This week I could finally wear a dress to church on Wednesday night. For the preceding weeks, it had been cold. Cold in the house. Wicked cold outside. And not exactly toasty warm in the church. I could not bring myself to change out of my jeans and put on a dress [read: "have naked legs"] for church.
I suppose it may be due in part to how I was raised, but I feel funny when I don't dress up for church. I don't think it's a rule, so don't think I'm condemning people who show up to church in play-clothes or sweatsuits. Sometimes that's necessary. And to some extent, it's a relief to know that you are free to go to church in not-so-nice clothes, like when the time got away from you in the garden or on errands, and it's "go a little grubby or don't go at all," or when a kid is going through a big growth spurt and you can't afford nice clothes that will last him only 4-6 wearings before he outgrows them.
But still, I feel funny when I'm at the Divine Service in pants.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
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I was also brought up - dresses or skirts for church, and we had "church shoes" too. I was raised in Florida, so I didn't have to worry about being too cold. However, now that I live in the North, I wear "slacks" or "dress pants" most of the time. But not once, ever, have I been able attend Divine Service in jeans. I just can't. As soon as I open the jean drawer of my dresser I hear my mom's voice telling me to close the drawer and look in the closet, because church clothes are ironed and hung up, not folded, and certainly not denim.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of fun to think of all those "rules" we had growing up!
If the temps or windchill is into the single digits, Sparkle and I go in "nice pants." But it's out of necessity, just like your jeans were. When I was growing up, we put on a skirt to go "into town," and we certainly never wore pants to church.
ReplyDeleteLisa and EC, I don't have slacks. Goofy old legs that are too long... I used to have a few pairs, and wore them so rarely that I finally gave up on keeping them in the closet. If I dressed up even a little bit, it was a dress. But then global "warming" hit and sometimes I just can't STAND to change clothes. (I even slept in my clothes a few times recently because I just couldn't bear changing into jammies in the cold bedroom.)
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