…In particular, I’ve been thinking about the expectation that a woman must wear a dress to church. Actually, it’s usually just Sunday morning that it’s expected. For some reason women often get a “pass” from this dress code on Sunday and Wednesday evenings.
At 7:30 yesterday morning a good friend called to ask where our church meets. After she and I spoke for a bit she said, “There’s just one thing – I don’t have a dress. Will that be a problem?”
Sigh. Not again!
I said, “I reckon you’ll just have to wear pants!”
It’s a question that’s been asked of me again and again by different women I’ve invited to church: “Will I be expected to wear a nice dress?” In the last month three women have asked me this.
One dear woman I know was once told to leave a church because she showed up in pants.
That is absolutely ridiculous. And sad. And it angers me that such a thing – a cultural thing – should be elevated to such a standard.
Another woman, whom I love in Christ, told me that it “just wasn’t right to see a woman wearing pants in church.” We talked about this, and I told her my concern that she would fail to see and love the person – all because she wasn’t dressed the “right” way. I’m not sure I got through to her, however.
Legalism is so sneaky and so, so damaging.
I really do hate it.
Blessings in Christ,
David
August 26, 2008 at 7:36 am
Yep.
August 26, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Is this example really legalism or just a poor interpretation of the Bible?
True legalism is what some members of the Churches of Christ practice, i.e., stick adherence to every biblical example or no salvation for you.
Some call “legalism” when certain behavior is commanded and should therefore be expected of Christians, i.e., honesty, humbleness, love, etc. I would not call that legalism.
What is being discussed here is when some add requirements to the Bible based on poor interpretation, i.e., women must wear dresses, no consumption of a drop of alcohol, etc.
August 26, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Hugh,
Can’t legalism also be defined as relating your standing to God based on what YOU do, instead of what Christ has done?
David – Good post! AMEN!
August 26, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Jeremy:
You do go on and on, don’t you?
Hugh:
Hello friend, and thank you for your thoughts.
I suppose I’ve used “legalism” here as a shorthand way of saying, “Elevating a cultural norm to a biblical requirement.”
I’m happy to call it whatever, as long as it’s recognized as being wrong. I agree with you: it comes from a poor interpretation of the Bible.
Blessings in Christ,
David
August 26, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Hi D.J.
Thanks for the kind words.
We need to get together again soon.
David
August 26, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Legalism=elevating any standard of conduct which is not God’s standard of conduct to the same status of God’s commands and making said standard of conduct the basis of either a saving relationship or a sanctifying relationship with God.
Legalism will prevent those entering into the Kingdom of God from entering, bring division within the local church, and deceive the legalist into thinking he has grown in the faith when he has really begun a process of removing himself from faith in Christ.
Jesus pronounced repeated curses upon legalism and legalists.
August 26, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I wish I had said what Jeremy said.
The point about deceiving oneself into thinking he has grown in faith is very insightful. I will use that in the future when I talk with a pants-on-women-are-of-the-Devil proponent.
August 26, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Let me be the 1st woman to comment.
Well I think it is more TRANDITIONAL…there’s that word again. I was “raised” that a woman (girl) was to only wear a skirt or dress to church and some teachers back when I was younger even exteneded it to church outings (trips). It’s really hard to ride in the back of a truck to get to our destination and go on a walk in the woods in a dress but if we wanted to go we had to wear a dress. Think about this – What did the men in bibical times wear – and actually still do in that part of the world – to me long dresses 
. I truly believe that God deserves the best and if a pair of pants are the best someone has than it is accepatble by God. God looks on the inside, mankind only looks on the outside and sadly enough churches that impose this also keep a lot of woman and girls out of church. Now since I was rasied this way in church it was hard for me to go into the age of it does not matter but I got use to it quick like. David I too have been told by a woman that she too should not come back to their church until she had a dress. If they showed up with no shoes would they tell them the same thing.
August 26, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Sorry I realized I took a side road with my thought when I brought up what men in bibical days and current time wore and just realized I didn’t finish my thought. My thought was not intended to enforce women to wear dresses it was to make a point that they wore this because this was their “tradition” clothing. For our part of the country back in the day girls and women wore dresses. So I was making a point of “tradition” not mandated by God.
August 27, 2008 at 8:37 am
I understood you Lesa. And I agree.
November 9, 2008 at 12:19 pm
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July 9, 2011 at 11:56 am
WOW agreed brother, way to much emphasis on the wrap and not the person, so sad. I wonder if that same lady would let Jesus in your church.