Who Oughta Be Ashamed?

Sunday at church, we had a local college football team visit our church as we do every year when school starts. The church was packed, which touches my heart every time – these young guys, many of them freshman, could be a number of places… but they decided that day to be in the Lord’s house. For whatever reason, I am always thankful when young people are led to fellowship… It is always my prayer that they find themselves comfortable and decide to make our church their home away from home while they are in the area for college. Today, however, I was speaking with one of my church members and found out that someone had made some comments about how a particular few were dressed. “They are a representation of the University… they should be ashamed to come dressed like that to church.” Um, you are a representative of Jesus Christ; you should be ashamed to be running your mouth about people like that at church. So, what’s your point?

My mouth dropped wide open when I heard that. They oughta be ashamed to be dressed like that in church??? {And actually, they looked quite nice – some of them had on clothes that were rather baggy, but whatever.} Several of them approached the altar. Quick question: What happened to praising God that the tug of the spirit GOT them to church in the first place? I am so thankful for my church family. Mount Harmony has been our church home since we moved here in 2004. Barry and I as well as our three oldest children have all been baptized in this church… It is a wonderful place … but in every church, there are always *those few* who create an unnecessary amount of confusion. When I started really thinking about it, I got pretty upset… at which time, I tweeted the following:

• - It disappoints me 2 hear our church MEMBERS r critical of what GUESTS wear 2 church. Wow. Great strategy 2 get them 2 come BACK! {Not…}
  
• - God likely didn’t notice what they were wearing 2 church, but I’m sure he saw that dark cloud forming n ur heart as u judged them 4 it…

I got one response on facebook that said: “It’s like the nurses complaining about the sick and injured coming into the ER.” Such a true and simple analogy. I just don’t understand why people focus on such irrelevant things. Like, they {the football players} don’t belong here because they don’t {in your opinion} contribute to the aesthetic atmosphere of the sanctuary? Puh-lease. Whether they are wearing an Armani suit, baggy jeans, or even workout gear shouldn’t matter – God isn’t concerned with all of that. Why are you? Oh, and for the record, God wasn’t worried about how they represent the college within the confines of His house. AT ALL. God wasn’t divvying out merits for those who were dressed to impress. He was focused on heart matters – intentions, convictions, outpourings, motives, requests, and prayers… It’s safe to say that baggy pants are likely not going to have any type of bearing on God’s love for – or acceptance of – them.

I don’t care if someone comes to church DRUNK wearing last night’s beer-stained t’shirt and some flip flops – I’d rather a drunk man be in church than somewhere getting another drink. If people were focused on worship when they are in God’s house, there would be no time to notice what someone else is wearing. If you are wrapped up in what someone has on, then obviously, you’re worried about the wrong things. And then you have the nerve to wonder why people get turned off to God. Well, dear – YOU misrepresented Him. That’s why. For someone who *claims to be* looking for an opportunity to witness to someone looking for a reason to follow Christ, you sure missed the mark on giving them one. The devil, on the other hand, is thrilled. It only takes one “well-meaning” Christian to completely derail the spiritual progress of someone curious as to what God can do in their lives.

We’ve GOT to stop placing such emphatic focus on issues of pride which leads to the development of spiritual prejudice and a false concept of a Christian hierarchy wherein some are more worthy of God’s love than others due to the most superficial and irrelevant factors, such as dress! Without this type of judgment and forced discomfort, there would be MANY more people entering the Lord’s house on Sunday morning, eager to fellowship and worship among brothers and sisters in Christ. Stop running God’s children away with pettiness… and remember… every time one falls because you’ve tainted their perception of Christ and corrupted their understanding of God’s Word, their blood is on your hands.

With all that being said, ask yourself… WHO oughta be ashamed??