Church attire: What would Jesus wear?

Changing Fashion
Public Domain

In modern-day Western societies, the amount of clothing is inversely proportional to the outside temperature.  As the heat scales up, the clothing scales down.

Although this might (greatly) please bikini fans, it might not bode as well for church attendees.  That is why some churches have taken to posting signs like this one from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bethesda, Maryland: Dignity & Decorum: Please try not to wear beach shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  Thank you.

Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post points out that casual is superseding formal on airplanes, in offices, and pretty much everywhere.  The last outposts of formal wear have (somewhat) been churches.

There has even been a movement called "Modest is Hottest" among Evangelical Christian women.  But younger females have been challenging this slogan, contending that a woman's heretofore private parts "all proclaim the glory of the Lord."  Some also interpret "Modest" to refer only to "the depth of one's spirit, not their neckline."  In other words, modesty is "an orientation of the heart" which "begins with putting God first."

Judging people in their entirety is something that Jesus was clear about, and clearly against.  Therefore, is judging people by what they wear (or don't wear) to church holy, or is it merely holier than thou?

Resources

http://wwm.org/articles/40267/?place=united-states

Airport chaplains: Fly the spiritual skies

Photo by Quintin Soloviev

Whether for pleasure or necessity, air travel often indicates a break in the regular routine.

Breaks like these can zap a person out of ordinary awareness and into a whole new state of consciousness.  Such shifts have a way of bringing spirituality to the forefront.

That is a major reason why more and more airports are not only providing chapels, but also chaplains.  These chaplains represent numerous faiths and denominations.  Although scheduled worship services are held, most airport chaplaincy occurs on the fly.

Such chaplains can find themselves in the front lines during health crises, weather extremes, employee burnout issues, plane crashes, terrorist threats, family tragedies, etc.  When Rev. Dr. Donna Mote served at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, she observed the following: "There's the world in grief, the world in joy - really the whole world is passing through there."  

And when Rev. Hutz Hertzberg served at Chicago's two main airports, he aptly concluded: "In the 21st century, we need to bring the ministry to where the people are instead of waiting for them to come to our churches." 

Resources

https://chaplaincyinnovation.org/projects/donna-mote-atl

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/airport-chaplains-let-fliers-connect-heavens-080144213.html

Vitamin N: Combating 'Nature Deficiency Disease'

Morning Glory
Public Domain

It turns out that folks like Thoreau and Whitman really had it right when it came to extolling Nature's virtues.

Those (i.e., most "civilized" beings) who are suffering from NDD (Nature Deficiency Disease) often don't know what they're missing.  While scurrying through sealed-in environments, they experience vague symptoms that could likely be relieved with just a little green grass and sunshine.  Blankets of snow with cloud-covered skies would also suffice.  As long as it's Nature with a capital N...

This "prescription" isn't just a poetic flight of fancy.  As reported in the July 2009 edition of the AARP Bulletin, 38 research participants were assigned to take a 50ish-minute walk in either the Ann Arbor Arboretum or in that city's built-up downtown section.  Guess whose attention and memory spans improved by 20 percent?  You got it: the Arboretum group's.

The study's lead author, Marc Berman, explained that a Nature walk has enough stimulation to capture the attention, yet not so much as to overwhelm the thought processes.  This beneficial combination lulls the mind into an "active rest" which "tends to be restorative."

Which resonates well with the following quote from Whitman: A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.

And with this quote from Thoreau: I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. 

Resources

http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-07-2009/nature_science_shows.html

Heat wave: Sleeping through it

Ahhh...  Relief at last!
Photo by Martin At-Amant

Although many people would probably love to sleep through an entire heat wave, that's generally not possible.  However, there are a number of helpful ways to sleep peacefully through at least some of it.

MSN Healthy Living reported on some of these ways.  First off, drinking cold water shortly before bedtime can lower your core temperature.  Just don't drink so much of it that you'll be waking up for other reasons.  

Water can also cool you down via a bedtime bath or shower.  Yet if the bathroom abuts the bedroom, overall humidity can surely increase.  Cold socks is another - er, innovative - idea.  Simply pop your (hopefully clean) socks in the fridge a few hours beforehand, and voila!  Cold feet will ensue (caution: don't try this on your honeymoon).

Ready for more?  Try sleeping low to the floor where the air is cooler.  Better yet: String up a hammock in the basement.  Your sweat glands will thank you for the break in their overheated routine.

Just a few suggestions to help get you through those sweltering nights...  If all else fails, try visualizing glaciers.

Resources

http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/sleep/6-ways-to-sleep-when-its-super-hot#1