Do You Wear Your "Sunday Best" While Live-Streaming?

Status
Not open for further replies.

B.L.

Puritan Board Sophomore
Morning Friends,

Here's a rather silly-sounding question for everyone: do you wear your "Sunday Best" (whatever that may be) while live-streaming your church's service at home?

I was getting dressed this morning and began thinking about how, if at all, this season of live-streaming has altered what everyone would normally wear if attending the service in person.

Thoughts?
 
I will if the livestream works according to plan. Last week it didn't, so by the time I got the stored video I was no longer. I have seen one OPC minister commend it to keep up the sense of "it's the Lord's Day"; on the other hand I can see where it might feed a mistaken sense that livestream is the same as being in the public worship of God. So, it's a thing indifferent and to be judged if one or the other action is helpful or not.
 
Last week my four sons and I groomed ourselves and wore "normal" clothes but not our "Sunday best". My wife and 7yo daughter did wear their Sunday best at the behest of my daughter. A good, edifying conversation on the topic was had after the online service.
 
I apparently over dressed. As opposed to last week when there were allowed gatherings of 10, since gatherings were prohibited altogether, the pastor and RE precentor and their families at church broadcast to join us all in our family worships. Still basically an order of worship with less singing. But pastor and RE dressed down from last week. Live stream was very choppy but audio for the most part with some cut out was okay. Saved video will post later.
 
We had buffering problems this morning after two flawless weeks.

Brian and I dressed as normal because we supported the worship service. I didn't want to change the practice we have at home for the boys. For years we've tuned in to a livestresm service when sick and are a bit more casual.
 
Here's a rather silly-sounding question for everyone: do you wear your "Sunday Best" (whatever that may be) while live-streaming your church's service at home?

No. Just jeans and a sweatshirt today. Mary and I were sitting up in bed, so no shoes either.
For me, and maybe just for me, it did strike me strange that the pastor drove to the church building and did the whole service from the pulpit. What? Is the church building something special? It bothered me a lot.

It reminded me of a story Spurgeon told in, Lectures to my Students, about the faithfulness of a street preacher continuing his sermon without a living soul listening, except the preacher's faithful dog. In the context, CS was making some fun of the poor man. That's what my pastor seemed like to me.

I decided that there are three possible reasons for my feelings.

  1. I am just plain dead wrong in taking any exception at all. This is where he should be.
  2. I should be neutral in the matter. The pastor's study, the church library, or behind the pulpit, are all the same.
  3. It was wrong because it is making a place to have a special significance, which is superstitious and forbidden.
From theWestminster Confession chapter 21:6
Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is, now under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped every whered in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself; so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or providence, calleth thereunto.


Westminster Assembly. (1851). The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition (pp. 118–119). Philadelphia: William S. Young.


Here's the story by Spurgeon:

I once saw a man preaching with no hearer but a dog which sat upon its tail and looked up very reverently while its master orated. There were no people at the windows nor passing by, but the brother and his dog were at their post whether the people would hear or whether they would forbear. Once also I passed an earnest declaimer, whose hat was on the ground before him, filled with papers, and there was not even a dog for an audience, nor any one within hearing, yet did he “waste his sweetness on the desert air.” I hope it relieved his own mind. Really it must be viewed as an essential part of a sermon that somebody should hear it: it cannot be a great benefit to the world to have sermons preached in vacuo.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1889). Lectures to my students: addresses delivered to the students of the Pastors’ College, Metropolitan Tabernacle. Second series. (Vol. 2, p. 140). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.
 

No. Just jeans and a sweatshirt today. Mary and I were sitting up in bed, so no shoes either.
For me, and maybe just for me, it did strike me strange that the pastor drove to the church building and did the whole service from the pulpit. What? Is the church building something special? It bothered me a lot.

It reminded me of a story Spurgeon told in, Lectures to my Students, about the faithfulness of a street preacher continuing his sermon without a living soul listening, except the preacher's faithful dog. In the context, CS was making some fun of the poor man. That's what my pastor seemed like to me.

I decided that there are three possible reasons for my feelings.

