In this dramatic climate with people worrying over Coronavirus, the stock market and crazy rantings of doom and gloom preachers, the Living Church of God is focusing on how you look and act in church.
Then today, Saturday, March 14 we find out that Weston lectured his followers that they had to dress up to live stream services. How silly and petty can this guy get?
Be Lights and Examples: The Scriptures reveal that God desires His people to be lights and examples to a world enveloped in darkness. God called Abraham to learn to live by His commandments and to walk before Him and be blameless (Genesis 17:1; 26:5). Moses told the Israelites that God gave them His laws to set them apart from other nations so they could be examples to the world—and they were to pass these concepts on to their children (Deuteronomy 4:1–9). The Old Testament states that God’s people are to live moral lives, avoid profanity, avoid sexual perversions, and refrain from getting tattoos or dressing like the opposite sex (Exodus 20; Leviticus 18:22; 19:28; Deuteronomy 22:5). In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples to be lights to the world and live, not only by the letter of God’s law, but also by the spirit of the law (Matthew 5:13–30). In addition, the Apostle Paul advised Christians to wear their hair in a manner that was appropriate for either a man or a woman (1 Corinthians 11:14–16) and that men and women should dress in modest and appropriate apparel—especially for Church services (Matthew 22:11–12; 1 Timothy 2:9–10). While some want to dismiss these clear biblical guidelines as “rules and regulations” that are no longer relevant to modern Christians, these instructions were preserved for us in God’s word to set His people apart from Satan’s society so we can truly be lights to this world—not only spiritually, but also physically. As standards of conduct and dress continue to decline, these biblical guidelines will become increasingly noticeable as Christians function as “lights” in a darkened world.Have a profitable Sabbath,Douglas S. Winnail
Always wear my toga - just like they did in Paul's day. Can't recall ever seeing pictures of people in suits and ties 2000 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the fashion of 100 years ago so absolute?
Always wear my toga - just like they did in Paul's day.
ReplyDeleteHow soon they forget! Toga-wearing was one of the charges against several LCG HQ congregation members hounded out of the church a few years ago!
The Restored Church of God has the same policy. You have to be a light to the world in a dark room and presentable to come before God.
ReplyDeleteAbsolute manic control from men who don't know how to function when things get out of their control.
If Jesus Christ would slip into some of these COGs unaware I don't think he would last one week.
Can you you imagine the response from the ministry when he didn't show up for Sabbath services because he was out wandering through grain fields and stopping to eat with non believers.
The awkward fact is that Jesus Christ is an out of place figure for the COGs. They believe he will just blend in and conform to their traditions.
I believe Jesus Christ looks down upon them and sees a table of commerce within the temple of God, which is something that is ready to be overturned.
I believe Jesus Christ looks down upon them and sees a table of commerce within the temple of God, which is something that is ready to be overturned.
ReplyDeleteHe might not overturn their tables full of Bible study materials and cards for sick and scattered brethren. He WOULD DEFINITELY crash their servers, though!
Never forget ..... W W W D !
ReplyDelete"What Would Weston Do ?"
Never forget ..... W W W D !
ReplyDelete"What Would Weston Do ?"
No, no, no. You obviously didn't read Winnail's diatribe. The proper acronym is: W W W W
"What Would Winnail Wear?"
What's funniest about Winnail's comment is that he doesn't obey it himself. He routinely wears the most ridiculous cowboy boots to Sabbath services, instead of wearing proper dress shoes. Charlotte isn't the 19th century Wild West, Doug! Also, some of his sportcoats border on the tacky and are hardly "modest and appropriate" compared to the conservative suits so many members wear.
ReplyDeleteGod took issue with Adam and Eve hiding from Him when they had no clothes on. For people who believe that the Old Testament is the one through which everything that has happened or been decreed since, these "leaders" certainly don't go by the original intent and instructions at all! Per the original intent in the garden, true church members should be nudists!
ReplyDeleteBB
If there is so much attention being paid to what others are wearing, is anyone focusing on Jesus and the Scriptures? Do they have a policy on boxers versus briefs? Is there an acceptable range of colors for nail polish? Plastic or metal glass frames? Is there no end to their mindless intrusions and micro managing of everyone's life?
ReplyDeleteBaker you got it all wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe intent of God was to clothe "fallen" man and woman with skins.
So by my reckoning, the men should come dressed for services pretty close to how Jim Morrison dressed with snake skin pants and the women would probably look pretty good in a batgirl outfit circa 1967.
Anything contrary to this is obviously against God's will for mankind and HWA somehow missed it. Yet the wearing of skins was in vogue in the late 60's by a movement that espoused as their doctrine love and peace and enhanced perception.
Why was such a movement that seemed to have it all right, looked down upon by the WCG?
I have changed my attitude towards tattoos and body jewelery on women.I used to detest it wildly but now I find them quite attractive
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 6:16 said: Anonymous said...
If there is so much attention being paid to what others are wearing, is anyone focusing on Jesus and the Scriptures? Do they have a policy on boxers versus briefs? Is there an acceptable range of colors for nail polish? Plastic or metal glass frames? Is there no end to their mindless intrusions and micro managing of everyone's life?
