brave face is a daily occurrence. My wife was always the hard worker, the entrepreneur, and the aggravating “early riser” who would wake everyone else in the house with, “Thank you, Lord, for this fine day!” Now, her smile is for the encouragement of others who look to her as a pastor’s wife; but her family knows the truth: she spends much of her time in tears.

We have tried doctor after doctor, from local clinics to Vanderbilt. Tests of every kind have been run, yet all are inconclusive. The only diagnosis is fibromyalgia – and there is no cure. She has her better days, and her really bad days, but rarely are there good days. It would seem that this is a burden which we are destined to bear, that is, until God sees fit to lift it.

After a particular troubling doctor visit today, one who made all kinds of false assumptions and accusations, my dear wife decided she couldn’t handle much more. She wept. That is when I wrote the following poem.

Give Us Strength

I tend to wonder

About what I know

Or at least what I think I know

About pain, about grief

About the reason for no sleep

I tend to wonder

I tend to ask

The usual “whys?”

And I guess I know the “why”

But I doubt at times

When there’s no reason or rhyme

I tend to ask

I know the truth

But I tend to wonder

About the load she’s under

The pain without an end

I ask for answers, even when

I know the Truth

Give me strength

But give her more

Dry her tears; make mine pour

On my shoulders place her sorrow

And for the joy again tomorrow

Give us strength

Pray for Us

I try to be funny on this blog. There are times I get angry, too. But right now I really want to ask all of you who pray to intercede for my wife, Valerie. Pray for her healing. Pray that I will know how to better encourage her. But pray, most of all, that through all that we endure God will receive the glory.

As both of us cry together and wonder why she has to go through this, I am reminded of our Savior who also cried in the garden and said: “Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me.” Our prayer is that this will pass.

But, Jesus also said, “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:42) Whatever tomorrow holds, to God be the glory!

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

Explaining Fibromyalgia To Others (stuartotwaysmith.wordpress.com)

10 Comments

Filed under Christian Living, Christian Maturity, Defining Marriage, Do not judge, Faith, Life Lessons, poetry, Relationships and Family

Tagged as Chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, Health

by Anthony Baker | October 12, 2013 · 2:01 am

Arguing for Infanticide?

WARNING! The following subject may be unsuitable for some people. If you support abortion you will probably be offended, so just go click something on the Huffington Post’s website. If not that, go watch a video of Bill Mayer bashing Christians, or something. Just understand, this is a WARNING from a pro-life Christian that what I am about to say will not make Planned Parenthood supporters very happy.

(Maybe we’ll get to some more lighthearted posts next week.)

Post-Birth Abortion?

What I am about to share with you goes beyond anything I’ve ever seen. Even those of you who are “pro-choice” should recognize that a line dividing humanity from devils is being crossed.

The video you are about to watch is not new, but it shows a woman by the name of Alisa LaPolt Snow, a lobbyist representing the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, defending the murder living, breathing, pain-feeling, on-the-table-kicking babies. I recently saw this on a Facebook post and decided I had to comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qEv1afKaLhA

It’s Murder

I don’t know how else to define taking the life of a living, breathing, baby but cold-blooded murder. There is no other sensible way to describe it.

And you know what, dear readers, it doesn’t matter a hill of beans what circumstances surround the birth or what may potentially come of the child in question. None of us know what tomorrow holds, so since it is possible we might end up in a vegetative state after a car accident, should we just go ahead and commit suicide? Who are we, then, to commit murder based on what type of life a child may or may not have in the future?

The final questioning in this video had to do with whether or not an abortion doctor should be required to provide transportation to a medical facility for a baby born alive. All Ms. Snow could say was “what if it’s 45 minutes away?”

God help us, people! How calloused can we be?! How could people just sit there with no emotion as a blooming idiot representing Planned Parenthood could deny she knows what happens in an abortion clinic? How could they not rise up with indignation and throw her out of the court room when she admits the thought of the baby actually being the patient was something she had not considered, but was worthy of further discussion?!!

But, you know, why should we criticize Alisa LaPolt Snow and Planned Parenthood? They are, after all, only following in the steps of the great universal health care provider himself, President Obama. Consider the following audio from the Illinois State Senate in 2003. Here Senator Obama makes essentially the same argument as Ms. Snow, but much more eloquently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUkbuhXzbvI&feature=player_embedded

The sad fact is that a fetus outside the womb is a baby. If that baby is breathing and moving, it is alive. The question of “viability” is no longer part of the equation. To let it die, or to kill it, is without question, except in the mind of those who desire no accountability, murder.

