(15) Formal and Informal?
Decently and in Order
Sometimes a distinction is
made between formal and informal occasions. If a situation is considered
informal, like a home Bible Class or a Saturday evening ecclesial social, then
hats are frequently not worn and casual clothing is thought acceptable. But in
many places a Sunday Morning or a Breaking of Bread is considered formal, and
hats are expected, along with fine clothes: dresses for sisters and suits and
ties for brothers.
Is there any such distinction made in the New Testament? As far as
we can see there is not, neither on day of the week nor on the type of meeting.
According to the customs of the times, many sisters would be veiled. A problem
only arose when sisters were publicly addressing the meeting by praying or
prophesying (as in 1 Corinthians 11). Public speaking by women was not
customary amongst the Jews, nor even amongst the pagan Gentiles, but appears to
have been acceptable to Paul and the ecclesias as part of the sisters’ new
freedom in Christ. Paul encouraged all believers (“brethren” = “brothers and
sisters”) to prophesy, but in an orderly manner:
So, my brethren,
earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but all
things should be done decently and in order.
(1 Corinthians 14:39-40, RSV)
Therefore, my
brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in
tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. (1
Corinthians 14:39-40, TNIV)
This text is sometimes quoted to defend formal meetings and formal
dress. In its context Paul is correcting the abuses described – the general
disorder with several people speaking at once (verses 31-33), sisters perhaps
chattering or calling out questions (verse 35), and at the Breaking of Bread
some getting drunk, and others arriving late (possibly slaves who couldn’t get
away in time) and finding that all the food had been eaten (1 Corinthians
11:21).
To behave decently and in order is compatible both with formal and
informal occasions, and this verse does not therefore give any suggestion that
one form of ecclesial gathering differs from another in acceptability to God.
The New Testament does not commend fine clothing as desirable for
believers. James 2:2-3 suggests that people attended meetings in a variety of
clothing : rich, shabby, and presumably, therefore, in between.
If, however, sisters can only pray acceptably to God when wearing
veils, then this applies all the time. But if the veils were not to make the
sisters acceptable to God but acceptable in the social fabric of the first
century, it does not matter at all today, and whether a meeting is considered
formal or informal has no real bearing on the issue from a New Testament
perspective.
Variety – and inconsistencies
It is worth being aware of how much variety there is in the
Christadelphian community, both on the question of formality, and the question
of headcoverings.
Some meetings are very formal, especially on Sundays at the
Breaking of Bread. This is inclined to be more so where there is a large number
gathered, since microphones may need to be used so that all can hear, and with
a large gathering it is often easier to organise everything in a formal manner,
including the passing round of the bread and the wine.
Many ecclesias are comparatively small. In some of these the
brothers and sisters sit in formal rows; in some they sit round in a circle, or
two circles, depending on numbers.
These may easily be less formal.
As regards the wearing of headcoverings, there is much variety.
In some meetings, headcoverings are required for all baptised
women, whether at the Breaking of Bread, the evening lecture, mid-week Bible
Class, or Saturday fraternals. This sometimes extends to Bible classes at home,
and to public addresses held elsewhere than the meeting room, at which prayers
are said; but sometimes (out of a desire not to seem odd to non-Christadelphian
visitors) headcoverings are not worn at special addresses.
In other ecclesias, the wearing of headcoverings is a matter of
personal choice. Some sisters wear hats or scarves at the Breaking of Bread,
but not on other occasions, even though the activities are similar: hymns and
prayers.
There is even more variety at events such as Bible schools and
weekend gatherings. All meetings at these involve prayer, but often no
headcoverings are worn, except perhaps at the Breaking of Bread. We, speaking
personally, have always felt uncomfortable at this situation. If it is
acceptable to pray and sing hymns and have fellowship all through the weekend,
without headcoverings or any unusual style of dress, why a sudden change when
it comes to fellowship at the Breaking of Bread? Are we more in the presence of
Jesus and God? Does 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 refer to the Breaking of Bread
anyway, when it talks about praying and prophesying? The Breaking of Bread in 1
Corinthians 11:17-34 seems to have been a full-scale meal.
Then there is the question of location. At one Christadelphian
gathering hats seem to be required if a session takes place in the main hall,
but when subsidiary sessions (still with prayer) take place in side rooms,
headcoverings are not worn.
These anomalies suggest that the modern practice owes little to
actual biblical teaching; more to a mixture of social conventions which have
grown up among us – “tradition of the elders” as Mark 7:3 describes. Added to
that has been pressure to wear certain types of formal clothing, suits and ties
for the men, skirts, tights and hats for the women.
For a community which takes “Back to the Bible” as a prime slogan,
we seem to be rather muddled on issues of this type.
Bible teaching, we suggest, favours the wearing of normal clothing
(according to culture), not showy or expensive, and as long as meetings take
place with care and consideration and reverence, there is no biblical
difference recognised as to whether meetings are formal or informal. It is the
spirit in which they are conducted and our inner hearts and thoughts which
matter.
