Email Dump

I am behind on some email.  Let's discuss.

A week ago I wrote on dress as a way of showing how seriously we take a given situation.  In that post I mentioned specifically dress for church.  Reader Blaine wrote (I edit only slightly):

Today, [where I attend church], it is not uncommon for my pastor to preach during the summer in sandals, khaki shorts and a golf shirt.  Our congregation is merely happy that you are there.  We have made 1 comment to a parishoner in the 8 years I have belonged to my church:  A pregnant lady who couldn't bring herself to integrate some
maternity tops into her wardrobe.  Approximately 55% of our congregation had
not attended church for at least a year before joining ours, and in speaking
with them, about half mentioned dress as one of the factors they no longer
attended before finding us.

The respect that is shown in worship is in the mere presence.  Unless and
until you can show me Scripture that lays out the proper attire for worship,
I must respectfully but strongly disagree with you.

Let me suggest, as I did to Blaine, that someone who stopped going to church because they wanted to dress casually is not all that serious about his or her faith.  But Blaine reminds us on either side of this issue that charity is the key Christian virtue.  To turn someone away or to judge someone's faith based on dress would be to commit the sin of the Pharisee. Still, one can suggest a thing out of prudence without establishing a law.  This past weekend someone at my church wore a sweatshirt with "F---ing Freezing" emblazoned on the back. How ever accurate a description that was of our meteorological situation, I think we can all agree that this is inappropriate for church.  There is plenty of scripture about modesty and scandal.  People at least should keep those principles in mind as they dress for Sunday worship. 

I also wrote recently about Barry Bonds.  Reader William writes:

Just read your post re:  Bonds.  You say:  "If the evidence becomes
indisputable that Bonds used steroids to set these records..."

It already is undisputed.  He's admitted to using "the cream and the
clear," which as we now know were steroids.  Bonds does not dispute taking
the cream/clear.  What he does dispute is that he knew they were 'roids.
But that's beside the point.  The point is, he took steroids, and there is
no doubt about that.  So I think the evidence already is indisputable...

Point well taken. 

Finally, I don't know if you knew this, but Jon Lauck has a book out.  He'd like for you to buy it.

This Saturday (November 24, 2007) the author Jon Lauck will sign copies of his new book “Daschle vs. Thune: Anatomy of a High Plains Senate Race” in his hometown of Madison. Lauck was born in Madison, attended St. Thomas Aquinas Grade School and graduated from Madison High School in 1989. Lauck's signing will take place at "Books & More" from 1:00-2:00 PM. "Books & More" is located at 117 North Egan Avenue.