Again, God help us.

4 Comments

Filed under Abortion, Culture Wars, current events

Tagged as abortion, Barack Obama, Planned Parenthood

by Anthony Baker | October 11, 2013 · 9:53 am

Where Are the Guards?

The following is political commentary. It also references certain aspects of the Confederacy in a positive light. Be forewarned: I do not now, nor have I ever condoned slavery, so comments along that line will not be accepted.

The Shutdown

By now I am sure most of you, no matter what country you are in, have heard of the government shutdown in America. It is sad on many different levels, especially for those whose livelihoods depend on tourism and trade on government lands. It is even sad for those tourists who planned for years to visit a particular park, only to find it closed and guarded.

Recently, a group of WWII veterans went to visit their memorial in Washington, D.C. Many of those veterans will not live another year, so they were terribly upset to see barricades keeping them out of an open-air memorial. So what did they do? They went in, anyway, carrying American flags and playing Amazing Grace on a bagpipe.

The administration in Washington says that it does not have the funds to operate public parks and monuments/memorials. It even closed Point Park here in Chattanooga. What amazes me, though, is the fact that the places being closed really didn’t need anyone there in the first place. Yet, after saying there is no money, they put guards around a monument which never had people there before! What gives?

Honestly, I feel like the whole thing is intended for political purposes and has nothing to do with a lack of money. If guards can be paid, then so could a senior citizen who needs a few extra dollars. For that matter, there are plenty of volunteers wanting to work the parks, but the government says, “NO!” The proof of spitefulness, I believe, can be found in what monuments/memorials/parks are guarded, and which are not.

Visitors Needed

silverdale cemetery

Yesterday, I drove past this cemetery in Chattanooga. Normally it would have not caught my attention, but this time something stood out – there were no barricades…no guards. Much like the WWI memorial, this place is not actually a national memorial, so maybe that has something to do with why no barricades or guards are present. But, stop and think about it, what’s the difference?

I think the real difference is that people are not visiting the parks that are not barricaded, therefore no barricades or guards are necessary. Only the parks most likely to be visited are guarded, so as to make people more inconvenienced and angry. Pure and simple.

The barricading and guarding of PUBLIC memorials and monuments on PUBLIC land is a testimony to spiteful government that is no longer FOR the people, but AGAINST them.

When I think about that Confederate cemetery, where over 150 men lie in unmarked graves – men who died from wounds suffered in combat after being left when their hospital had to leave – I think about what they fought for. It was not primarily to continue slavery (even though that was an issue), but states’ rights – the rights of the individual states to self-govern.

The idea that our federal government is so big, so intrusive, so overpowering, so dictatorial, so regime-like, and SO much of a playground bully makes me consider the cause of my gray-clad ancestors. If our states had the rights originally given to them by our U.S. Constitution, this shutdown and Obamacare fiasco would not be happening. Maybe we should think long and hard about what our Founding Fathers intended. I guarantee you it is not what we have in Washington today.

Maybe we need to revisit a bit of the past – before Washington barricades it all.

Battle of the Barricades: Vets Prepared to “Go to Jail” (elementulhuliganic.wordpress.com)
Memorials Barricaded, National Mall Shutdown Expected To Take Days (washington.cbslocal.com)
With Bagpipes Wailing, World War II Vets Storm the Barricades of Closed DC WWII Memorial (+video) (joemiller.us)
Obama vs. the Veterans (americanthinker.com)

5 Comments

Filed under current events, General Observations, politics

Tagged as Government shutdown, Park, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Washington DC, World War II

by Anthony Baker | October 7, 2013 · 10:31 pm

Hupomenō : a Daughter’s Suggestion

Writer’s Block

Believe it or not, I have been enduring a strange kind of writer’s block. It is a form of writer’s block, however, so the full power thereof has been turned away (that’s a 2 Timothy 3:5 pun). Full-blown writer’s block would have left me with no ideas…no creativity…no thoughts…no opinions. What I have is simply a lack of energy.

Really, there have been a lot of topics crying out for my opinion. The news has been full of stories needing to be discussed at length, but am I up to it? Have I had enough sleep?

For Example(s)

If I wanted to take the time, here are some subjects on which I would love to tell you what I think and why. The only problem is that they all make me ill.

