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Originally Posted by Sir Lunch-a-lot
Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret. Jesus probably would have been much more sweaty and stinky coming to the temple or synagogue than you are, and I really doubt that he would take an extra change of clothes with him (heck, he probably didn't even have an extra change of clothes). The whole idea of having to wear your Sunday best and attract the right people to church is waaay over rated. You certainly won't be offending God in the least showing up at church wearing spandex or slightly sweaty clothing. (Heck, at my church, we often have a police officer show up in full uniform, gun and all).
I will raise the one issue I would have with someone wearing spandex in church: If you are a woman (which your user name suggests you may be), wearing spandex will emphasize your curves, and as a man, I can tell you it would likely be difficult for other men not to stare and lust and maintain a sexually pure mind. So in this situation, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring a casual set of clothes that you can slip overtop upon arrival. That is my only issue. Even then, spandex probably won't be any worse than what many women wear to church in this regards. But yeah, as for being sweaty or any of that, I don't think it matters. Some people might be mildly offended, but if you look in the New Testament, Jesus' seemingly irreverant attitudes and actions towards religious establishments and the like regularly offended the religious folk. So I would try not to worry about it. Bike to church to your hearts content! stuff just get there. To worry about how you smell or look is to be a "Sunday" Christian....phoney. |
Originally Posted by Cassiel
Thanks for the input, everybody.
Good Lord, don't get me started on the Commuter Church. The first one I've ever seen here in Oregon was built about three? years ago, and it's the most atrocious thing I've ever seen. The parking lot is bigger than Costco's, and it actually has "street" signs named "Corinthians" and "Thessalonians." :-p It is a ginormous edifice. As a Catholic, I have nothing against ginormous edifi, but I do demand that they be tasteful and not look like some kind of WASP-only shopping mall. }:-| Wogsterca has a great point about the potential community value of religious meeting-places. The expansion trend has really impoverished the community aspect of faith. As far as no one caring that I smell, I find that related to the point about wearing spandex. I don't want to be a distraction. I'm sure I wouldn't be for very long; the novelty of a neon jacket and a bike helmet would probably wear off quickly. You're probably right about soft pedaling to keep the sweat off, and a little wrap skirt might just do the trick. Thanks again, everybody. From my observations the old brick churches downtown, and the inner city churches run out of abandoned grocery stores and strip malls do far more for their neighborhoods and people in them than the afore mentioned monstrosities. And their leaders seem to wind up in bed with gay hookers less frequently. |
if i went to church i would ride because driving is a sin
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Many churches have a dressing room where the choir and clergy put on special vestments for the church service. Why not just keep a change of clothing in said dressing room, and change into it when you arrive? Something simple but dignified. That's what I do, I have to ride 16 mi one-way to temple, so no way am I wearing street clothes for that.
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My church is hosting a car free Sunday for Earth Day Sunday. Our pastor actually developed part of her sermon into ideas of commuting to church and neighborhood errands without using a car. She requested that if we must use a car, to at least car pool. She actually bikes to church often as well. We have a shower in our fellowship hall that welcomed to anyone. Our church as a whole is very environmentally conscious. I have already been biking to church lately. But the cool thing is, in June, I will be moving across the street from our church. This new location will allow me to be centrally located to just about everything in my town. It is going to be nice.
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Hell yeah...
I ride ~23 miles to church every Sunday that I can. I usually just slip my Sunday "best" over top of my cycling clothes. In the summer/warm weather, when you can get a little disgusting on the way there, take a little rubbing alcohol with you. Before you stick on your Sunday best, do a quick wipe with the alcohol. It is actually quite refreshing and definitely removes the "disgusting" factor. As for the rain and snow, I usually end up taking the four-wheeled vehicle. I haven't figured out a way around having to get there early, but I have gotten quite fast at changing....
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I just wear bike clothes (not spandex, normally) and carry my church clothes in my backpack, exactly like I do when I ride to work.
I change in a bathroom, and it has worked out pretty well so far. |
In our most recent local weekly paper, there's an article about several people in our area leading conservation efforts, including one retired pastor who's endured mild controversy over his contention that churches encourage wasteful energy expenditure (large buildings that are largely unused a good portion of each week). He himself had been biking to services, if I remember the article correctly, since the 80s.
I, not a follower of any organized religion, attended Easter mass recently, since my sister was getting baptized as part of her conversion to Catholicism (she's getting married). I was the only family member able to attend, as the rest of my family lives too far away, so it was really important I be there. Fortunately, the church is close to my house, so arriving all sweaty was not an issue (and it was unseasonably cold, too). My parents called expressing their concern that I was biking, afraid I would get into an accident or encounter some other delay, messing up my "Sunday best". I suspect they were just as concerned about the image of me showing up on a bike, while everyone else would be arriving in their cars. Happily, I arrived unscathed at the church to discover they had a bike rack prominently in front (and not hidden in back, like I've seen at some churches). Of the hundreds that showed up, I was the lone cyclist. I actually enjoyed the attention I was getting, dressed to the nines with a messenger bag slung over my shoulder, clutching a bike helmet. |
I was saddened (but hardly surprised) to see that James Dobson, the "pope" of the evangelicals and Jerry "the Ayatollah" Falwell are calling for the ouster of the Rev. Richard Cizik. They want to excommunicate Cizik because of his "preoccupation" with global warming and his call for Christians to be better stewards of the environment. I hope that there aren't any repercussions to people who ride their bikes to church.
