IN MY WORDS – In days gone by, Easter was a time of new Spring outfits and special preparation for church. My sister and I still enjoy wearing Easter bonnets/hats on Easter morning. And everyone enjoys the children in their new colorful outfits, all “spiffed-up” for Easter.
I wish we could carry this tradition over into regular church attendance. We manage to adhere to a business-dress style for our jobs but at church these days, anything goes. Somehow, the same attitude creeps into our worship and our respect for the house of God. Our dress does affect us. When you dress casual, you feel casual. When you dress well, your attitude reflects that. You don’t have to be wealthy to dress decently. Shopping sales at T.J. Maxx, Kohl’s or thrift stores offer great deals but that’s going off on a tangent here : )
I think back to the days of the Tabernacle and God’s very specific instructions in the building and set-up of His sanctuary. Detailed measurements, precise order, priestly garments. God help us to return to the days where we hold a deep reverence for the church sanctuary. In this slap-dash world, I hope we re-examine our attitudes. Jesus gave His all for us. As we ponder the sacrifice of the Cross, I pray we make the effort to be pleasing to the Lord with a renewed respect for His sanctuary, in our dress and also in our hearts.
God bless you and Happy Resurrection Day!
My views on this are changing. I used to be a “Sunday best” girl. Now, living in a farming area, the men come in their jeans and nice shirts. The women are casual, too. I tend to wear nice clothes but I’ve decided, when it comes down to it, God looks at the heart.
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Comment by Sherry Carter — April 18, 2014
Hi Sherry,
I’ve been in churches in both extremes; way overdressed and seriously sloppy. Like anything else, it is wise to find a good balance. And of course, “Sunday-best” is different for each person depending on their income, type of church and locality.
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Comment by admin — April 19, 2014
I’m an old-timer who loved the way it used to be, but I also like the more casual dress. That allows the person who hasn’t been raised around church to feel comfortable and not out of place. In my church, you’ll see every type of dress, from suit and tie to blue jeans. And nobody looks down on anyone for theirs. That’s something I love about my church.
However … I will say, I miss Easter hats. 🙂
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Comment by Ane Mulligan — April 19, 2014
Ane,
You’ll be happy to know I did wear an Easter hat this Sunday : )
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Comment by admin — April 21, 2014
I do agree with the casual dress, but have seen it go a little too far on occasion. I haven’t worn an Easter hat since I was a little girl and I don’t miss it. 🙂
Sad to say Easter has become almost as commercialized as Christmas and it’s usually the one time I skip church. Weird, huh? Used to be the only time people went to church was Easter or Christmas. How times have changed, but NOT the Spirit of the two seasons!
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Comment by Anita — April 23, 2014
Hi Anita,
I never used to like hats when I was a child, but now I love hats on different occasions! Funny it may be the one time you skip church, when it is the one time that other people might show up out of the whole year : ) I tend to avoid Mother’s Day services as much as possible. We all find our better choices as we age…
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Comment by admin — April 23, 2014
My husband and I have had this conversation, lately. I understand some of the purposes behind the casualization of what’s considered acceptable in most churches. Depending on the church, it may have to do with making people feel comfortable when visiting, decreasing the “dressing to impress” mentality, or catering to the changes to acceptable dress code across society.
I was raised by parents who feel that God deserves our best, and who educated us in the reasons behind the standards they raised us to meet. My husband is a late-life convert, and was fine with wearing jeans to church, until I explained what my parents taught me. It bothered him that he was willing to dress better for work than for God, and he made the decision that he wasn’t willing to do that any longer. (No, I didn’t try to make him feel bad. He asked the question, and I answered it. He decided for himself.)
I decided some years ago that I wasn’t comfortable with wearing slacks or casual clothes to church services. Sometimes, following personal convictions places us on the outside, even among Christians. Sometimes, it can be difficult not standing in judgment of others or trying to hold others to that standard. Some issues don’t fall in that “personal convictions” category, but dress code walks that line, at the very least.
When God tells me it makes Him happy for me to do something for Him, it may just be for me to do, not for others, and I’m good with that. I’ve known enough people who were damaged by legalism that had spawned from someone’s true love of Jesus then twisted into something ugly. I don’t want to create that monster. But I love the things that Jesus and I agree should be standards for my behavior, and I won’t give them up just because it’s not popular.
Much love,
LL~
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Comment by LD Lovett — April 24, 2014
LL,
Well-said, totally agree! Thank you so much for sharing.
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Comment by admin — April 24, 2014