Miley Cyrus. “Oh, Anthony, you shouldn’t pick on her and be all negative and stuff like that…you will never win her over by being judgmental and critical,” they say. Really? For the record, I am more concerned with the little girls who are now becoming sexually degenerate while trying to imitate this 20 year-old spawn of Madonna. There is sooooooo much I want to say, but Hannah Montana fans might get angry and point a foam finger in my face (and who knows where that has been?).
New York Bike Gang. All I will say is that had those crotch-rocket-riding hoodlums tried doing what they did to the family in the Range Rover down here in Tennessee, there would have been a lot more broken than one guy’s leg. Switching lanes without warning is a common, heartfelt practice in Chattanooga, so I can imagine the motorcycle parts strewn across the highway. Of course, there’s also the fact that Southerners believe in the Second Amendment.
Government Shutdown. My blood pressure is rising just thinking about it. Those shutting down the government and closing open-air WWII memorials are still getting paid while common people suffer. And do you know what’s so ironic? There are more people guarding places than used to work there when they were open!
High School Dance Teams. “Don’t say anything, Anthony! Don’t offend anybody, Anthony!” I can’t help it. People, when you think it is appropriate for your underage daughter to “shake her thing” in barely-there clothes…perform moves only an experienced, professional pole dancer should know…and when you applaud to a guy with a microphone as he says of your daughter and her fellow dancers when they spread their legs on their backs in front of a stadium full of football fans, “I told you they were bad,” you’re not a parent, you’re an enabler!

See, I have things I could write about. There’s just too much to say about too many things.

Hupomenō?

You must be wondering what the title of this post is all about. Well, it all started this evening when I told Katie, my daughter, that I was having a “form of writer’s block.” She asked, “Do you want me to give you a random suggestion?” I said, “sure.”

Two minutes later she comes to me with a picture and a word: hupomenō (ὑπομένω). “Write about this,” she said.

The word is a Greek word which means “to remain under,” or, “to remain under the test in a God-honoring manner, not seeking to escape it but eager to learn the lessons it was sent to teach.”* But it could also mean standing firm by holding one’s ground (Mt 10:22; 24:13; Mk 13:13) and persevering in spite of difficulty (2 Tim 2:10).** The words that hupomenō is most commonly translated into are “patience,” and “endure.”

Katie’s a godly young girl, so she wrote this on her hand as a reminder to be patient and to “endure.”

Patiently Learning

So, what have we learned? How can I close this post?

I will patiently endure the pressures of this world, and seek to glorify Christ as I persevere through difficulties. But if my patience runs out, well…

…just keep that stupid foam finger away from me, Miley. And for Billy Ray’s sake, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!

*Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), Ro 12:9.

**James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

4 Comments

Filed under blogging, current events, General Observations, Parenting, Struggles and Trials

Tagged as current-events, high school, Kenneth Wuest, Miley Cyrus, Writer, Writers block

by Anthony Baker | October 6, 2013 · 3:57 pm

Hope Springs…from a Public School Principal

It is not often that I “reblog” a blog post, but this one was too much to pass up. I lived in Soddy-Daisy, so I am proud of fellow pastor, Alan Stewart, and the principle of Sale Creek Middle/High School. Way to go!

Rebeca Seitz's Blog

Y’all are not going to believe this. Well, some of you may.

A dear friend of mine, Alan Stewart, is a longtime pastor in the Mayberry-esque East Tennessee town of Soddy-Daisy. His church has become known in recent years for its crazy-effective Vacation Bible School programs, which Alan wrote and based on the public domain characters from those incredible children’s tales written by Christians – Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan – after realizing several years of other VBS programs had been entertaining, but not effective.

Alan and the church are a go-to resource when the town needs, well, anything. Food, shelter, counsel, money, a listening ear, an answer to a troubling situation. They are what the church is supposed to be, at least in so much as I’ve known them the past few years.

Alan was asked by

View original post 503 more words

Random Thoughts

First,

I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and well-wishes. I don’t have any solid answers regarding my health, but I have appointments scheduled. Hopefully, we will find out whether or not the pain I am experiencing in my chest is heart related, or just lung or esophageal. Come to find out, pain in one’s chest could come from a plethora (love that word) of sources.

Whatever happens, may all the glory belong to the Lord.

Second,

The U.S. government has partially shut down. Yet, the sun still came up this morning, there is still oxygen in the air, birds are still singing, and the President is still receiving a pay check.

