…was uttered on a recent visit I had with an older couple from my church, in their home, on a HOT summer day. At the conclusion of the visit, I prayed. Then the wife prayed. The husband then began his concluding prayer, and early in his conversation to the Triune God, uttered these unforgettable words…
“And thank you Father that Pastor Tim wore shorts!!!”
And, YES, we all began to laugh in our communion and talk with God uproariously!! Ha-Ha!! The “white elephant” in the room was revealed and he was not as big, or mean, or as visible a creature as we had all suspected! Someone had whispered a HUGE lie to each of us in that room that it was not possible to REALLY relate with the Father, Son and Spirit, and with each other, without our “religious robes” on, and we “Elephant stomped” him with laughter!!
If you have ever gone to meet with the church, almost anywhere, I am sure you have wrestled with this dilemma, too: “What should I wear? (because of what you believe others will think!)” versus “But here is what I REALLY want to wear so that I can BE ME and be comfortable!”
As much as I am learning to live in the Freedom of the Good News of Jesus, I am also learning to put off religion at the same time, and it is a real struggle! Yes, this story has a back story riddled with struggle, and that is why we all laughed in a very relieving and freeing way after that man’s prayer!
You see, it was HOT in Virginia that day, and it was a Saturday. Not a day of suits and tuxedos, but a day of shorts, pajamas and relationship with family. I got dressed in the spirit of the day and prepared to go and meet these members of my extended local church family! All is well and good, right? Unfortunately no!
What started out as a growing religious whisper soon turned into a condemning SHOUT, “You are a Pastor! These people are older! You can’t wear shorts! You know the Apostle Paul – ‘You are free to do all things but all things are not profitable!’ Those long pants over there are what would be most acceptable for pastors in this situation. AND what if they happen to have family members visiting them who attend other churches?!” I even went so far as to ask my lovely wife what she thought, and she was at least free enough from the Senior Pastor role I play to say “I think you are fine!” Whew! Thank you for a wife filled with freedom from the typical expectations of that Senior Pastor family role, Jesus!!! 🙂
So, off I went, BUT not in complete peace I am sorry to say! Oh how persistent the lie is! All the long highway there, the thought kept creeping back into my mind that I might not have on appropriate clothing (a suit or long pants versus the nice shorts and shirt I was wearing on that hot Virginia day. And, after all, my shorts did come down to my knees! Ha-Ha!! 🙂 ) .
The One good thing about that trip is that it was a struggle BECAUSE Jesus was with me and kept saying that everything was well and for me to stop “Future Trippin!” After all, Jesus whispered in the Gospel, “If I could lower myself to the status of a REAL human being in fallen flesh, and remain fully human forever for your sake (everyone’s sake), couldn’t I help you bear the potential scorn of others that may come from wearing a pair of shorts instead of other more acceptable religious robing?!!” Of course, He could! And, of course, in His unceasing Grace he DID and DOES!! Hebrews 13:13!
Finally, I arrived at their home. I got out of the car and walked up to the door. I rang the doorbell and heard a friendly shout that said, “come in Pastor Tim, we’re in the back”! I walked in the room where I joyfully, delightfully and in the freedom of Jesus, observed that the couple was WEARING SHORTS, too!!!! On the inside of myself I think I went into every religious tradition I had ever been exposed too, “Hallelujah!!” “Praise you Jesus!” “Thank ya! Thank ya!” “We believe in One God, the Father…”. I think I even spoke a few things in tongues (my mom and dad used to be Pentecostal),”Rondodo seekamathos rrrrondeedeehey nononoko – translation = Shorts! Shorts!! Shorts!!! Shorts!!!!” Ha-Ha!! 🙂
As happy as I was (and as happy as I found out they were later), the invisible, lying, “elephant” was still hiding behind our good conversation about the Gospel, our families, the Gospel, our challenges, the Gospel, our dreams, the Gospel, our church and denomination, and the Gospel! Finally, before leaving we prayed together and Jesus exposed the lie, shared his freedom with us, and let us off the hook by praying in and through the man: “And thank you God that Pastor Tim wore shorts!!!”
After finishing his prayer we all clapped and tore that lying “elephant” to pieces! We each shared our stories about wanting to participate in the freedom of Jesus and wear shorts but were somewhat hindered by wondering what the others would think! Evil creatures had whispered lies and placed burdens on our souls, saying we could not share in the freedom of godly relationship without a certain type of religious and traditional clothing on, but the lie was exposed and crushed in the prayer and laughter of Jesus!!
So, here is the BIG question: Why is the type and style of clothing we wear such a relational barrier in the light of our forever inclusion and acceptance in the life of the Father, Son and Spirit in Jesus Christ? How is it that humanity has gone all the way from the liberating freedom of fellowshipping with the Father in complete nakedness, and without shame, to being concerned about clothing and hiding at every point? Gen 2:21 – 3:13!
The answer is: we have all sinned and think wrongly about Who God is! Romans 3:9-11! Our perspective about Who Jesus is and Who we are in Him has gotten cloudy and dark! John 1:5!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am NOT advocating that we should wear no clothing!! 🙂 I think that clothing is appropriate to wear under our circumstances. Wearing clothing is actually a type of open admission that we REALLY are sinners and personally don’t have a proper perspective of God in and of ourselves! Yet, as we believe the Good News of Jesus, in our clothing (of whatever type), we can know that we are still included and adopted into the life of God, in Jesus, even IN OUR DARKNESS!! Hebrews 2:14-18
Posted by tjbrassell 
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