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Spiritual Journeys #2
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Dressing for The Lord
| Spiritual Journeys #2 |
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Dressing for The Lord |
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Joyce Johnson
since 2001-03-10
Posts 9912Washington State 
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Dressing for The Lord When we visit in your house, Lord We wear our very best; Though we know we do not need to. It is no part of our test. Outer-wear will not impress you. It's how we dress our hearts That is becoming to our Lord And puts stars on our charts. Although I don my finery It is just for respect. Sanitizing my thoughts and deeds Is more what you expect. May I cleanse my soul in manner That pleases my dear Lord. I'll find the way to purify By reading of his Word. By: Joyce 6/29/03 |
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| © Copyright 2003 Joyce I Johnson - All Rights Reserved | |||
Mistletoe Angel 
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
 (big hugggsssssss) Oh Joyce, I think He expects us only to dress in our own skins, as he wants us to be us and to come naked so our spirits and substance, everything, can embrace the light and be purified! (kiss on cheek) This is beautiful, sweet friend, we all love you so much! You have such a beautiful heart, sweet Joyce, thank you for sharing!  May love and light always shine upon you! Love, Noah Eaton Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story |
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altoladybj Member
since 2003-06-24
Posts 79Pennsylvania |
beautifully put, I really enjoyed this, Beverly |
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skyshine
since 2002-02-07
Posts 3058Beneath the northern stars |
Nice thoughts in here! I ought to dress up for God the same way. Well done, Joyce.  ~Elizabeth Dreams last for so long, even after you're gone... |
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Trillium
since 2001-03-09
Posts 12098Idaho, USA |
Joyce: Enjoyed your poem! It always has been important to dress in your best before the Lord. I've always taken it as a gesture of respect for Him. Betty Lou Hebert |
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Poet4Christ Member
since 2003-02-19
Posts 211Oklahoma City |
Joyce - Great work. Although I go to one of those non-denominational "come as you are" churches (we call it church for those who don't like church) I related to your poem still. I think that we are all different and that we all do different things in respect as we approach our father. I do believe God respects and appreciates diversity in all of us. God bless you Joyce - you are such a talented writer that I look up to. Thanx- Tim He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Proverbs 28:26 |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
OhJoyce~ How this piece tumbled me back-in-time~ I was 19 years old, attending my Southern Baptist Church that had been my home for years ... one Sunday morning (with congregation in full dress Sunday-Go-To-Meeting finery) ... the door of the church opened to a young couple in bermuda shorts and what we here in Florida call 'tourist clothes' ... well, you can well imagine the indignant looks they got from our membership. We'd never seen anyone disrespect His House by dressing so casually. Fortunantely for us ... our Pastor, Reverend Hawkins, was a much wiser man ... he welcomed them into our fold ... and asked them to share with us ... this young couple walked to the front of our church and apologized for their attire. They said they had just married and were given a gift of a honeymoon in Florida ... and believing all the tourist brochures ... they dressed as they thought ALL Floridians do !  But the important thing to them was coming to the House of The Lord with clean hearts to worship ... and that's just what they did ! They later moved to Florida and became an active part of our church community~ Anyhow ... I've never forgotten to keep my attire appropriate and my heart clean to enter His House~ Thanks for stirring my memory pot, gal ... *Huglets* ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ |
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2dalimit Member Elite
since 2000-02-08
Posts 2228Mississippi coast |
Sanitizing my thoughts and deeds is the most important. But, one should dress as appropriately as one can afford. Thank you, Melton |
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Bob Gotti Senior Member
since 2003-06-07
Posts 895United States |
That's Short Sweet and Right to the point Joyce. The perfect medicine for a church quickly slipping into the Corinthian mold. The quicker we could heed your words Joyce, the quicker The Spirit could use us to fullfill this Age of Grace and we can go Home to that Great Super with The Lamb. God Bless You Joyce, And I'll See You There, Bob Gotti |
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Joyce Johnson
since 2001-03-10
Posts 9912Washington State |
Thank you friends for answering my little poem. I have been gone away for eight days so I haven't been able to answer any of the poems, but I will get back to it tomorrow or the next day. Love, Joyce |
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NewEnglandlazurlu Member Rara Avis
since 2002-01-04
Posts 7470A Mountain Paradise |
