What is a well-dressed Christian?
My earliest memories of going to
Sunday worship are not memories of songs or Sunday School. I don’t have strong
memories of the preaching or even the people. I remember the clothes I had to
wear. Monday through Saturday, I wore what I wanted. Well, sort of. Growing up
in the Caribbean meant we wore our school uniforms during school hours, but school
got out at 1:30pm. Once I was home, the shoes were gone, and I slipped on some
shorts and a t-shirt…sometimes. Barefoot, shorts, and freedom. Then Sunday
would roll around. This was some years ago…when we still wore starched and
ironed clothes. I remember stiff shirts and hot pants (not to be confused with
‘hot-pants!). And, I had to wear my “Sunday shoes”—something synonymous with
‘foot torture device.’ I mean, I wore them one hour, once a week—they never had
a chance get broken in.
When I would get to church,
someone would say, “Looking sharp there!” or “Oh, you look nice today, Jon.” I
think that was what we were supposed to say to each other. Looking back now, I
think that the complements were consolation prizes for enduring the stiff
shirts, hot pants, and uncomfortable shoes.
What is a well-dressed Christian?
During one of my dad’s mid-week
Bible studies in the small mission church on what was then Terrell Street in
St. George’s, Grenada, a commotion began at the door at the back of the chapel.
Dad walked back to see what was happening. One of the men of the church, a good
man with best intentions—I’m sure, was telling a woman that she could not come
in “dressed like that.” (From time-to-time we come across those self-appointed
‘gate-keepers’ who want to keep everything ‘just so.’) The woman, wearing
jeans, flip-flops, and a perhaps too flattering blouse, was saying, “But I just
want to come in a sit on the back row and listen.” Dad told the fellow it was
fine…and she came in.
Seven years later, that
woman—dressed perhaps questionably—Margorie James, was elected to be the
national Sunday School director.
But where did these ideas of dressing
up for worship come from anyway? It all started in the 4th Century
with Constantine the Great—the Roman emperor who was probably both the best and
worst thing that ever happened to the Christian faith. After having a vision of
a cross and winning a decisive battle under the sign of the Cross, Constantine
legalized the Christian faith in the Roman empire—with the wave of his hand. An
illegal and persecuted religion became ‘most favored’ overnight. Suddenly,
pagan temples tossed out the idols, erected crosses, and became churches…and
pagan priests took off their strings of bones and hung a crucifix around their
necks…and became Christian priests (yikes! We’re still recovering from Constantine’s
edict).
But, what affected the way folks
dressed was his practice of showing up (with his mom) unannounced at worship
services. Soon, word got out, and people got ready: “The Emperor might show up
today—look your best!” So, rather than dressing for the King of Kings, people
dressed for the King of Rome. In the centuries that followed, the way folks
dressed became a status symbol…and, unfortunately, an element of division. And,
it almost kept Margorie out of church.
What is a well-dressed Christian?
Jesus doesn’t really help us with
his life and teaching. I mean, we don’t have any passages saying, “And Jesus
went home and put on his Sabbath clothing to attend synagogue.” Nope…nothing
like that. And his teachings? Well, if he mentions clothing, he is usually
dropping warnings about being dressed too nicely. To the Pharisees, he says,
““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like
whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the
outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything
unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as
righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matt.
23:27,28). Yeeesh! Harsh words. In other places, he warns the religious leaders
about their “flowing robes” and desire to be seen (Luke 20:46).
So, Jesus doesn’t tell us how to
dress; he just warns us about how not to dress.
What is a well-dressed Christian?
Paul is the one who finally comes
to our aid, who finally helps us figure out how to dress properly. Paul—the
planter of churches all over the Mediterranean, all over the Roman empire—he
finally tells us how to be a well-dressed Christian. Paul lays it out so
clearly for us:
12 Therefore,
as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear
with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance
against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And
over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in
perfect unity. Colossians
3
Then, these garments of faith, my
friends—thankfully—are not just “Sunday clothes.” This is our everyday wear. Tomorrow
morning, you and I are going to get up and start our day, and we will
invariably ask that question or be asked that question: What shall I wear
today? What shall put on this morning? And, as Christians, we already have the
answer to this question. It’s right here: clothe yourself with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…
Imagine, if you will, showing up
dressed like this—with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience,
forgiveness, and love...
…at
the office…walking in wearing compassion and kindness.
…at
school…coming into class—teacher or student—wearing gentleness and patience.
…at
the family reunion…showing up wearing patience and forgiveness.
…at the breakfast table…sitting down wearing kindness and gentleness
...at church on Sunday. What would our worship be like if we were to actually clothe ourselves this way and walk into our time of worship with compassion for one another, with intentions of kindness, wearing humility, wrapped up in gentleness, patience draped around our shoulders…?
What would things be like on
Sunday if we all came together dressed in compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience…and if there were…
No more
emphasis on starchy shirts…or a need to ‘look sharp.’
No more
desire to impress the emperor…or anyone else.
No more
‘flowing robes’ or “beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the
bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
If we showed up on Sunday clothed
in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…oh, we would be
sooooo beautiful, so radiant…and the world would sit up and notice.
So, what are you going to choose to
wear next Sunday? What are you going to wear tomorrow? What are we going to
choose to wear out of here…today?
Some years ago, my wife, Jeanne,
and I were heading to our church “Annual Conference.” We had been getting everything
together for ourselves and our three kiddos. It was a conference for me but a
time of relax and vacation of sorts for the family. We were scrambling as parents
often do when they’re juggling three children. When we arrived some hours later to the city for the Conference
and we began to carry things in to the hotel, I realized that I had left all of
my hanging clothes in our room at home.
We got on our laptop (this was
pre-cell phone days), found a Ross’s, and hurried over. I found some clothes,
pulled aside a shirt and pants from the selected clothes, stepped into the
changing room and put on the dockers and button-down shirt…pulled off the tags…paid
for it all, and wore some of my new clothes out of the store and straight to
the conference.
In the same way, we can put on these clothes on right now. We can “wear them out of the store.” And, we
don’t need a changing room; all we need is a prayer closet…the one in our hearts.
May we be well-dressed Christians…beginning
now, today…and every day. Let us pray….
Amen.
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