Ward Interregnum

[MustardSeed]

Church.  
We dress casually.  
I’m not anxious to go back to formal church.  But I will.

[amo]

10 hours ago, Stargazer said:

I kind of feel "incorrect" to administer the sacrament dressed in street clothing, to be frank. But I definitely watch Conference in civvies.

Weird, for a second, the first time, I felt the same, but then I thought of Jesus and  tried to picture him "braking bread" , and the image I got of him was him wearing "street clothing"  

[Boanerges]

13 hours ago, Stargazer said:

I kind of feel "incorrect" to administer the sacrament dressed in street clothing, to be frank. But I definitely watch Conference in civvies.

To each his own. Nowhere in canonized scripture does it say we need to dress any special way to administer or partake of the sacrament.

[nuclearfuels]

On 6/4/2020 at 9:45 PM, Hamba Tuhan said:

Home church.

ETA: Approximately two-thirds of all adults in the Church are single, so for many of us these have not been 'family meetings' at all. 

Two-thirds?

That seems incredibly high. 

Wonder what we could do as a culture to improve that

[nuclearfuels]

9 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

Church.  
We dress casually.  
I’m not anxious to go back to formal church.  But I will.

Totally agree.

I don't miss my old/former/but not old nor former and currently actively directed ward

[nuclearfuels]

On 6/5/2020 at 8:08 AM, Ratbag said:

I call it awesome because we don't have to go to the chapel for church.  At home I'm not marginalized and ignored.

Yes. I agree.  It's awesome to have church at home

[longview]

1 hour ago, Boanerges said:

15 hours ago, Stargazer said:

I kind of feel "incorrect" to administer the sacrament dressed in street clothing, to be frank. But I definitely watch Conference in civvies.

To each his own. Nowhere in canonized scripture does it say we need to dress any special way to administer or partake of the sacrament.

Reverence during the Sacrament is paramount.  General Authorities have been known to shed tears while meditating over the emblems.

[alter idem]

11 hours ago, Tacenda said:

No, lol! Actually it's not just the neighborhood it's while driving as well. Maybe they are taking the Sacrament to people.

 

That's likely why.

In our home church,  my husband dresses in white shirt, tie and slacks(he felt he should dress this way, he does the same when called to give a priesthood blessing of healing). I dress in church appropriate casual, I even put on make up😃, our daughters wear lounge wear. I think it should be a personal decision.

[alter idem]

22 hours ago, nuclearfuels said:

Two-thirds?

That seems incredibly high. 

Wonder what we could do as a culture to improve that

Arranged marriages?😊

Seriously,  I'm not sure what we can do about that, unless we want to intrude on and constrict individual choice and agency. Out of my family of seven siblings, only two of us are married. I've invited my single sisters to have sacrament with us, if they'd like to and one has taken us up on the offer.  I think that's probably the best way to help; consider needs around us.

 

[nuclearfuels]

On 6/7/2020 at 10:19 AM, alter idem said:

Arranged marriages?😊

Seriously,  I'm not sure what we can do about that, unless we want to intrude on and constrict individual choice and agency. Out of my family of seven siblings, only two of us are married. I've invited my single sisters to have sacrament with us, if they'd like to and one has taken us up on the offer.  I think that's probably the best way to help; consider needs around us.

 

Most of my siblings are single as well.

Makes me wonder though - if 2/3 of LDS are single, and 1/2 of th US population is single, what are we missing as a culture?  As standard-bearers this rate seems at least to be a criticism of the prior generation's parenting methods if not a rejection of thier entire lifestyle.

About 50.2 percent or 124.6 million American adults are single—in 1950, that number sat around 22 percent. Eric Klinenberg, sociology professor at New York University

[Boanerges]

On 6/6/2020 at 12:28 PM, longview said:

Reverence during the Sacrament is paramount.  General Authorities have been known to shed tears while meditating over the emblems.

And what does the way I am dressed have to do with reverence? Is reverence not a state of mind? People who fold their arms and sit quietly at church may be reverent, but folding their arms and sitting quietly is not what makes them reverent, rather arms folded/quiet are a sign that the person might be reverent. The person could also very well be having extremely erotic thoughts for all I know.

FWIW, I am not a general authority but I have been known to shed tears while meditating over the emblems as well. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper has very great and deep meaning for me and I have spent many hours in my life contemplating, pondering, and meditating on the subject and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, my Savior. While such does occur regularly during the ordinance itself, it also occurs in various other settings where I am wearing whatever I have on (work or casual clothing or sometimes at bed time).