Joyce, this flooded me with memories of a young girl living in Newport, RI. When Mother took us to church, we were dressed to the nines and 'threatened' to be on our absolute best behavior. The church was filled with the stuffy rich and famous of the area and I do believe many were there to catch a glimpse of those in the congregation rather than praising the Lord.  Thank you for bringing forth a memory I haven't thought of in years! Hugs .... |
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Poet4Christ Member
since 2003-02-19
Posts 211Oklahoma City |
Ya - I remember those days as a child, when I was brought up in a Baptist Church, a very nice one, with lots of people who were well off, and dressed emaculately for church. The thing was coming from the family I did, with four brothers, we couldn't afford to dress so well. We dressed appropriately, but for some reason I never felt comfortable there - like I wasn't good enough. I suppose that is why there are churches out there like mine now. Churches totally devoted to reaching those outside the church, instead of focusing on those inside the church. Our minister explained to us the average age of people within the church is in the 60's and it is going up. To me this means Churches are not reaching the younger generation because they are not open to change. I understand that we are all different, and that we all need something a little different in our churches. I guess what I am trying to do is agree with you that it is not what we wear that God looks at, but I am also sort of disagreeing that I don't believe it is disrespectful to not feel comfortable dressing up for church. I feel God wants us to be ourselves. - getting off the box now - sorry Thanx - Tim He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Proverbs 28:26 |
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Paul Wilson
since 2002-07-07
Posts 4711United States |
Joyce~~~Very nice write. Enjoyed. My belief is that clothes no matter how fine they are or aren't only cover our bodies because that is how we were brought up, but nothing can cover our hearts and that is what God sees.Thanks for sharing...Paul "To share my poems with you is to share my heart with you" |
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Joyce Johnson
since 2001-03-10
Posts 9912Washington State |
thnks everyone and Poet4Christ I agree too about the clothes but I was always taught to wear your best to church what ever it might be. Also never to mark up the bible with pencil or pen or to tear it. I still treat the Bible that way but I am not saying that my way is correct. It is just the way I was raised. Love, Joyce |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
This is beautiful and so true! And to judge from the replies it is an important issue .... Our Lord, I think, appreciates if we enter the church in an appropriate outfit, but it's not priority issue for Him. In St. Peter, many tourists are asked to somehow "cover" themselves adequately, but I wonder how many of them really enter that place being aware of its sacredness ... it's for most of them just a visit to be compared to a visit in a Museum. We have been created naked and it must mean that Our Heavenly Father thinks we are beautiful to Him in that way ...it's more a problem of culture. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel with naked figures and this has always been a reason of different views and disputes. One Pope ordered to paint adequate veils over the naked parts .... the recent restoration has respected Michelangelo's original work, removing the veils on some figures, but not on all actually. A pure heart remains the most wonderful dress for our human forms, I agree with you. Thank you. Love, Margherita  |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
I think there must be a reason for my rediscovering this beautiful post by you, dear Joyce, today ... I randomly choose a page and opened this. I am very much moved also by Marge Tindal's reply. A great lesson! So, maybe someone today, will enjoy reading this once again. Love, Margherita |
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Joyce Johnson
since 2001-03-10
Posts 9912Washington State |
Why thank you Margherita for bringing this back from six years ago. We are quite casual at church now and that is good. In my day we had only one set of good cloths and we saved them for church. Times and fashions change. Love, Joyce |
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sandgrain Member Elite
since 1999-09-21
Posts 3662Sycamore, IL, USA |
I , too, am happy to see this. Developing inner beauty is much more important than what we wear on the outside. Of ocurse, a smile generally comes from the inside. I agree that respect is very important. Wanting to give it is much better than feeling obliged to show it. Your well chosen words say so much so very nicely, Joyce, as always. God bless, Rae |
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Oklahoma Rose Senior Member
since 2008-02-28
Posts 1586Oklahoma USA |
Indeed it is what's in our hearts that matter most to God. I don't go to church like I use to, when I was growing up. But, I do try to live a good life. And, try do things pleasing to God. I use to talk to Marge about certain things. |
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jjbreunig3 Member
since 2009-07-29
Posts 423Maine, USA |
An enjoyable piece; I would have liked to see some more stanzas - besides our "Sunday Best", we need to clothe ourselves with the Righteousness of Christ; I look forward to seeing more of your writings. --Joe Logic, when applied to people, fails miserably! --Joseph J. Breunig 3rd |
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