Mrs. Pastor vs.

Power dressing

I'm trying to put myself in your shoes (or in your seat) as you read this. If I were you, I'd be wondering:

"How did she come up with this and where is she heading with it?"

Hold that thought...I'll tell you how and more importantly where it came up...

Before I do that, let's even know what "Power dressing" means so we're starting from the same spot. This term came into use in the 1970s and refers to:

"A stylish and expensive clothing style, intended to convey the impression of assertiveness and competence and predominantly worn by women."*

So back to the origin of this topic. It popped in my head (& heart) in church...

Yes, I do my best to stay connected to the Holy Spirit at all times in all places :)

Well, a cursory look around the church one Sunday led me to ask myself:

"Should Mrs. Pastor be the "best-dressed" lady in church?"

My answer: "Yes!"

Before, you close this and start screaming, please finish reading it.

I hope you noticed that I did not say that Mrs. Pastor should be the best-dressed lady in church I asked "Should she be the "best-dressed" lady in the church?" So let's take a moment to talk about the words...

Being "dressed" - yes being clothed is key. There is absolutely no reason why any woman, let alone a Mrs. Pastor, should not to be properly clothed - and that includes no exposure of those body parts for only your husband's eyes.

Talking about "best," I mean "leading" and even that I need to explain a bit more. As a Leading Lady,** you need to be an example - and it has nothing to do with the cost of your clothes. I believe the comparison of the cost of clothes is the root cause for the tussle with "power dressing."

I'm not saying you should not have and wear nice clothes - the question is: "What is your motive?"  For instance, I like wearing hats - sometimes - but that's not a reason to be a distraction in church. When I attend some churches, it seems like Mrs. Pastor is on a mission to have the most flamboyant hat, clothes &/or shoes. What's up with that? Unfortunately, some Mrs. Pastors feel that they should "out-dress" each and every other lady in church - what a waste of time and resources!

Looking for appropriate pictures for this piece was interesting - there were so many options to choose from. It is possible to look delightful (like this) without being a distraction.

In fact, I remember decades ago when my pastor encouraged ladies to take off and put their hats under their seats if they felt their hats were keeping them from truly praising God or simply getting in other people's "face space."

If you ask me, when it come to "power-dressing," it should be about elegance not extravagance... We must be the "best appropriately dressed" lady in church (and wherever we are too) and remain a Godly example to those around us.

This piece is dedicated to a dear Mrs Pastor friend - who I celebrate this week. She's an example in elegance. "Happy Birthday dear and many more years..."

Sources:

*http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/288225.html
**http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.ca/2011/08/leading-ladies.html