  1. I am just plain dead wrong in taking any exception at all. This is where he should be.
  2. I should be neutral in the matter. The pastor's study, the church library, or behind the pulpit, are all the same.
  3. It was wrong because it is making a place to have a special significance, which is superstitious and forbidden.
From theWestminster Confession chapter 21:6
Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is, now under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped every whered in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself; so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or providence, calleth thereunto.


Westminster Assembly. (1851). The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition (pp. 118–119). Philadelphia: William S. Young.


Here's the story by Spurgeon:

I once saw a man preaching with no hearer but a dog which sat upon its tail and looked up very reverently while its master orated. There were no people at the windows nor passing by, but the brother and his dog were at their post whether the people would hear or whether they would forbear. Once also I passed an earnest declaimer, whose hat was on the ground before him, filled with papers, and there was not even a dog for an audience, nor any one within hearing, yet did he “waste his sweetness on the desert air.” I hope it relieved his own mind. Really it must be viewed as an essential part of a sermon that somebody should hear it: it cannot be a great benefit to the world to have sermons preached in vacuo.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1889). Lectures to my students: addresses delivered to the students of the Pastors’ College, Metropolitan Tabernacle. Second series. (Vol. 2, p. 140). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.
Is it possible that you may just be overthinking the whole thing?
 
Your #2 is the reality of the matter. Unless you know for certain it was from some thinking the sanctuary would be a more blessed place to broadcast from, I vote for overthinking as well.
 
For me, and maybe just for me, it did strike me strange that the pastor drove to the church building and did the whole service from the pulpit. What? Is the church building something special? It bothered me a lot.

Our minister did the same thing. However, I suspect that there was a more practical reason for it than we might initially be inclined to think. Namely, that there is probably better recording/video equipment in the church building than in the pastor's study.
 
Our minister did the same thing. However, I suspect that there was a more practical reason for it than we might initially be inclined to think. Namely, that there is probably better recording/video equipment in the church building than in the pastor's study.
In our case the RE song leader and the pastor had families as well which I'm sure were better accommodated; and the acoustics are better in a room crafted for the purpose I would suspect.
 
Namely, that there is probably better recording/video equipment in the church building than in the pastor's study.

Maybe that's it. Formerly we did not have any video camera in our meeting place. But maybe it was just easier to set up there. Anyway, I wasn't planning to make anything out of it or even ask any questions. It's just my way of looking at things that's all.
Thanks for the input.
 
Our family has gone much more casual in dress. I encourage everyone in my house to change into something other than what they wore to sleep, but beyond that I haven't been real particular.
 
In our case the RE song leader and the pastor had families as well which I'm sure were better accommodated; and the acoustics are better in a room crafted for the purpose I would suspect.

In our case, even for recording, they were only allowed to have the camera-man and one of the ministers in the building at a time so that they did not violate the prohibitions on gatherings of more than two people.
 
In our case, even for recording, they were only allowed to have the camera-man and one of the ministers in the building at a time so that they did not violate the prohibitions on gatherings of more than two people.
I think Dallas allowed churches to have up to 10 production people; not sure what reasoning went into having more than the 3 (RE, TE and camerman). Maybe since not a public worship service they read themselves in under the 10 person limit on all gatherings.
 
Normal clothes. I’ve insisted on no PJs. My daughter brought a doll to the couch and I took it from her. Smooth sailing after that except the feed wasn’t good until half way through the sermon. Audio and video didn’t match. It was like watching an old Bruce Lee movie.
 
Sweat pants and a T-shirt this morning. I did shower first, though.

By the way, I disagree with those who say that "internet church" isn't a legitimate gathering of God's people. Maybe we all aren't there physically, but it is still a legitimate service because we are all connected together by the presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us as we gather before the throne - just as we today are spiritually connected to all those believers who have gone before us (the invisible church).

And God still ministers to us through the preaching of His Word, by His Spirit, even if we aren't all together in one place physically.
 
That's not what precisely is being said; what is said is that it is not public worship. It may be some kind of "connection"; hard to call it a gathering. You don't call a conference call of family members a family reunion.
Sweat pants and a T-shirt this morning. I did shower first, though.

By the way, I disagree with those who say that "internet church" isn't a legitimate gathering of God's people. Maybe we all aren't there physically, but it is still a legitimate service because we are all connected together by the presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us as we gather before the throne - just as we today are spiritually connected to all those believers who have gone before us (the invisible church).

