The Language of Clothing - Part 2

Congregation: Shirksville

Speaker: Steve Ebersole

Date: August 28, 2022

Audio Runtime: 53:05

Summary: Do portray Jesus to others by the way we dress and appear? We tell others a lot about where our heart truly is in how we appear. Let's not be ashamed to look like we are Christians. The Language of Clothing and Appearance “Dress is a silent language, full of meaning and nuances that come in all shapes and sizes, colours and textures.” Bible Directives Anabaptist Distinctives Industrial Revolution Honor/Dignity Culture Mennonite Applications Rebellion Culture Victim Culture Christian Clothing Creation Truths (Gen 3:7-11, 21) • Genders are distinctive • Aprons (things to gird about) equals nakedness • God defines clothing: • Not form fitting • Opaque • Covering trunk & limbs Mosaic Law Directives • Nu 15:37-41 Distinctive attire to remind them of their identity and covenant. • Deut 22:5 Cross-gender clothing forbidden. New Testament Guidance • Matt 6:24-34 Take no thought - don’t make clothing a priority. • Luke 8:27,35 The demon possessed man indicated spiritual healing by wearing clothing. • 1Tim2:9 Modest: attractive, orderly, well arranged, seemly • 1Pet 3:3 Without outward ornamentation. • Rom 12:2 Not pressed into the world’s mold - not given to fads and fashions, come out from among them and be ye separate... • 1Pet 5:5 Be clothed with humility (simple clothing) • 1Cor 11:1-16 Headship principle dictated uncovered heads for men and women are to have long veiled hair. “Many, though not all, of the early Anabaptists were drawn from the common people and evidently continued to wear the conventional clothing of the common people. There is no evidence to show that the early Anabaptists created any uniform garb for the members of the church.” “In the course of time the Anabaptists became recognizable at sight by their refusal to carry any kind of arms, and by their plainness of dress: no jewellery, lace, etc., were worn. This plainness tended to develop into a sort of standard garb. For as new modes of dress appeared the Anabaptists clung to the older forms, sometimes adapting them over the years, and refusing to keep up with the ever-changing styles.” “The Strasbourg Discipline of 1568 included the following: "Tailors and seamstresses shall hold to the plain and simple style and shall make nothing at all for pride's sake. Brethren and sisters shall stay by the present form of our regulation concerning apparel and make nothing for pride's sake".” In keeping with headship teaching of 1 Cor 11, women wore head coverings and men only covered for weather. “Before the Industrial Revolution, just spinning the yarn (for a change of clothing) required about two years of work. That doesn't include the laborious process of harvesting and preparing the plant fibers. Nor does it include weaving on looms powered entirely by the weavers' muscles.” Countries had sumptuary laws, laws that forbad people from wearing clothing beyond their class, especially applied to Jews. “The largest Industrial Revolution change on the clothing industry was that people became more fashion conscious and began purchasing clothing for style, rather than necessity. Before the revolution, people crafted their own clothes and had just enough to get by.” “People started to express themselves through clothing by wearing accessories, scarves, hats, or even with unusual colors and patterns. They asked for new trends at an affordable price in the late 1960s. Fashion became a way of self-expression, to communicate one's personality and creativity.” The cultures 18th and 19th century in the West were cultures of honor and transitioned in the 20th century to dignity. Honor was something that had to be earned and protected. The dignity culture assumed that all humans have dignity that does not have to be earned or personally defended. It was beneath dignity to be a victim. Clothing reflected the intention of both men and women in their desire to: • Be respected and honored. • Display wealth & class, even above what may have actually existed. • As clothing became more available the pursuit of fashion and styles was relentless. • Ladies chose all manner of jewellry and makeup honoring the prevailing fashion of the day. • Hairstyles changed, seeking to highlight femininity for women, and classic styles for men. • Everyday clothing may have been comfortable, but fashionable clothing was not. • Generational differences were minimal. Some Anabaptist groups chose to maintain the peasant costume of their native country. • Amish and Hutterite clothing is designed to closely resemble the peasant garb of the countries from which they originated. Other Anabaptists such as Mennonites and Brethren allowed members to wear clothing of their new culture with respect to Bible principles. • Before the industrial revolution, written standards on dress were unnecessary. Post industrial revolution • Resolutions to maintain principles without standards were ignored. • Standards were pushed to the limit and needed to become more explicit. • Churches that gave up on standards acculturated and adopted many unBiblical practices. • Conservative conferences established standards in an effort to maintain modesty, respect, and non-conformity to fads and fashions. The Beatles Musical group illustrated and energized a generation that no longer wished to be guided by honor and dignity. • “The Beatles reoriented American music, helped the country shake off the drab conformity of mid-century consensus and, in the process, even provoked one of the first major battles of the modern culture wars.” • “They led the way in production and album-oriented rock. They pioneered music videos. They also transformed attitudes about mind-altering drugs and ushered in a new interest in non-Western religions.” • They introduced the concept of generation gap into America and made change the norm. Western Society made drastic changes reflected in dress changes: • Shaggy hair styles • Unisex clothing • Miniskirts • Bell bottomed trousers and feminine shirts • A visible challenge to moral values of the older established society. Today we live in an era sometimes described as culture of victimhood. No longer does being slighted or shamed cause one to challenge to a duel, or lead one to ignore any put down. Rather people feel free to advertise their slights through social media or even in lawsuits before the courts of the land. This culture is expressed in the language of dress. • No longer is “grunge” used to describe the gunk found in your plumbing, now it describes popular music and the clothing worn by popular groups. • Clothing, even when new, may be torn, faded or look otherwise abused. • Tattoos are popular, supposedly designed to express the real person inside. • Multiple piercings beyond the traditional ear rings are prominent. • Hair is cut in very strange manners, and dyed in strange arrangement. Shaven bald or seriously overgrown is accepted. • Disheveled in appearance is normal. There will always be a people who are separated from the world unto God. For them, the same Bible standards that guided God’s people through the ages still apply. 1. Clothing will send signals of a people that are not pressed into the world’s way of thinking. 2. Care will be taken to cover the body in the same manner that God clothed our first parents; opaque materials, not form fitting and covering the limbs. 3. The victim culture will be denied and confronted by order-liness and good grooming. The body will be kept free from any stray markings and piercings. 4. Gender principles will be honored as men wear masculine clothing and women wear that which pertains to women. 5. Since God has planned an overlap of generations and that we submit one to another in the fear of the Lord, the generations will be sensitive to and honor older generational values.

Categories: Christian Living, Dress/Modesty