I NEED A NEW CHURCH

[lizzypaul]

Dear Church Board,

No, I will not wear nylons while leading music, and neither will my Mom. Wearing nylons in full summer (in a building without A/C) wouldn't make us look modest or professional, it would make us look insane.

No, my brother will not cut his hair. He keeps it pulled back very neatly, and, hello, he's not on staff, he's just a member of the pastor's family. He's seventeen years old, he can decide if he wants a ponytail or not.

Yes, it's fine if my mother gets her toenails painted red. It doesn't make her look trashy. They're pretty. Why are you looking at her feet anyway?

Thanks for making my (admittedly insecure) mother come home and cry. Assholes.

No love,

Erin

Comments

[pumagrrl.livejournal.com]

I find this hard to believe. My church would never do such a thing. What is the point? What does nylons and painted toenails have to do with anything? Or a ponytail?
You are absolutely right. Assholes!

[lizzypaul.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm pissed. The church board secretary told my mom that "she's concerned about the message your family's appearence is sending" and she wants us kids to be a good example for the rest of the teens in the congregation. Um, a) no, and b) what's wrong with a ponytail? Or bare legs, especially when I'm wearing a long skirt? And then to tell my mom that she needed to look professional and modest...which apperanty means nylons and not-red tonails (or closed toed shoes)...I'M SO MAD.

[pumagrrl.livejournal.com]

So Christianity is all about appearances? No wonder why so many people turn away from church and seek alternative spirituality! people like that church board secretary are one of the main reasons why many honest people who ant a relationship with God cannot swallow Christianity.

[loversheart.livejournal.com]

so that condo in hell is looking really nice eh?

[felinephoenix.livejournal.com]

Oh, ugh. Like you said, there's nothing wrong with red toenails and ponytails.

(Personally, I prefer going to churches where the congregation is more laid-back about appearance, anyway.)

[lizzypaul.livejournal.com]

Our congregation used to be really laid back about stuff like that. I think some people are just stressing because the church isn't growing, so their trying to find completely random reasons (and people to blame it on). Nylons! Obviously! People aren't attending church because the pastor doesn't wear nylons! ::eyeroll::

[lizzypaul.livejournal.com]

"they're" not "their". Oi.

[lasa.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sorry...

Church work is so damn hard. The thing is, you dedicate yourself to working for God, and then you find yourself working with a bunch of... people. People who come to church for a variety of reasons, one of which, I'm becoming more and more convinced, is to exercise some form of control. I think that because people see the church (rather than God, or their faith) as their point of stability or security, it becomes very important that it is /exactly/ how they imagine stability and security to be. And of course, when you've got hundreds of people, and you've got mere humans trying to run the church, that will never, ever succeed.

I remember when my daughter was in highschool and some of the congregants in the church I was working at at the time saw her at the mall with her friend - who had pink hair. It was amazing what I was told about that - and it was none of their freakin' business, and besides - she was a very nice girl - honor student, etc. I was quite angry that they were so quick to jump to conclusions based solely on appearance.

[lizzypaul.livejournal.com]

People pick the weirdest things to get worked up about.

[lasa.livejournal.com]

If they paid attention to the sermon, maybe, instead of what she had on her feet...? Just an idea.