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Wont's be much of a problem for me. Church of Christ is rather separate from all that infighting.
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Originally Posted by Roody
I was saddened (but hardly surprised) to see that James Dobson, the "pope" of the evangelicals and Jerry "the Ayatollah" Falwell are calling for the ouster of the Rev. Richard Cizik. They want to excommunicate Cizik because of his "preoccupation" with global warming and his call for Christians to be better stewards of the environment. I hope that there aren't any repercussions to people who ride their bikes to church.
Link #pragma tongue-in-cheek=on James Dobson and Jerry Falwell are following the 65,538th commandment which is thou shalt wear a wool suit and tie or a mid length dress with a high collar to church, no matter what the weather conditions or temperature. If your going to wear a wool suit on a summer day, you better have the SUVs AC set to 11. Of course cyclists and people who take transit to church are ignoring the 65,538th commandment, and this is a serious sin, certainly more serious they say Gluttony, eh Dr. Falwell. #pragma tongue-in-cheek=off ** edited to fix a couple of mistakes, that's what I get for typing while under sleep impairment** |
I do as Big Tommy. I bring a change of clothes in my panniers and just change in the bathroom. A small towel, deodorant and perhaps some body spray normally takes care of most situations and I feel completely comfortable during the service.
GreenAnvil -completely car-less in Colorado Springs- |
I bike to my church.. it's only 2 miles away! :) It's the Vineyard X-Treme church in Lomita. It's pretty casual there, so I can bike in jeans and sneakers or even sandals and a nice t-shirt. However, if I'm playing bass for worship, I would drive. I am looking into purchase a soft case for my bass so I can bike to worship rehearsal and church.... :D
http://www.vxusa.com |
yes...and then as far away from it as possible.
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Originally Posted by Roody
I was saddened (but hardly surprised) to see that James Dobson, the "pope" of the evangelicals and Jerry "the Ayatollah" Falwell are calling for the ouster of the Rev. Richard Cizik. They want to excommunicate Cizik because of his "preoccupation" with global warming and his call for Christians to be better stewards of the environment. I hope that there aren't any repercussions to people who ride their bikes to church.
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this week I am going to a new church..I spotted a nice place to lock my bike(back entrance)..and its only a mile half away.flat. I just pedally lightly and be fresh..And I don't care who knows!
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Originally Posted by PDay
You cannot be excommunicated from a protestant demonination.
BTW, hats off to the poster who rides 23 miles each way to church! How long does that take? My church is unfortunately about 30 miles from where I live so I pretty much have to drive there (I'm not totally car-free, just trying to get into the habit of using the appropriate vehicle, which is often the bike, for any given trip). |
Originally Posted by Tightwad
Yes, I agree. God wants your soul not your apperance. So ride safe and don't worry about the "small"
stuff just get there. To worry about how you smell or look is to be a "Sunday" Christian....phoney. |
I attend a charismatic church. I do ride to church occasionally, and wheel the bike into the lobby and park it in the office section. It's about 10 miles round trip. My wife, a non-biker, usually passes me on the road on the way to church, and she crowds me off the road. My church is somewhat unique. The pastor's wife, once a month, brings in a box of poisonous snakes, and she kisses each of them on the lips. Hasn't been bitten yet! She is a good looking woman. Wish I was a snake.
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I just wear a suit, though I usually take the coat off and put it in a backpack. When I get where I'm going, I just wipe the sweat off my face with a handkerchief and take the rubber bands off my ankles and the helmet off my head. Even if I'm sweaty, it takes a few hours for the bacteria on my skin to start producing foul odors. (Before that, it's just the scent of the great outdoors. ;)
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Originally Posted by trmcgeehan
The pastor's wife, once a month, brings in a box of poisonous snakes, and she kisses each of them on the lips. Hasn't been bitten yet! She is a good looking woman. Wish I was a snake.
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Originally Posted by Cassiel
I'm trying to go seriously car-lite these days. Mostly, this is pretty convenient, but I've found one place for which it isn't yet - church. Here's the thing: it's 5 miles to one parish, including two significant hills just before I arrive. It's closer to 8 miles to the other, and once again it's hilly. I don't want to be all disgusting when I get there, and frequently it rains, but for a one-hour Mass it seems sort of overkill to drag along a whole change of clothes, get there early enough to change into it, then change again and go home. On the other hand, it seems highly inappropriate to wear spandex in church! Does anyone else bike to church? How do you make it work?
Get an electric bike as a secondary bike. You can use it on those days when you don't want to sweat or are too tired. |
Originally Posted by PDay
You cannot be excommunicated from a protestant demonination.
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Lots of good comments here. My wife and I are "church shopping" right now since we moved recently. Fortunately for us we live in a town with a church on every corner so finding one within bike range for the whole family is a non issue, but acceptance is a big one. I am willing to conform and dress nice if that is the cultural norm for that church, but, ironically, they would have to be willing to accept me if I showed up wrapped in 8 layers of discarded clothing and stinking of booze.
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Originally Posted by purplebike
You can be excommunicated from the Presbyterian Church too (little known fact, but my father was a pastor who was excommunicated--long story). If I ever make it to church, which is rare, I wear my riding skirt (picked it up for $1 at a thrift store, better to ride in than spandex, in my opinion) and let them deal with my sweatiness. :)
This must just be some presbyterian churches. I went to a presbyterian school from 1-10th grade and never heard of this. |
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