What we wear matters less than why we come
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Reflections
Michael J. Brooks
Sometimes community residents ask for church recommendations on social media. One person posted, “We’re looking for a church with live preaching.” This inspired me to put a notice on the church sign I thought was witty: “Our pastor does live preaching – usually.”
I meant sometimes I may not be as lively as other days.
Another member suggested this posting might be misunderstood, so I took it down.
I still think it was witty.
An appeal lately made me think. A lady said she and her husband wanted a church that would “let us wear boots and jeans and not judge us.”
“Let” struck me since I don’t know of any church with clothing police at the front entrance.
May I quickly say that we’re not to judge anyone in church by what they wear (and I’m the world’s worst candidate to judge since I can’t tell you what anybody wore last Sunday).
The Bible does exhort modesty – we don’t come to church to flaunt sensuality. But other than this, James taught about the man in fine clothing and the poor man in shabby clothes and that believers mustn’t pass judgment on the shabby man (James 2).
It’s common today for some contemporary pastors to wear jeans and T-shirts in the pulpit. The idea is to “relate” to people, though I’ve actually never heard anyone say they related to their pastor because of his T-shirt! Maybe some do.
Duke University Dean Will Willimon took a different view when he asked, “Why does a judge wear a robe?”
Of course, the judge shows respect for the office he represents.
And the four guys who sit there and explain the football plays on TV that we just witnessed wear suits and ties, not T-shirts. George W. Bush returned to the Oval Office one night and changed back into his suit. He reasoned that President Reagan always wore a suit in the Oval, and he ought to respect it in the same way.
But it’s a new day, and ministers have to ask congregations what they expect and dress accordingly. If T-shirts are fine, so be it.
But back to the social media posting. I wonder if “boots and jeans” are all this couple had in their closet, or if they were really suggesting they wanted a more casual worship style. I imagine the latter was the case. They wanted less liturgical and more contemporary worship.
What to wear in worship is an unwinnable argument today, but I’m convinced clothing isn’t the main thing anyway.
The main thing is to come to church with humility and with hearts open to the truth of scripture.
What we choose to wear is secondary, or less.
Michael J. Brooks, pastor of Siluria Baptist Church in Alabaster and former Judson College faculty member, writes a weekly faith column. Visit siluriabaptist.com.