And God still ministers to us through the preaching of His Word, by His Spirit, even if we aren't all together in one place physically.
 
By the way, I disagree with those who say that "internet church" isn't a legitimate gathering of God's people. Maybe we all aren't there physically, but it is still a legitimate service because we are all connected together by the presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us as we gather before the throne - just as we today are spiritually connected to all those believers who have gone before us (the invisible church).

This is going to detract from the topic of my OP, but after live-streaming my church's service I viewed a second "service" provided by a different church in my area. While the service was going on the camera man turned to where the congregation would be seated and I kid you not there were printed pictures of people's faces (presumably members) taped to the back rest of each chair. It was the oddest thing and caught me totally off guard. It was a terrible waste of resources in my opinion (hundreds of chairs in a large sanctuary with printed pictures taped to them) and just looked incredibly ridiculous.
 
It was the oddest thing and caught me totally off guard.

Brother, that is quite bizarre, so a bit pathetic and sad.

At the same time, it is rather hilarious and I am still chuckling at the thought of such a sight! What sort of mind thinks to do that? o_O

I suppose it's not really that surprising, though, given the general widespread sentimentality of so much worship in so many churches.

Peace,
Alan
 
I encouraged the flock to get up and moving, and while not in "Sunday best," I asked them to be dressed and attentive. We only stream the sermon, so the worship is up to the family. I did stand in the pulpit, dressed as I would be on any Lord's Day, and preached to 10 people spread throughout the building, for matters of practicality, i.e. recording for the website, acoustics, etc. It was helpful to have that handful of people present.
BTW- our governor has not forbidden church gatherings. He even called for a day of prayer last Wednesday, leading in the endeavor. While I wish the days of prayer would be called "days of repentance and prayer," I appreciate at least the acknowledgment of our need for divine deliverance.
 
I wear khaki slacks, polo-type shirt, and my usual work/church dress shoes, for the live streams. Regarding this question, which I've thought about as well, I recall how Laura Ingalls Wilder, in Little House in the Big Woods, described the observance of Sundays as a Sabbath Day (and she describing it as a young child, unregenerate, and disliking it); it was winter time, and though they lived too far away from town to be able to attend any church, every Sunday they had to dress in their best clothes, and sit quietly and read Bible-related material.
 
We live-streamed the past few Sundays and we've found it really helpful to dress just like we normally do for church. Sure it felt a bit odd to be worshipping through a TV in our basement while I was wearing a bowtie and the girls were in their Sunday dresses, but it also has a real impact on your frame of mind. It helped us to come as worshipers and not consumers. As my wife and I talked about it, we also thought: "If we only 'dress up' when worshipping with other people, then aren't we just dressing up for them? But if the reason we dress nicely is to honor God, then shouldn't we do that in our basement just like we would in a church building?" I'm not saying PJ's are sinful (we've certainly done it when we were sick in the past) but I do think dressing for church even when you're stuck at home can be helpful.
 
Pajamas here.

It occurred to me last Wed evening after the online prayer meeting (which included a nurse in the church who works at an assisted living facility whose co worker just died of the virus, and the nurse was in quarantine at home with a cough and shortness of breath (she feels better now), in tears asking for prayer for all the staff who are just so scared)...that I had not given a thought on either Sunday morning or Wed eve looking at the internet to wear a head covering. It just didn't feel like church or the gathering at all.

I might be way wrong....been wearing a headcovering for 35+ years, but didn't even think about it at home. I'm 65 with asthma and certainly fervent in prayer for everybody these days, but the little video screen didn't remind me to put a covering on. I didn't pray out loud anyway. With the threat of so many deaths I guess it is a non issue really, but it did occur to me......
 
I dressed up a bit, as I normally would for church, but that's because I was teaching a children's class via Zoom right before the online service aired. If I hadn't been doing that, I would not have dressed up at all.

I don't believe worship inherently requires special dress. After all, we don't dress up for our daily family worship around the dinner table.

Watching our church's online service is essentially the same as family worship, just with the bonus of a fresh sermon delivered by our pastor and the pleasant knowledge that much of our church family is singing the same songs at roughly the same time we are.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top