“As God’s Chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience.” Colossians
3:12
by Kevan Franklin
Recently, someone said to
me, "I can't come to church. I don't have a suit or tie." Perhaps
one of the most significant cultural changes that has taken place is that we
have gone from a formal culture to an informal culture. People can be very self-conscious and especially if they are in a new place. If we think about it,
one of our deepest needs is to belong. To fit in. We don't want to feel out of
place. The Bible is full of references to clothing and garments.
Several years ago, Gil
Rendle led an Alban Institute workshop titled "Changes Driving the Church". One
of his illustrations highlighted the difference in clothing from the 1940's to
today. On one side of a split screen powerpoint slide was an iconic photo of
Times Square in New York City at the end of World War II. In that photo, every
single man had on a brown suit and tie and a derby hat. Every woman was wearing
a dress. On the opposite side of the slide was a current picture of Times
Square. Everyone in that picture was wearing a vast array of bright colors and
different styles.
One of the questions we
frequently have to answer in churches today is "What should I
wear"? Fortunately, things are changing. We are no longer held to strict dress
codes. At least in the UCC. We certainly don't want the church to obsess
about appearances. Read the book of James for more commentary on this
issue.
The culture of the "Greatest
Generation" created the phrase "Sunday Best" to mean you made every effort to
wear your best clothes to Church because it was an outward sign of an inward
attitude. Our generation favors comfort and authenticity. Many
people today don't even own a suit.
In the early church, the
phrase "put on Christ" had something to do with Baptism and a complete change in
ways. When Paul wrote "Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
meekness and patience" maybe he was answering the same question people often ask
us. It's not about the clothes we wear. It's about the inner attitude we
bring with us to worship.
Lenten Check; Have there been
times when I have tried to "keep up appearances" while inside I was a mess? When we focus on appearances, how can we miss the spiritual things that really matter. How can we be God's eyes? How
can we "put on Christ"?
Prayer
Teach, us, O God of all
generations, to live in joy and service which never goes out of
fashion.
Amen.
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