Beach Day at Church

[oletimer]

PG
I understand what you are trying to say and to a point can go along with it. But my question is was that done in mixed company? What is done in mix gender may not be appropriate as if done with the same sex in IMHO.

[cndlou]

I personally love the idea... Many swimsuit are very tasteful...and yes, many are not... I don't have a problem with swimming or sunning in mixed company...although I was raised that it is a NO NO! (actually, if you see me around the Assembly before it gets started...you will probably find me at a pool or red faced from being at the pool. Spent the one afternoon of the Regional Convention this year at the pool....) If these people were new converts, they probably haven't even thought about it... I rejoice with this church!!!! WAY TO GO!!! Win them anyway you can and leave the clean up work to GOD!

[EagerBeaver]

My three words to those who feel it was inappropriate:

Get. Over. It.

Seriously people. This is a Baptismal service, not a public swimming session. If anyone is going to think thoughts about someone being barely covered up, it's them thinking them and them entertaining them alone.

I'd like to give people the benefit of the doubt and say that people don't dress in swimsuits during a baptizing to get a rise out of anyone...but simply because of the environment...they're getting baptized in the ocean, for God's sake.

Frankly I think it was a wonderful outreach opportunity and it is refreshing to see COGOP congregations such as Rahab's minister in such a neat way, all the while promoting the importance of baptism.

Let's concentrate on what's really important here, as PG noted earlier...people showing an outward symbol of their commitment to Christ.

[dolfan]

Unless you know that people were out there in skimmy-swimmies, why even bring it up? You know, I have to suspect that someone WANTS to be tantalized or wants to find something tantalizng to criticize so they can secretly think tantalizing thoughts behind some half-baked sanctified gloss of "God wouldn't have that". I mean, am I not as free and logical to draw that conclusion with no information as you would be to draw some conclusion of impropriety with no information? And, I don't care if you couch your conclusion as a question whether it's right ... spare me.

Swimsuits commonly worn by men today are long, down to or past the knee most of the time. Shorty-shorts for guys went out along with short basketball trunks. Women? Give these ladies some credit. They've been saved, here, and probably have common sense. (Not that they have to rush out and buy a potato sack to get baptized in even if they had been Christians for a bit, but you get the point.) If the idea of putting your bare hand on the bare shoulder of a woman to baptize her gets you all hot and bothered, you've got more issues than the guy who baptized some sisters in a swimsuit.

This is the kind of thing that irks me. You get so wrapped up in your own ideas of "holiness" when questioning a swimsuit baptism you know nothing about, assuming the most lascivious thing about a pastor you can drum up in your head, and then cast that stone at him without the courage to stand up and just fling it. At least don't present the question whether it was right -- that's a cowardly way of avoiding a direct criticism. If you're going to ask a question, ask the one that MIGHT be actually relevant to the issue you're driving at --- what kind of swimsuits were worn? I even think that question is not your concern, but if you must insist on imposing your ideas of propriety, at least get the facts first.

You've got here a cause to celebrate, and you've just found fault in it based on a dress code and an artificial, man-made, trumped-up suspicion. Congratulations on smearing the joy in heaven into a mudhole from which you've formed a vain imagination. If I had to conclude who was behaving more like the children of Israel at the bottom of Sinai (and I don't have to, but since you've taken the liberty so will I), I'd say it wasn't this local COGOP.

[Pastor Gary]

PG
I understand what you are trying to say and to a point can go along with it. But my question is was that done in mixed company? What is done in mix gender may not be appropriate as if done with the same sex in IMHO.

I understand you live in a cultural setting in which mixed gender swimming is considered bad. That is not true everywhere.

We have church beach picnics in which people all go swimming in the ocean, and they wear appropriately modest swimwear to do so. It would be pretty silly for us to enforce a practice otherwise, since we live on an island surrounded by ocean, and the island people (church folks and otherwise) spend a lot of time at the beach. Perhaps because of that seeing people in swimwear has no shock value here, and -- if I may say so -- the young people here grow up with much healthier attitudes toward attraction to the opposite sex than those I grew up with.

I was pretty much surrounded by such fully covered people growing up that the sight of a pretty girl in shorts was scandalous, and stirred all sorts of less-than-holy/less-than-healthy thoughts and feelings. 28 years in Hawaii, surrounded by people wearing a lot less clothing, and I can stand and carry on a conversation with a woman in a bikini and look her in the eyes!

[MacUser]

We have church beach picnics i which people all go swimming in the ocean, and they wear appropriately modest swimwear to do so.

Sounds fantastic. I hope to arrive one day and join in...

[macgulley]

At least we don't follow the canons of Hippolytus, a Saint who lived around the second century.