If you want to know my political opinions regarding this mess, just ask. Go ahead, ask. Ask me what I think about being forced by my government to buy something. Ask me what I think of my government taking away me freedom. Ask me what I think about politicians who will hold innocent people hostage for political gain, never minding the fact that we can’t afford whatever plan is chosen. Ask me what I think of a president who wants to “fundamentally change” the nation that so many risk their lives to come to for freedom and hope.

Go ahead, ask.

Third,

A story out of Nashville (Tennessee): “Fencing coach stops robbery in shopping center.”

I took fencing in college and loved every minute of it. Unfortunately for me, Princess Bride had not yet been made, so never once did I get to look at another student and say, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father…prepare to die.” Yet, when I took the class there were others who criticized me, saying, “When will you ever use a sword?”

Now I have an answer!

Fourth,

You may have seen the news story about a bunch of thug motorcyclist who beat up a man in New York. It seems that this gang of motorcyclists were being a bunch of punks and spooked an innocent husband and dad of a 2 yr-old girl, causing him to run over a guy to get away.

Video shows the gang of punks chasing his Range Rover through the streets of New York until they finally pin him in, crash through his window, and drag him to the street where he is severely beaten. All along, his wife and little girl are forced to watch.

People, when you feel like your life is threatened, a 4,000 lb. vehicle makes a perfect defensive weapon. If you are fool enough to attack someone with a 4,000 lb. weapon, you deserve to get what’s coming to you. But I couldn’t help but think of what could have happened had this scene been played out on any given street in the South.

Forget the Range Rover, have you seen what a monster truck can do?
Since swords are back in style, now, well…
Guns are legal, loved, and carried in the South. Go ahead and be a bunch of punks around a good ol’ boy, his woman, and his little baby…what you may find out is that somewhere in your family history your ancestors had target-like birthmarks on their foreheads, and for some reason you still have their DNA.
Demolition derbies are usually won by the vehicle with four wheels, not two, so keep that in mind.

Off to Drive

Well, it’s about that time. I have to go drive the school bus. Who knows what things I will hear? Like today, a kindergarten girl said: “I have a granny who is 99 years old. She is going to be 100 on her birthday, and then she can die.“

Kids…aren’t they great?

Why the Range Rover-Chasing New York Bikers Look Like Idiots (rideapart.com)
WATCH: Disturbing Video Shows Confrontation Between Bikers, SUV In NYC (newyork.cbslocal.com)

5 Comments

Filed under current events

Tagged as fencing, Health care, Inigo Montoya, New York, Princess Bride, Range Rover, Sport utility vehicle, swords, Tennessee

by Anthony Baker | September 29, 2013 · 5:03 pm

Stupid Chest Pain!

Not Again!

Earlier in the year (maybe late last year) I had been having chest pain. At one point I was literally afraid I was having a heart attack. Yet, after extensive humiliation, all tests came back negative (which is actually a positive).

Well, here we go again. More chest pain – in the same place – and more tests. Friday night I went to the ER just to be safe (and to make certain people be quiet). That’s when I got the same questions, the same initial tests, and the same evil looks from self-righteous, healthy, gym-membership-owning nurses who know I need to lose weight.

However, this time was a little different from times in the past.

What Am I?

When my wife and I first got to the hospital, I walked up to the desk and was greeted by a not-so-sweet lady with a clip board. “What’s the reason for your visit?” she asked. “Um, well, it’s a chest pain thing,” I answered. Then, without looking up she hands me a clip board and says, “Fill this out and sign at the bottom, then take a seat.”

In a moment or two I am triaged and taken to have chest x-rays. When I got to the room for the x-ray the technician asked to see my arm band (for identification). They had not given me one.

Later, while lying in bed and hooked up to monitoring devices, a hospital rep came in to ask me a lot of personal questions. They needed to know about any medications, whether or not I had insurance, and about previous illnesses or surgeries. Among the questions were the following:

“Mr. Baker, are you now, or have you ever been pregnant?” she asked. “I know I may look it, but no,” was my reply.
“Are you on any type of birth control medication?” That’s when I look at her with the same look that Gary Coleman used to have when he said, “What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?“

Now folks, I have had little kids come up to me, touch my belly, and ask, “Are you having a baby?” But honestly, either my wife has been secretly poisoning me with estrogen, or this woman must have though I was one ugly woman in a lesbian relationship. Why would she ask such questions? You’d think my facial hair, low voice, and Adam’s apple would be a dead giveaway!

