What is it with pastors’ T-shirts?

Posted: July 8th, 2009 | Author: | Tags: , | 10 Comments »

the-incredible-hulk-ultimate-destruction-20050310021251758 A few days ago Perry Noble was wondering about whether he should wear a grope-your-wife T-shirt, and today Brad Cooper wants to know what you think about this:

Is it normal that when Fuse* cranks up the worship, I want to tear my shirt off like the Hulk and just lose my mind!???!

Trying to be helpful again here, Brad, but no, I don’t think so.

Perhaps this is why some denominations make their pastors wear robes or dog collars–to keep their minister’s shirts on and covered up.

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10 Comments on “What is it with pastors’ T-shirts?”

  1. 1 Blake Butler said on July 9th, 2009:

    Tell that to David.

  2. 2 David J said on July 9th, 2009:

    I’m waiting for one of them to get naked during the service and say,”But David danced naked”. It’s relevant!

    Let’s use some common sense please :)

  3. 3 James Duncan said on July 9th, 2009:

    Blake (Hi, friend),

    Sure, I’ll be happy to tell him. I think David would frown on it (where’s the decency and order?), but he’d also be quite shocked that people think he danced out of his clothes.

    The account in 2 Samuel 6:12-23 makes the clear point that David remained clothed in a linen ephod (2 Samuel 6:14). When Michal complains later that he disrobed, she doesn’t mean that he actually danced butt naked, but that he took of his kingly attire and wore more common clothing. He did not cling to the dignity that was his as king when he worshipped the Lord.

    Note, also, that the person who characterized David’s worship as immodest was incorrect and was punished for it. If we think that David was out of control, we adopt Michal’s sinful characterization of his worship.

    Mathew Henry said this about it:

    On this occasion David laid aside his imperial purple, and put on a plain linen ephod, which was light and convenient for dancing, and was used in religious exercises by those who were not priests, for Samuel wore one, 1 Sa. 2:18. That great prince thought it no disparagement to him to appear in the habit of a minister to the ark.

    David lost neither his mind nor his clothes.

  4. 4 David J said on July 9th, 2009:

    James,

    The naked “myth” seems to be popular in these parts for some reason. LOL.

    You spoiled my fun! :)

  5. 5 Tommy F. said on July 9th, 2009:

    Plus, if this is the defense “it’s in the Bible” or “David did it” why don’t they just go ahead and do it? Why just talk about it as a teaser?

  6. 6 James Duncan said on July 9th, 2009:

    Sorry, David J, but we owe it to decency to bust this myth before things get ugly.

    There are some wonderful marketing opportunities for an enterprising fitness club that could offer programs to help develop your Praise Pecs and Adoration Abs in six weeks.

    Back to 2 Samuel again for a minute, the idea that David lost his mind is preposterous when you consider the context of the passage. In an earlier attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem, one of the ark’s minders had lost his self control and was killed when trying to save the ark from falling (2 Samuel 6:6-7).

    God was very serious about propriety around his ark. David had learned his lesson from the first time, so choosing that moment to get naked and crazy would have been, well, crazy.

  7. 7 James Duncan said on July 9th, 2009:

    Isn’t it interesting how many crazy people inhabit some people’s Bibles? So far we’ve rehabilitated Simeon, John the Baptist, and, now, David. I wonder who’ll be next?

  8. 8 Blake Butler said on July 12th, 2009:

    First of all I would like to apologize for not playing by the rules before. I repented and confessed and would like to be forgiven- mainly by Tommy F.

    I realize that David was not stark, butt, buck, or any other form of naked. If we want to split hairs on the issue then we could say that The Hulk ™ never really lost all of his clothes (unless Brad was making reference to the newest Edward Norton remake of the comic which I highly doubt). Miraculously The Hulk’s pants always stayed on no matter how big the outrage. In the truest interpretation of a 140 character update I think Brad was only talking about exposing his torso. Which should be no scare of middle schoolers mothers anywhere. Also, this was only a threat just like the threats J. Duncan used to pass off to me about failing me from his classes (proud to say it never happened, and I’m about to be jobless). So never fear the pants are staying on.

    I would also like to point out I never implied David as being crazy. This is a little tough for me to do when the man wrote the very passage of scripture that brings me sanity. What I’m bringing to the table here is that when David danced he danced out of great joy. It was an emotion that could not be expressed by words. Maybe this is where Brad was headed, but 140 characters only gets you so far.

    We’re a good ways off from nudity on stage of the church (mainly judging by the reactions from the SuperBowl fiasco of a few years ago). We’re probably closer to green muscular pastors than nudity from the pulpit the more that I think about it.

  9. 9 James Duncan said on July 12th, 2009:

    Blake,

    Nice response. BTW, I wasn’t necessarily saying that you thought David was crazy, just that I’ve seen that meme many times. I originally used names, but I rewrote it so I wouldn’t offend MW, who prefers us not to use them.

  10. 10 Blake Butler said on July 12th, 2009:

    Thank you for filtering. I would hate for someone to be offended.