Also for what it's worth, I rarely wear a white shirt to church and sometimes don't wear a tie. When I get bored (every Sunday at church) I look around and count how many people are there just for kicks. I also look at who is wearing what. About a third of the men and YM typically are not wearing a white shirt and this sometimes includes members of the bishopric. The bishop himself does wear a white shirt weekly but before he was called as bishop about a year ago he hardly ever wore a white shirt. He and his predecessor are both what we might think of as progressive and do not require white shirts to pass the sacrament (the revised handbook says nothing about white shirts and participating but does specify there should be no requirement to dress alike).

Lastly, one of the reasons I have liked home church so much is that over the weeks I have found the sacrament to be at least slightly more meaningful, and yes, reverent, at my dining room table. Perhaps that has to do with my wife and I choosing the song we sing together (in reality she chooses, there's only one I don't care much for and she knows which one it is), perhaps it has to do with the lack of screaming from the kid two rows up, or perhaps it has to do with frame of mind as we have more time to prepare ourselves mentally/spiritually because we're not rushing out the door or being distracted by others as we sit in the chapel. There are probably other factors involved, and it's probably not just one thing because it is never that simple. State of dress does not seem to be a contributing factor however. Your mileage may vary.

[Anijen]

On 6/4/2020 at 11:29 PM, Tacenda said:

All I know is I'm impressed people actually dress up and hold church! I don't know if I'd be that member while active, to dress up while staying at home. Maybe I wasn't as stalwart as I thought I was. Wait, on second thought I think I probably would have dressed up if I was taking the Sacrament. I guess in my head when we'd stay home and watch conference or while ill, I wouldn't have dressed up. 

We dress in our church clothes and hold a full sacrament service, e.g., opening hymn, opening prayer, sacrament hymn, sacrament, talk, closing hymn, closing prayer.

I have found this is a good way to keep the sabbath day holy and it has resulted in many uplifting and spiritual blessings. We went back to church last Sunday and that was wonderful as well.

[longview]

8 hours ago, Boanerges said:

- - When I get bored (every Sunday at church) I look around and count how many people are there just for kicks. I also look at who is wearing what. - -

Many years ago when my son was 14, he came to me and said:  "I'm bored."  I replied:  "It's a crime to be bored."

No should ever lack for things to ponder.  If there is a sacrament speaker that seem to drone on, then we must have charitable thoughts and mentally think of the many things we have learned that will go along with the speaker's topic.  Look for new perspectives.  Be filled with gratitude and remember the great things the Lord has done for you.

Dressing casually likely will lead to casual thinking.  Not holding the things of God as sacred can cause people to let their thoughts drift to stuff unrelated to the Gospel.  If our eyes were to rove around the chapel, we should be looking for opportunities for ministering.

[Calm]

9 hours ago, Boanerges said:

State of dress does not seem to be a contributing factor however. Your mileage may vary.

For me it does, but it translates to getting out of pajamas I would otherwise wear all day as I do my relaxing bath at the end of the day.  If not going anywhere, I will simply stay in complete comfort all day long since my Pjs are heavier or softer quarter sleeved one or two sizes too big tshirts and all cotton men’s sweat pants (because women’s are too short and thin).

But even I (who would never wear a dress or skirt again if I could manage except this one funky looking layered linen one I bought last year) think PJs and bed head doesn’t set much of a tone for a sacred moment. 
 

People use cues for their behaviours in different ways. Some get hungry at the sight of people eating, others it is more smell, some even get hungry because the clock says it is time. 
 

So for some the cue and feel of reverence is music, others quiet reading of scripture, others dressing in certain ways contributes and they feel less connected to the sacramental service without them.  It is not right or wrong as far as I know since the church handbook after all doesn’t give specifics for how to prepare or prepare for the sacrament at home in terms of dress, 
 

I think whatever works for you (speaking in general), do it and try not to be bothered when others join you if their cues are distracting to you. 

[Boanerges]

10 hours ago, longview said:

Many years ago when my son was 14, he came to me and said:  "I'm bored."  I replied:  "It's a crime to be bored."

No should ever lack for things to ponder.  If there is a sacrament speaker that seem to drone on, then we must have charitable thoughts and mentally think of the many things we have learned that will go along with the speaker's topic.  Look for new perspectives.  Be filled with gratitude and remember the great things the Lord has done for you.

Dressing casually likely will lead to casual thinking.  Not holding the things of God as sacred can cause people to let their thoughts drift to stuff unrelated to the Gospel.  If our eyes were to rove around the chapel, we should be looking for opportunities for ministering.

