Ministry Monday: Fashion Evangelism?

(photo from yourfashionblog.com)

This past weekend I heard 2 sports talk radio hosts talking about what they wear to church. You read that correct. I was hoping to hear something about the NBA playoffs or the upcoming NFL draft but instead I got a discussion on whether or not you should dress up to go to church.

I found it fascinating. One, because I really do like clothes and two because I of course I really like church. One of the guys thought it was appalling that people wore jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. The other guy that it was ridiculous that people thought they had to wear a suit. Where do you come down on this issue? Do you care? Does it matter?

This morning while at Starbucks I had a very nice barista lady tell me, "If your church is as half as cool as you dress then I'm coming this weekend." She of course got a little extra tip even though I don't think that was the intention. She was just being kind but really did make my day. People give me a hard time quite often about how I dress in Cincinnati. If I was in Dallas no one would think anything about it but Cincinnati is a much more conservative town. In fact I have toned down the way I dress a lot since I moved here.

So what about your dress outside of Sunday or should I say outside of church? As a pastor or minister does it matter? Should pastors care about looking trendy, casual, or even business like? Can there be evangelism through what you wear? These are all of the questions I have had since this morning's conversation with a really nice barista.

By the way, one of my secrets on how to look fashionable but not spend high end prices is to go to stores like the Buckle, MetroPark, Nordstrom, Sak's 5th Avenue, and try on clothes. See what fits and what you like. Don't buy it there though. Then go to TJ Maxx or even Ebay.com and buy it there. It will save you money and you still look good.

In Waco, TX

I am currently in Waco, TX where I have been for the last couple of days. We came down to go to Justin Tapp's graduation. Justin is Jessica's sister's husband and he has an excellent blog. So that I believe makes us friends. Justin is getting his master's in international economics which is very impressive. Anyway, we have been all over Waco doing all the tourist stuff. We just got back from the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Children's Museum. Yesterday we ate at a great barbecue place called Tony Demaria's. It is a very manly place that shuts down after they run out of meat. Get there early for lunch or they may be closed. Believe it or not but I am a little metro and had on a great Polo shirt. Here is a picture:

The guy behind the counter asks you 4 questions, there is no menu. What kind of meat? Do you want beans? Coleslaw or Potato Salad? And then the classic phrase came out of his mouth, "Hey man, you have some stains on your shirt?" The guy sitting at the picnic table behind us in a cowboy hard hat, yes it was a hard hat in the shape of a cowboy hat, just started laughing. I guess Tony's was not use to us city boys.

I am going to Highland Baptist Church tomorrow and then we will head back to Cincinnati. I look forward to seeing their children's area and doing a little worship of my own. The hardest part for me when going to other churches is not critiquing and enjoying my time. I am really going to focus on worship and not anything else.

If you are in Waco and you are reading this let me know where we should eat tomorrow for Mother's Day.