IF ANYONE WAS EXPECTING A FIERY SERMON about Heaven and Hell, or the wickedness of man’s heart during the sermon at the Pilgrim Road Seventh-Day Adventist Church service last Saturday, they came away disappointed.
Instead, Elder Andrew Charles delivered a PowerPoint message, during which he spoke to members about their outward appearance and what he deemed as appropriate attire for believers in Christ.
The congregation listened attentively as Charles told them their bodies belonged to Christ and “need not be decorated”.
He also spoke out against the wearing of wedding bands, citing they were no indication of infidelity, and said that not one penny should be spent on adorning oneself with jewellery, make-up, tattoos, braids and “hair extensions”.
He was also against the wearing of revealing clothes and showing certain body parts – such as cleavage and arms – both in and outside the church.
“You were not made to decorate your body,” he said.
“In Exodus, God commanded the Israelites to remove their ornaments. There is no such thing as Christian tattoos and there should be simplicity in hairstyles. Don’t borrow from the horse to beautify yourself. Natural hairstyles are okay but extensions cause damage to the hair,” Charles said.
He also charged that the use of cosmetics such as lipstick was false and only served to disfigure those who wore them.
Charles also stressed that the wearing of nail polish, parading of hair bows, ribbons, ruffles, gold and silver were part of idolatry, and those who worshipped with rings, earrings and elaborate hairdos were inappropriately attired.
“God wants us to be the best; to look like Him, not like anybody else.
“Mascara will massacre the face. All make-up is a false conception of what you really look like. Therefore it is a lie and those who love or practise falsehood will be outside the gate of the city.”
The elder also noted that any sexy mode of dress which left nothing to the imagination should not be worn and that dresses should not show one’s body lines or curves.
“Women should not dress to seduce a man to bed. Clothes were made to govern your body, not expose it. It’s called indecent exposure.”
Men in the congregation were not spared. Charles told them not to wear pants that exposed their “bulge” and added that earrings for men were a “no-no”.
“A person’s character is judged by their style of dress. When you dress so others can be impressed in a certain way, you are sinning. The love of dress and pleasure are wrecking the happiness of thousands. Fashion is deteriorating the intellect and eating out the spirituality of our people.
“Obedience to fashion is pervading our Seventh-Day Adventist Church. We must arise at once and close the door against the allurement of fashion.”
He urged Christians not to dress like unbelievers. “God wants us to be a living jewel, not decked in gold and silver.”
Charles concluded by saying that Christians should not copy the external fleeting fashion of the world but should “walk sanctified, both inwardly and outwardly”.
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