Do We Need to Dress Up for Worship?
Scriptural Focus
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As the culture shifts more and more toward casual dress, many churches have, too.
Do we need to put on our "Sunday best," or are everyday clothes just fine? What about visitors - should we expect them to dress a certain way?
I explore these questions in this episode of Scriptural Focus
You can watch the video below, or listen on the Church Reset Podcast (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app).
I would reject the question to begin with. It has never been established from Scripture that anyone is required to dress any particular way to worship.
Further, no one can establish from Scripture what “Sunday Best” would be. Are there any variations to the dress code? Who decides?
What we have is a tradition that has been enforced as a Scriptural “ought” with no Scriptural foundation and we should reject it as such.
Now, modesty principles always apply. However, traditions like the “wear your Sunday best” are loved by the Pharisees and spiritually immature among us to use as a weapon of control over their fellow Christians.
Frankly, a Pastor could wear khakis and a polo and I could not care less. I am not there to be served by having people dress as I deem fit.
I am far more concerned with that person’s life and pursuit of holiness than I am with whether they are dressing in a way that pleases me.
They always frame it as “Well, if you were going to meet the President…” This is not a proper comparison. The President is not God. Also, to equate dress with righteousness is the game the cultic fundamentalists like to play. So, I will not sign up for that one!
I preached in khakis and a golf shirt yesterday and we were edified because the focus was on the Word and not on a man or what he was wearing.
So, to me there is no fruit in the discussion if the starting place assumes there is an “ought” involved and since there is not an ought involved, I would say people should mind their own business and stop enforcing their pharisaical traditions.