21At the hour in which the cock crows, they shall first pray over the water. 2When they come to the water, the water shall be pure and flowing, that is, the water of a spring or a flowing body of water. 3Then they shall take off all their clothes. 4The children shall be baptized first. All of the children who can answer for themselves, let them answer. If there are any children who cannot answer for themselves, let their parents answer for them, or someone else from their family. 5After this, the men will be baptized. Finally, the women, after they have unbound their hair, and removed their jewelry. No one shall take any foreign object with themselves down into the water. http://www.bombaxo.com/hippolytus.html

[oletimer]

macgulley Posted:

At least we don't follow the canons of Hippolytus, a Saint who lived around the second century.
Quote:
21At the hour in which the cock crows, they shall first pray over the water. 2When they come to the water, the water shall be pure and flowing, that is, the water of a spring or a flowing body of water. 3Then they shall take off all their clothes. 4The children shall be baptized first. All of the children who can answer for themselves, let them answer. If there are any children who cannot answer for themselves, let their parents answer for them, or someone else from their family. 5After this, the men will be baptized. Finally, the women, after they have unbound their hair, and removed their jewelry. No one shall take any foreign object with themselves down into the water. http://www.bombaxo.com/hippolytus.html

Dirty old man!!

We've seen a lot of this stuff of the years, some of the same stuff, just different names.

[free]

Yep...Let's not rejoice in the 13 souls saved from their sins let's just go ahead and condemn them again as sinners for being baptized in swimsuits. I'm sure the Lord is proud of the self-rightousness, holier than thou, judgmental atitude!

Really this kind of garbage burns me up...I was raised as strict as they come (no shorts, no "mixed swimming", etc)...I've almost drowned more than once because I had to swim in blue jeans!

[Susie Hamilton]

I originally posted this as an outreach. 5 of those baptised were new converts who had never been to church before. They need to be taught. Also, many of the church people were talking to other people on the beach who were interested in what was going on. Outreach people!!!
Go unto all the world

[free]

Keep up the good work Rahab!

[RamboPreacher]

Keep up the good work Rahab!

zactly!!!

[pastorables]

Really this kind of garbage burns me up...I was raised as strict as they come (no shorts, no "mixed swimming", etc)...I've almost drowned more than once because I had to swim in blue jeans!

True story: Trying my best to be modest and keep my knees covered, I once wore sweat pants swimming in the ocean. Well, guess what? A big wave sneaks up and yanks those sweats off in front of everyone on the beach to reveal my "fruit of the loom"... Very embarrassing moment!

I would have been more protected in a swimsuit, and a lot less humbled.

pa

[MacUser]

True story: Trying my best to be modest and keep my knees covered, I once wore sweat pants swimming in the ocean. Well, guess what? A big wave sneaks up and yanks those sweats off in front of everyone on the beach to reveal my "fruit of the loom"... Very embarrassing moment!

I would have been more protected in a swimsuit, and a lot less humbled.

pa

I have a BRAND NEW favorite story! LOL Hilarious!!

[oletimer]

dolfan wrote:

This is the kind of thing that irks me. You get so wrapped up in your own ideas of "holiness" when questioning a swimsuit baptism you know nothing about, assuming the most lascivious thing about a pastor you can drum up in your head, and then cast that stone at him without the courage to stand up and just fling it. At least don't present the question whether it was right -- that's a cowardly way of avoiding a direct criticism. If you're going to ask a question, ask the one that MIGHT be actually relevant to the issue you're driving at --- what kind of swimsuits were worn? I even think that question is not your concern, but if you must insist on imposing your ideas of propriety, at least get the facts first.

at least get the facts first.

Not no problem, just look at the picture. Having said that and knowing that most of what is being said is pointed at me, let me also say this much this self righteous barrel points both ways.

free Posted:
Yep...Let's not rejoice in the 13 souls saved from their sins let's just go ahead and condemn them again as sinners for being baptized in swimsuits. I'm sure the Lord is proud of the self-rightousness, holier than thou, judgmental atitude!

The condemnation if there is to any would be on the leadership and NOT on new converts. Always before when we had a baptism, the women took care of the women and the men the men. Now what is self righteous about that.

To condemn for suggestion that there is a higher rung on the ladder and that we need to reach up take hold of is kinda on the warpped side in its self.

I find that some will use an occasion as this to excuse their own infalliblity. Getting "irks" at me or any body else want help you any. Years ago I did get into that kinda spirit and end up backslid. It was grace that brought me back and I don't plan on backing up now.

or wants to find something tantalizng to criticize so they can secretly think tantalizing thoughts behind some half-baked sanctified gloss of "God wouldn't have that".

Is that some way that you are saying God look at him and not me so I want have to feel guilty for not doing what I need to? Go ahead get mad and then get over it but would be easer if you laid it in the Hands of the Lord.

PG I know were you are coming from as I lived in Hawaii for nearly two years. But even there I found that some crossed the line for decency and decency is what I'm trying to talk about.

I dare say that there is a one of you that has roots that goes any deeper then mine with COGOP. But thats beside the point other then to know the roots of the COGOP. But doesn't change the teaching of the Bible. Its still the same. What has change is the view of many of it.

From the beginning of time when man attained knowledge and new he was naked and was ashamed. Isn't it funny that to day that most are no longer ashame of much of any thing.
Ge 3:9
¶ And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Ge 3:10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Ge 3:21
¶ Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Somebody should have told God not worry about it, for man would decide they wouldn't be necessary down the road.

My thoughts have not been about the ones that was baptized, praise God for them, but that leader need to lead and show new converts the way. And not water it down untill it wouldn't make good kool-aid.
I really don't mean to hurt anyone, but find it hard to set back and do nothing.