I was listening to a couple of old people at church talking about how we dress differently today for church. A phrase occurred to me. "I'm puttin' on my Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes." What was that?
No one really questioned the specifics. Nor did they question the suitability. It did not require expensive clothes or even attractive clothes. They understood it to mean "the best available clothing." The farmer who put on his cleanest pair of overalls considered himself to be wearing his "Sunday best." It was not dressing to impress, but dressing to respect. They intended to show respect for God, for the gathered saints, and to express their own dignity even in poverty ... their "made in God's image" worth.
Without intending to raise the debate again, you can see that times have changed. Use the phrase in today's churches ... even older churches ... and it would likely have no meaning to probably the majority because they don't understand the concept of dressing up for church. Even people who do dress up for church have chalked it up to "looking good" and "dressing to impress," not as a sign of respect for God and His people. It just struck me hearing those older people talk. They were even ridiculing the idea of dressing up for church.
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