As I said, your mileage may vary. I don't expect to be arrested or excluded from heaven next time I'm bored, and I do in fact use the time where I am bored with the speaker to ponder or look at other gospel related things in which I am more interested. I used to do my regular looking around during the rest hymn, but we don't have those weekly anymore (although we do sometimes) so I'm left to do it at other times. If looking for opportunities to minister means addressing those who don't dress the way you think they should or are playing Candy Crush on their tablets while they're bored (the single lady in the row in front of me almost always plays Candy Crush), I'll pass. It's difficult to figure out who might need ministering by looking at them for a few seconds for "in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see." That's not to say I have not received inspiration in the past to speak to someone or do something when I might otherwise not interact with that person. Frankly I'm glad I'm not your son and I would hope that were you in my ward you would keep your judgementalism to yourself.

[Boanerges]

10 hours ago, Calm said:

For me it does, but it translates to getting out of pajamas I would otherwise wear all day as I do my relaxing bath at the end of the day.  If not going anywhere, I will simply stay in complete comfort all day long since my Pjs are heavier or softer quarter sleeved one or two sizes too big tshirts and all cotton men’s sweat pants (because women’s are too short and thin).

But even I (who would never wear a dress or skirt again if I could manage except this one funky looking layered linen one I bought last year) think PJs and bed head doesn’t set much of a tone for a sacred moment. 
 

People use cues for their behaviours in different ways. Some get hungry at the sight of people eating, others it is more smell, some even get hungry because the clock says it is time. 
 

So for some the cue and feel of reverence is music, others quiet reading of scripture, others dressing in certain ways contributes and they feel less connected to the sacramental service without them.  It is not right or wrong as far as I know since the church handbook after all doesn’t give specifics for how to prepare or prepare for the sacrament at home in terms of dress, 
 

I think whatever works for you (speaking in general), do it and try not to be bothered when others join you if their cues are distracting to you. 

Perhaps I have not noticed a difference related to state of dress because I am dressed, although casually, as is my wife. I am not one to stay in my jammies all day, or even all morning, but I understand some people are. Again, to each his own and your mileage may vary. I likely would not feel comfortable myself dressed more casually than I have been.

Your idea of it being not right or wrong is exactly my point. Some posters seem to be indicating that if I'm not wearing a white shirt and tie and my wife in a dress during home sacrament then I'm wrong. I disagree, as you seem to. I follow the procedure as outlined in D&C section 20, for me it is that simple. I'm not attempting to fault anyone for doing it differently than I do, my intent is to verify that for me home church has been a very good experience, that we have had good, even strong, spiritual experiences and that we do keep the Sabbath otherwise in the same way we have been - it is a day of rest. Working from home was a good experience for me as well. I have now returned to work with no indication that working from home will ever be a regular thing here. I expect in a few weeks when our Area Presidency authorizes us to go to phase 1 I will return to church and return to the slightly different experience of church sacrament and I'll be fine with it (and dressed in a colored shirt and tie unless it's extremely warm in which case I may forsake the tie). 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Boanerges
Fixed typo

[Boanerges]

On 6/6/2020 at 7:56 AM, amo said:

Weird, for a second, the first time, I felt the same, but then I thought of Jesus and  tried to picture him "braking bread" , and the image I got of him was him wearing "street clothing"  

Of course I don't now what Jesus wore that first sacrament in Jerusalem, but I likewise don't picture Him dressed in anything but ordinary clothing. While I don't know (or care) what He wore, I do know it was held in a home and that He said we should do it in remembrance of Him (and I try very hard to do that whether at home or church). 

[alter idem]

On 6/9/2020 at 7:45 AM, nuclearfuels said:

Most of my siblings are single as well.

Makes me wonder though - if 2/3 of LDS are single, and 1/2 of th US population is single, what are we missing as a culture?  As standard-bearers this rate seems at least to be a criticism of the prior generation's parenting methods if not a rejection of thier entire lifestyle.

About 50.2 percent or 124.6 million American adults are single—in 1950, that number sat around 22 percent. Eric Klinenberg, sociology professor at New York University

I don't think it's a criticism of their parents, but more likely the lure of society to enjoy the freedom, prosperity and the comfortable lifestyle of not having to sacrifice those things in marriage and family.  The ones I know enjoy having total control over their paychecks, and what they do with their time.  There is no one to constrict their choices and no need to feel responsible to work to care for children, knowing their whole life is taken up with the care and rearing of a family.  No need to worry about having to conform to a spouses wishes and choices, no reason to have to share, go without and compromise. No need to take on the risk of marriage and have one's life ruined and stressed by being tied to this other person who makes their own choices, sometimes terrible, selfish decisions and behaviors that are destructive for their spouse or family.  No need to take the chance of risking divorce and losing control of one's children and money. I think it's a reflection of our modern society and not so much that their parents did not teach them that they should want to be married and have children.