Thank you for all the feedback on my last article on dressing for service on the altar. By popular demand, here are my thoughts on general congregational dressing…
Several weeks ago my daughter and I were driving through a College campus when we saw a young student dressed in jacket and tie (it wasn’t cold) walking to Sunday service. I commented that he couldn’t be headed to the Catholic Church – I was right! No big Sherlock moment here, just a commentary on the unfortunate lack of dress and decorum at a Sunday Mass.
The following are some reasons and justifications:
- We have the freedom and right to dress as we please.
- In keeping with fashion trends – everyone dresses this way these days.
- In tune with our “feelings”, we need to “feel comfortable”.
- The church is outdated and needs to get with the times – we are now a more casual society.
- Jesus does not focus on outward appearances; He looks at the heart and He dressed in sandals and an ordinary robe.
- Parents can’t expect kids to “dress up” for church – if we try to enforce this, they may not attend.
- Having all different kinds of clothing for different occasions gets expensive – especially for larger families. (our kids NEED I-Tunes & I-Pads and I-Cars!)
Before I tackle the list above, I’d like to present some reasons I believe we should pay greater attention to how we dress for church. Genesis 3:21 tells us “The Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife and he clothed them”. So obviously the fig leaves Adam and Eve had put together weren’t enough – God had to beef it up a bit! When we dress modestly, we respect our God, our community – and ourselves. By our baptism, we are ambassadors of Christ and are supposed to shine “His light”. We shine brighter when we are intentional in presenting ourselves in our bestlight.
God calls us to be fully invested in Him. He reminds us of this in the very first commandment: I am the Lord your God – you shall have no other Gods before me. I believe He is asking for our commitment to Him in ALL areas. One way we reflect this is in our offering – exemplified in Genesis in the story of Cain and Abel. We offer our tithe, our “first fruits” to God, of our time, money, learning, business, dress and even food (sharing our table with others). If we dress up for other occasions – like a date, meeting, party, work, etc, but not for church, we have given those events greater importance than our special “date” with God – the mass. Of course, ultimately all giving is between the giver and God so only you can decide if you give God your first fruits in ALLareas.
Now – to tackle some of the arguments above… Of course you have the right to dress as you please. Does everyone at mass have the same freedom and rights? Freedom to avoid the occasion of sin by gazing on cleavage or other body parts that are better off covered? A couple of weeks ago, we attended my niece’s First Communion. Two pre-teen boys behind us decided to take off their sneakers during mass – I guess to be “comfortable”. The stink we endured as a result of their “right” caused us to gag from the sermon to the end of mass. Their parents didn’t see fit to educate them on basic manners and curtail the behavior either. While someone has the right to smoke, someone else has the right to inhale clean air – right? What happened to consideration?
Of the many countries I have visited, I’d say that the USA takes the cake for exposing the most skin at mass. As someone who works in the fashion world and loves it, I can assure you fashion and modesty are not mutually exclusive. Think Princess Diana – the world’s most photographed personality. Exposed is not “fashionable” – it’s just tawdry! Yes the summers are hot; but suitable, lightweight clothing options that make life bearable for about an hour or so – mostly in an air-conditioned environment – areeasily available. For those who believe Jesus didn’t dress well, keep in mind that while Jesus was not dressed in Roman finery, His robe was obviously not too ordinary – or no one would have “cast lots” for it. We claim to be a more “casual” society but really we are just becoming lazier and therefore sloppier – reluctant to differentiate between various occasions and how act or clothe ourselves appropriately for each. We need to be reminded not to chew gum or text during mass and confuse what we wear in the privacy of our home or on the beach with what is suitable for mass! My daughter has passed on her well cared for church clothes and shoes to kids who can use them but is saddened and frustrated when she sees them worn to play in.
I come from a big family – one of six kids – so our clothing budget was almost non-existent. However, we wore all new clothes and shoes to Sunday mass first. If they were more casual, we wore them to daily mass first – learning to give thanks for our clothes and also that there is a time and place for different types of clothing. I find myself practicing this tradition even today. I have heard similar stories from others; in other words – PARENTS, kids remember. Proverbs 22:6 – “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” As parents it is our duty and privilege to teachour children; not necessarily to provide all life’s luxurious I-gadgets and lattes. While we’re tip-toeing around enforcing dress rules, they’re agonizing about what they shouldn’t; make it easier on them – set standards.
Modesty + Fashion Guidelines for mass (applies to men too):