After services one time a woman who was newly graduated from RCG's college was talking about all she learned about proper dress in her classes. She then looked down towards the bottom of my legs and pointed to my socks and said those wouldn't be allowed at headquarters because they clash with your pants. My response was and I looked her straight in the eye and said; I am lucky they are color matching today and I didn't know color clashing socks were so offensive to the church.
The micro managing is certainly of an anal mindset. Even in important matters, this philosophy gets advanced.
I was asked to start giving opening and closing prayers and then was handed an almost 5 page pamphlet on how to give opening and closing prayers. I thought to myself who could possibly write that much information detailing the act of a very short prayer? Over the shoulder into file G it went.
The mindless intrusions cripple the benign intent which is innocent and childlike in most cases. So the actual clash is the difference between what God is looking for and the image that men have created.
Do they have a policy on boxers versus briefs? In the RCG they do! No boxers allowed.
DeleteIs there an acceptable range of colors for nail polish? In the RCG nail polish - like makeup - is NOT allowed.
Is there no end to their mindless intrusions and micro managing of everyone's life? In the RCG there’s even more .. Like the length of your hair (short for men and minimum shoulder length for women), No bright colored or ‘frivolous’ underwear for men and women.
I could go on and on ...
John the Baptist wore a coat of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist. Needless to say, he would not be welcomed in most COG congregations either. No suit, no tie, and no starched shirt.
ReplyDeleteIf you look into the historical context of some of the verses used to justify the idea of dressing up for "church" they don't actually support our modern ideas on the subject. For instance, the verses that talk about women wearing braided hair and pearls had more to do with a woman dressing in such a way that would call attention to her social status within the community, since wealthy women who had slaves to help them were more likely to have elaborate hair styles and expensive jewelry. Paul was actually trying to level the field among the assembly, telling them they shouldn't dress up in such a way that would draw attention to social status between brethren. This is just another case where scripture has been misapplied and we have missed the point.
Concerned Sister
Then today, Saturday, March 14 we find out that Weston lectured his followers that they had to dress up to live stream services. How silly and petty can this guy get?
ReplyDeleteWeston should have made that announcement before the livestream.
By waiting to make the announcement during the livestream, what did Weston accomplish? I'm sure many listeners were not wearing their entire "Sabbath best" just to sit in front of the computer when they heard Weston's statement. Weston's statement turned those people, including many who are the biggest "yes men" and "gung ho" types, into rebels. Worse, it let those rebels realize that disobeying Gerald Weston is no big deal, now that they have experienced firsthand that their Sabbath wasn't ruined because a husband didn't wear a tie and his wife didn't wear her best uncomfortable shoes.
Also, for those of you who came back and listened to the sermon after the big crash, it was a dud, given by one of Rod Meredith's sons-in-law who clearly wouldn't be a bigwig in LCG if he wasn't married to a Meredith.
In the RCG men and women are told (ordered) to wear only certain colors/clothes. If you don’t wear what’s expected, you will be send away to ‘repent’ your choice of clothing.
ReplyDeleteMen should always wear a white shirt with long sleeves (and white ONLY!), black or dark blue suit. The tie must never be ‘loud’ or a vibrant color. Shoes: black or dark blue only. Socks: black or dark grey. Men are not allowed to take their jackets off during services, even if temperatures get well above ‘tropical’.
Women are told to wear a skirt or dress that is well below the knee, preferably even longer. No - or as little as possible - jewelry (NEVER big earrings or any other big jewelry). No bright colors, preferably no flower patterns and tops must have a high neckline. Women’s clothing should NEVER be tight fitting. Shoes: black or dark blue and of course never with high heels. Stockings are a must at all times, even in extremely warm temperatures.
It sounds insane, I know ...
so maybe we should all dress as Abraham did....
ReplyDelete(I'm sure GW means well)
Do they have a policy on boxers versus briefs? In the RCG they do! No boxers allowed.
ReplyDeleteThis makes sense, as RCM was a boxer, and SuperDave absolutely hated RCM!
" Per the original intent in the garden, true church members should be nudists!"
ReplyDeleteafter God created man He proclaimed everything to be Very Good.....and there was no such thing as clothing, which shows that there is nothing shameful about the human body.
knowing that He was about to put them out of the garden, God clothed them for their protection, not because it was shameful for them to be naked.
BB has a point (although it was possibly tongue in cheek), the first worship services were "au natural".
I suppose that today, clothing is our scarlet letter, revealing us to be sinners.
My parents were a part of RCG for a short time. One Saturday I had to go to their house for something that happened. It was about 100 degrees that day, they had no air conditioning and my dad was almost ready to pass out in his "sabbath clothes". I asked him why he was dressed like that in the heat and he told he had to because it was expected even though he got the sermons at home on CD. I told him to get out of those hot clothes and put something much cooler on and that Christ himself would not expect anyone to suffer from heat stroke for no good reason. It's just unbelievable how the church thinks they have the right to dictate on matters that are not their concern.
ReplyDeleteIt’s hilarious to watch these COG leaders squirm as things are not under their control. The membership is at home instead of under their watchful eyes and these leaders cannot STAND it. So they crack the whip and try to tighten their grip...while people sit at home and start to realize that life doesn’t end when you don’t show up to the structured two hour service in your suit and tie
ReplyDelete