From New Jersey-
The Rev. John Perris is a man of the cloth, not couture.
He hasn't hesitated in past years to lead services on Christmas morning in his slippers and pajamas underneath his vestments.
For many religious groups, dressing in their Sunday best may be part of worship. But Perris says keep it casual and the people will come.
This coming Christmas morning, he is encouraging his congregation at St. James Episcopal Church to come as they are — clad in pajamas of flannel, fleece, or a favorite SpongeBob SquarePants knit.
"It's a fun thing to do and it probably makes it easier for parents to get their children to come. So if we can make it easier for the parents, we're happy to do that," Perris said.
Perris does believe that it is appropriate to dress up as a sign that one is aware of God's presence and also a sign of respect for one's fellow worshipers. At the same time, "I also know that God knows us better than we know ourselves and we don't dress up to impress God," Perris said. "We come to God just as we are."
According to Perris, the St. James clergy has maintained the tradition for 15 years. There are some occasions designated for informal worship and congregants are encouraged to dress casual. "This custom that we've had for Christmas morning comes out of that idea. But it also comes out of the idea that we want to make it easy for people to come to church on Christmas morning when they may have first been gathering around the Christmas tree with family, so that it's very simple for them to both have their family celebration at home and to come worship," Perris said.
More here-
http://www.northjersey.com/news/136050618_Praise_and_pajamas.html
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