Chapter 6: Sunday Morning Costumes
“So what’s the big deal about ‘dressing up’ for church?… First, it reflects the false division between the secular and the sacred…. Second, wearing attractive, flashy clothes on Sunday morning screams out an embarrassing message: that the church is the place where Christians hide their real selves and ‘dress them up’ to look nice and pretty.” (pg148- 149)
“A specially attired clergy is an affront to the spiritual principles that govern the house of God. It strikes at the heart of the church by separating God’s people into two classes: ‘professional’ and ‘nonprofessional.’ (pg154)
The chapter seems rather unnecessary and communicative of what the majority of Christians already know and live out. The only ones who still ‘dress up’ for Church are the folks that only come out for Christmas and Easter. I appreciate the authors’ hearts in their attempt to destroy any semblance of an elitist Christian community, but feel that elitism is created in much more subtle ways that attire now.
Earl
But what about the possibility that attire helps some people connect with God? I’m not saying we should create an elitist culture, but if vestments assist in someones worship of God should we vilify that? Is all tradition bad?
I think the statement that the only folks that still dress up for church are those who only come on Christmas and Easter is incorrect. Many attend church for the “social” interaction rather than anything necessarily spiritual and “dress up” so they can be seen to be “fashionable” or to be admired, or whatever. Or they may simply dress up because that is what they think you should do when you go to church…they aren’t called “Sunday go-to-meeting” clothes for no reason :).
If attire helps some people connect with God then tradition has become an idol, and tradition is bad when it becomes an idol. Dressing up does create an elitist culture where those who don’t/can’t “dress up” to a certain standard may simply not come at all. The Jesus says we should worship in spirit and in truth…not in vestments or a particular type of clothing.