Hospitality at Miller Park

Last Friday evening my wife and I traveled to Miller Park in Milwaukee to watch the Cubs and Brewers play. We have been there before and have always enjoyed the experience. Miller Park is a great baseball venue. Yes, I still prefer Wrigley Field. What Cubs fan wouldn't? But, Miller Park is still new and clean, with great food options and decent restrooms.

It was a full house. Attendance for the game was 44,084. A great majority of fans were wearing their favorite team's colors. You could tell the Brewers fans from the Cubs fans and there were lots of both. Before the game, I leaned over to my wife exclaiming something she already knows, "I love baseball!"

As we entered the park, our tickets were scanned and we were welcomed to Miller Park. The first person we spoke to was gracious and welcoming. Food was the first thing on our minds, so we checked out the concessions. The concessionaires were friendly and hoped that we would enjoy the game.

As we passed one souveneir stand, we did hear someone yell "You know what CUBS stands for? Chicago Using Brewers Stadium." Pretty clever, I thought. The Cubs/Brewers games do attract a lot of Chicago fans. The Brewers fan sitting next to me was friendly and we discussed possibilities for post-season play.

After the game, we made our way to the car. I was a bit dejected since the Cubs had deservedly lost, 5 to 1, after playing poorly. Brewer hospitality turned ugly. "Cubs suck!" one woman shouted at me. A young woman yelled, "Go back to Chicago!"

Gee, what had I done? That is, other than proudly wear my Cubbie blue t-shirt, jacket and hat? I didn't exactly fear for my life, but the sooner I could get on the road, the better.

At Miller Park everyone who is paid to be nice to guests was, in fact, very nice. Some of the regular fans were nice too, but some were just rude.

Hospitality in congregations can be like a visit to Miller Park. The official greeters and pastor are nice and friendly, the coffee is good and the restrooms are clean. But sometimes you sit next to someone who isn't so happy to share the pew with you. The unspoken message can be, go back to where you belong.

How have you experienced hospitality or lack of it in congregations you have visited?

Dressing for Church

When did it get so hard to decide what to wear to church?

My brother and I worshiped at Zion Lutheran Church in St. Ignace, Michigan on the Sunday morning of the Labor Day weekend. We were in this Upper Peninsula town to fulfill a lifetime goal of walking the Mackinac Bridge. Among the 70 or so in worship that morning there were about 20 children and at least 10 visitors. As the visitors were invited to introduce themselves, I took note of what they were wearing. I must admit that as I had gotten dressed I wondered what unwritten dress code this congregation might have.

I was wearing a short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khaki pants. I was as casual as I could be and still feel comfortable in church. Brant was dressed similarly. We were, after all, raised in the same family and in the same Sunday School. I remember well a Sunday School teacher in about 1965 telling our class that it didn’t matter what you wore to church as long as it was the best you had.

Among the visitors an older couple was dressed very nicely. She was wearing a dress and he was wearing a suit and tie. A young family was dressed in t-shirts and shorts. Most of the members were dressed about like me. Everyone seemed to be comfortable.

I saw a piece in the Chicago Tribune (Sept. 18, Tempo section, p. 4) with the headline “Casual clothing is too relaxed for some churches.” It tells of a Catholic congregation in New Jersey with a dress code printed in the bulletin. Parishioners and visitors are admonished to not come to church dressed in “short shorts, tank tops, miniskirts, shoulderless dresses, etc.”

How do you decide what to wear to church? Does your congregation have an unwritten dress code? What should I wear when I come to visit your congregation?

Welcome!

Welcome to the Northern Illinois Synod blog!

I'm not convinced that the world really needs another blog, but it feels like we're taking another step into communications of the 21st century. I am hoping that this blog will become a conversation--a friendly and civil conversation--involving issues of common interest in the Northern Illinois Synod. We are trying to make using this blog as simple as possible. With open access, however, there are hazards. To avoid some trouble (you'll have no problem imagining the possibilities) all comments will be screened before they are posted.

I really hope this blog will be yours. There are lots of topics I have in mind, but I would like to know where you would like to begin. What are your suggestions? Let the conversation begin!

Pastor Jeff Clements