Signing Out

Fortunately, the ER doctor decided not to admit me. He said they wouldn’t be able to do an arteriogram over the weekend, so I might as well go home and take nitrates until next week when I talk to a cardiologist. Who knows? I might be in bad shape, but we will have to wait.

So, after talking with the doctor, he said: “I’ll have them bring in your paperwork, then you’ll be free to go home.”

Guess what was written on the prescription?

Name: Anthony Baker Sex: Female

Should change my name to Antonia? !!

In all seriousness, I would appreciate your prayers. I still feel pain and have little energy. It would be great to find out what is wrong (as inexpensively as possible).

15 Comments

Filed under fitness, General Observations, Humor

Tagged as chest x rays, gary coleman, gym membership, Health, heart attack

by Anthony Baker | September 25, 2013 · 10:50 am

Proverbial Thoughts

Commercials

Every once in a while I do a commercial for Proverbial Thought. It is my other site which features several others and me commenting daily on the book of Proverbs. Every day we share personal thoughts based on life experience and study of the selected scripture.

Just recently Chris Jordan wrote a post (which I can’t find) on his blog which listed several of the last posts he had written on Proverbial Thought. That’s when I thought to myself, “Why don’t I do that?”

So, below you will find links to a few “thoughts” I’ve had. I would encourage you, if you haven’t already, to subscribe to Proverbial Thought and receive some real wisdom (not necessarily from me) on a daily basis.

Ye ol’ Proverbial Links

Generous Eyes (Prov. 22:9)

Just Wait Till You Get Home (Prov. 24:19-20)

Kissing the Truth (Prov. 24:23-26)

Muddied Water (Prov. 25:26)

Happy HUMP DAY! Go camel..go camel…go camel…

Your Strength Is Your Enemy (therecoveringlegalist.com)

School Bus Thoughts

There are days when driving a school bus can drive me crazy.

One day I asked a little boy, “Are you wearing socks?” “Yes,” he answered. “Then will you take one of them off and stuff it in your mouth?!”

On other days I have fun just aggravating the little crumb crunchers. For example, I keep telling two little girls that their neighbors are aliens (like from another planet, not Mexico). They say, “Nuh uh!” I say, “Uh huh!”

Last week I told kids to ask me what my favorite letter of the alphabet was:

Little Girl: “What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?”

Me: “Y”

Little Girl: “I don’t know, you told me to ask. What is it?”

Me: “Y!”

Little Girl: “You told me to ask you, so I’m asking you what your favorite letter is!”

Me: “Y!!”

Little Girl: “Uuuuggghhh! What is it?”

Then there are other days…

Elementary kids will tell their parents “good-bye” before they board the bus, then they will do it again once they find a seat. Almost without fail my first and second-graders will take ten seconds to hug and say “good-bye” at the stop, but then rush to lower the windows in order wave as they scream out as we pull away, “Bye! Bye, Momma! Bye!”

Later in the day, when I take these same children home, they talk and play with each other (sometimes too much) until they get close to their stop. They’re usually not thinking too much about getting off the bus, but the moment they feel the bus slow down they gather their things and move to the door. As soon as the door opens they see their mom, dad, or granny…then scream…then run to their side…then embrace … like it’s been forever.

I’ve noticed that no matter when death comes, it always comes as a shock…a surprise. Even when we expect a loved one to pass away from a long-term illness, the moment of death is like that moment on the bus when a child leaves: the time for departure has been expected, but that last “good-bye” is never enough.

But hallelujah! Praise God for homecomings!!

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking out the window. Yes, I’m enjoying the time I have with my friends and family down here, but home is just around the bend. Any moment the bus will be slowing down.

Are you looking for that door to open? Are your things in order? Can you sense the ride is coming to an end? Believe me, once it stops I’ll be jumping off and running to the House.

I’ll see my earthly dad…I’ll see my Jesus…I’ll scream…I’ll run…then embrace…

Just a thought…from a school bus.

14 Comments

Filed under Christian Maturity, Faith, Future, General Observations, Life Lessons, the future

Tagged as community, motherhood, School, transportation

by Anthony Baker | September 23, 2013 · 6:00 am

What to Wear to Church?

“What to wear to church?” has consistently been the number one search entry leading people to The Recovering Legalist. What does that tell you?

