I didn't intend it -- it wasn't the point -- but there has been some discussion recently about how we should dress in church. I'm afraid we've missed the point. Oh, I know, people feel one way or another about that, but I don't. They say, "Clothes make the man," but it's simply not true. It's not about what you wear to church. What, then?
The real issue (and I think this was touched on but almost entirely missed in the discussion) is not the clothes. There are no dress codes (or shouldn't be) in churches. Why? Simple. It's not biblical. We aren't told to wear a tie to church. We aren't told that shorts are okay. Clothes are not the point. What are we told? "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored" (Lev 10:3). Easy. Regard God as holy. In Scripture, everyone who had a close encounter with God was terrified. One of my favorite stories was the disciples on the Sea of Galilee in a storm and Jesus was asleep (Mark 4:31-. The disciples woke Him. "Don't you care that we're going to drown???" Jesus rebuked the storm, it halted, and the text says, "They became very much afraid" (Mark 4:35-41). You thought they were scared in a storm? That was nothing to seeing God in the boat with them. That was terrifying. We tend to think of God as a pal, a buddy, our friend. And, in a sense, He is, but we must not lose that "fear" factor. Moses thought of God as a friend when he cried out, "Show me Your glory!" (Exo 33:18). God spared Moses's life not by simply being merciful, but by covering him so he wouldn't die seeing God's glory. God is our friend; He's just not that kind of friend.
We fail to reverence God as we should, and that is a key, biblical problem. Not wearing a tie to church is not. I think of what Peter wrote to wives, "Do not let your adorning be external -- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear -- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:3-4). That's the idea. Peter wasn't commanding women to dress (or not dress) a certain way. He was telling them to have a spirit -- a character -- that reflected God. That character would show externally. So, no, what you wear to church is not the issue. Your attitude is. It's just hard to imagine shorts and flip-flops as an outward sign of an inner realization of a holy, holy, holy God. No, the shorts are not the problem, but how much does how we dress say about what's in our hearts? I don't know what's in hearts, so I won't respond to what others are wearing. But I cannot imagine walking into the palace of a king in shorts and flip-flops and a flippant, "Hiya, king" and regarding that as "respectful."
6 comments:
I think that this is what I was hinting at. Nice job.
This was the point I was trying to make. What we wear is an indication of what we think. If your best clothes are a clean pair of jeans and a white tee, and you're wearing that as your "Sunday Best" out of a heart of reverence, that's good. My point was that I don't believe most people in church are even conscious of what they are wearing and how that reflects their view of God and how the non-believing world sees what we think of Him. If we dress and act like everyone else, how are we being set apart?
Stan, I appreciate your emphasis on the bigger picture here. I wish to hold a fear of the Lord and show that respect for Him in all aspects of my life and “do all to God’s glory.” (This was your theme for Sep. 27, of course.) The way I see it, if fulfilling this desire is an on-going effort throughout my day and my week, I should not need to change my ways (or my expression of honor to Christ) very much (if at all) when Sunday morning rolls around. I suspect that I see far less of a connection between “how I dress” and “what’s in my heart” than others might, and I would wish for acceptance of that just as I would not judge others for their choices of personal expression (judging--and freedom from it--goes both ways, of course).
I always found it interesting that when attending church in the one of the poorest areas in Haiti, that everyone Haitian in the church was dressed very well. Maybe the third world Christians can teach us something.
David, I think we are both in the same neighborhood on this issue.
When I read the last line of this post (about approaching a king flippantly), my mind immediately went to Heb. 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace….”--an invitation I accept with regularity. I know that I can only do that because I am cloaked in the righteousness of Christ. That raiment presents me as “holy” and acceptable to God. I am not filled with terror as I approach the King’s throne (nor do I hesitate because I might not be “dressed right”), for this holy King is also my loving Father. I wear these “garments of salvation” 24/7, and they are truly my quintessential “Sunday clothes”--regardless of what day it is or where I am. I suspect that my eternal gratitude for this covering leads me to downplay my own literal clothing choices--and to cast off all the works of my flesh, which are as “filthy rags”--as I focus on yielding my heart to Him in reverence.
Lorna, I'm sure you'd agree that "boldly" isn't the same as "arrogantly," "flippantly," or "with utter disrespect." My example was actually from a story about Babe Ruth. Told to dress right and show proper respect, he walked into the presence of the king of England and said, "Hiya, king!" The message was clear. No one was better than he was. When we do that to our King, we say the same thing. "Boldly" makes sense, since we are sinners deserving wrath, but we can approach. "Flippantly" does not.
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