Dress for Success

If you are on social media, you probably saw everyone posting their family Easter photos last Sunday. Many were sporting the traditional pastel colors for Easter. Some were more "dressed up" than others, with the ladies in dresses and the men in coats and ties. Others just had their comfortable jeans or shorts and t-shirts on.  

I guess for those who were church-goers--and I suspect that was the majority of those posting Easter photos--you got a little bit of an idea of their church's "dress codes," or lack thereof. I am glad to know that what we wear isn't that big of a deal in this day and age, even in the Bible Belt, and that people can feel comfortable worshiping the Lord in whatever clothing styles they choose.

When I was in seminary I was told by a professor that I should never preach without a suit on--not just a coat-and-tie combination, but a full suit. And we were also strongly encouraged to always have our coats buttoned when walking into the pulpit. "A sure sign of a sloppy preacher is an unbuttoned coat!" I wonder if you're still considered a sloppy preacher if you don't even wear a coat.

The point is, clothes really don't matter in how you come to God. Yes, the Bible does instruct us to be modest in our choice of clothes. But otherwise, if you were to try to come up with a dress code from Scripture, you'd be hard pressed to find any consistency.

Perhaps we could all dress like John the Baptist, who wore a Fred Flintstone-looking camel-hair suit (check out the description in Mark's gospel and see if you don't agree!). Or, maybe Jacob, with his goatskin outfit, or his son Joseph, with his coat of many colors, could be our fashion guides. Of course, that coat almost cost Joseph his life!

The more carefree among us might prefer to dress like King David, who did a public worship dance in his underwear (or more specifically, his "linen ephod"). Or, for the more discreet, solemn look, sackcloth and ashes are a popular choice from the Old Testament.

I prefer the Biblical admonition of the apostle Peter, on how we dress in church: "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5) Now that's how you dress for success.

I'm sure glad we can "come as you are" to Jesus. I look forward to seeing you in your "Sunday best" at Shelby Crossings this Sunday.

--Pastor Ken