If you’ve never read my thoughts on this before, this is the post all the search engines bring up. It was written back in 2010.

Clothing

Recently, I was asked to be the guest speaker at a larger, more contemporary church. Out of respect for each other, the pastor of that church and I jokingly discussed what I should wear. You see, he never wears a suit, while I almost always do. His congregation has become more “contemporary,” while my congregation remains more “traditional.” So, to make me comfortable, the pastor told me whatever I wanted to wear was fine. Therefore, I will compromise – I will probably wear a sport coat, khakis, and flip flops…not really.

The way I dress to go to church may not be the way you dress. My style may not suit your tastes, nor yours mine. But the fact of the matter is that unless you’re totally too liberal, or don’t go at all, you wear some kind of clothing to church, correct? Well, have you ever wondered if what you wear to church is appropriate?

Below are some of my thoughts on the subject.

It’s Not About You

If you are planning to attend a worship service where God is supposed to be the center of attention, don’t dress like a clown! Don’t dress like you are going to an L.A. premier of Lady Gaga’s new movie, It’s All About Me.

Some cultures believe people should come to church in clothing that could damage someone’s retina. Gettin’ “fancied up” is what’s expected. But it’s this type of clothing, in most cases, that draws attention to the congregant, not Christ. My advice is to stay away from neon suits and flashing bow ties. Church clothing should be a covering, not a calling card.

Show Some Respect

Some people think it is totally appropriate to wear enough jewelry and feathers to keep pawn shops in business and all geese naked. Others think it is completely acceptable to look like a drunk that slept in an alley all night (no offense to the drunk). Neither shows a sense of respect. The first steals God’s glory, while the second implies God’s house is no different than anywhere else.

Here’s a couple suggestions. Try going to a White House dinner looking like a hobo or a hippie from the 60’s. Receive an invitation to tea from Queen Elizabeth and show up looking like you just got out of bed and never took a shower. Unless you’re a bonafide rock star, security personnel may escort you to a private room to “get acquainted.” So then, if dignitaries of earthly kingdoms demand respect, why shouldn’t we offer it to our Heavenly King? Is God not greater than Obama? (clear throat)

Beware of Legalistic Standards

However, whatever you wear, don’t be too quick to judge another’s spiritual condition by what they wear. Only God knows the heart.

Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. – Rom 14:4 KJV

Sadly, I have been around many believers who consider one style of clothing a sign of spiritual maturity, while another style a sign of spiritual waywardness. And you know what’s funny? It doesn’t matter which side of the spiritual tracks, there’s always somebody looking at another thinking, “They’re not right with God.”

Legalism cuts both ways, dear friend. For example, I have been to churches that ridiculed any woman who wears pants, or a man who never tucks in his shirt. On the other hand, I have been in congregations that blatantly condemned all dress and tie-wearers as right-wing, self-righteous, fundamentalist, nut jobs. In both cases someone judged another’s spirituality based on outward appearances, alone. In both cases one group’s set of standards were being used as a guide to what is spiritual behavior, and what is not. That’s LEGALISM!

Believe it or not, the most modern, non-denominational, praise-and-worship-style congregation can be just as legalistic as the narrow-minded traditionalist. I may not prefer to preach in blue jeans on Sunday morning, but I’m not going to condemn someone who does. Likewise, when I don’t wear a suit and tie on Sunday night, I am not going to condemn someone who dresses like he’s going to a funeral.

Context, Context, Context

Ultimately, how you dress should be determined by the context of your community. Small, rural congregations might not feel comfortable dressing for church in the same way a metropolitan First Baptist may. Similarly, churches in depressed economies may adopt different dress codes than upwardly mobile societies. The key is to be respectful, honorable, and considerate of the holy moment at hand. Whatever fits that bill is good enough.

Just keep this principle in mind: Grace accepts, Maturity develops, and Love constrains.

Don’t make appearances the only thing about which you’re concerned. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is far too important a message to be drowned in petty arguments about whether it is appropriate to dress up for church, or go dress-casual. Many people in the world have to worship Christ underground – literally. Dress codes are the least of their worries. Additionally, the drug addict who needs hope and help may not have any clothes left that he hasn’t already sold to get high. The single mother of five that walks into your church may have barely enough energy to survive, much less do her hair.

Do all things to the glory of the Lord, but keep things in perspective, OK?

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism [or be legalistic]. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? – Jam 2:1-5 NIV