Yesterday was Easter, my favorite day of the year. I simply cannot reflect on the cross and the price my Savior paid without being filled with an overwhelming joy. Yes, joy. I know that may sound odd to some, especially when you consider that He died such an ugly death, but the reality is that Easter is a celebration of His resurrection, His overcoming death, and His life.
Yes, He died, but He is living, and that’s something to truly celebrate.
My church started a new service at the beginning of February. We call it “Encounter,” because it’s designed to strip away all the “traditions” that the church is often seen to possess in order to create a true, genuine, authentic encounter with God and our risen King. Not that other styles of worship service don’t do this, but this particular service was created in order to reach people who resist a more “traditional” environment.
Now, I don’t really know if we are succeeding in that endeavor, and honestly, I’m not sure we ever can…not completely anyway.
For example, in the week leading up to the Easter service, I was asked exactly three times by three different people the following question: what are we supposed to wear to the Encounter service on Easter? We’re not going to wear jeans on Easter, are we?
You see, the Encounter service is being advertised as a casual, come-as-you-are type experience, where the bondage of expectation is supposed to have been removed from the equation, that a person can come in whatever attire, with whatever is laid upon his/her heart, and simply be who they are before an almighty, all-loving God in order to experience the true love of Jesus Christ.
Again, I’m not saying this doesn’t occur in all types of worship services in all churches all over the country already, but there is a distinct sector of our population that feels the urge or desire to attend church and worship corporately, but for one reason or another, feels that a more “traditional” style doesn’t suit them, for whatever reason.
All of this is fine and good. I have no problem with anybody going to whichever service, type of service, style of service, or whatever they want to do. That’s not the point here.
What is the point is the mentality underlying the question mentioned above: We’re not going to wear jeans on Easter, are we?
Now, I know at least one of the people who asked this question was kidding. I’m not sure about the other two. It doesn’t really matter, although the fact that it’s even a joke does say something about our very mindsets.
My question is this: where does this underlying “pressure” to conform come from?
I mean seriously, jeans on Easter? Is this a sin? If I walk into any church anywhere with jeans on, regardless of the day of the year it is, will I be worshipping less fully or less genuinely or less truly? Will I be being less reverent? Where did this notion of “giving God my best” as it pertains to clothing come from? And, is there any merit to it?
I don’t know, but it all seems extremely legalistic to me, very Pharisaical.
Galatians 5:1 reads, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Yes, I know this verse is talking about freedom from sin and our slavery to sin and that we have been freed from that, but inherent in the freedom Christ gave us, isn’t there a freedom from all the pressure of toeing the proverbial line of judgment by our peers?
I wore jeans today. On Easter, believe it or not. No, I didn’t do it to take a stand, I didn’t do it to stand out, and I didn’t do it out of spite. I wore jeans because they are comfortable, and because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my worship experience could and would be just as plentiful, reverent, and true no matter what I was wearing.
And, you know what? There were a people there wearing ties and sport coats and dress pants, and they looked really nice. In fact, from a standpoint of style, they looked way “nicer” than I did. I didn’t care. I hope they were comfortable, and I hope they met God there in a genuine worship experience.
The truth is, I suspect God didn’t even see their clothing. No, I suspect he saw the state of their hearts. I suspect he saw their thoughts surrounding their clothing and the clothing of those around them.
That’s what it’s all about, friends. It’s about where your heart is. It’s not about your attire or someone else’s, unless of course, your heart isn’t aligned properly with either.
That’s what God is looking at. And, why?
Because we’re free. On that cross oh so long ago, Christ paid the ultimate price for us, and out of that cold, dark tomb, He rose on the third day…to set us free.
Please continue to share this site with anybody and everybody God lays on your heart.
I guess I am from the “old school,” but what would we wear if some national dignitary had been expected to show up at the service, and we knew it was going to be our responsibility to take him/her to lunch afterward? If Nancy Pelosi was going to be our guest, would we dress in jeans and a polo shirt or T-shirt? While our emphasis should not be on a brand new suit, we should wear our best, clean clothes if we are really expecting our Almighty God to be our guest in our services, homes, and hearts when we attend His house. Our manner of dress shows our level of admiration. He sees us in our every day clothes all week long, and He knows how we present ourselves daily, but it is a thing of respect when we attend His house. Would we admire Barack O’Bama better? His only has a B. S. degree! We will buy a new suit or rent a tux to hear him talk for hours and he doesn’t say anything worth listening to. Yet we want to get by with less than our best for the One who said, “I forgive.” Lets encourage our friends to give Him a little more admiration and praise in our mannerisms than to someone who doesn’t even have any love for us at all. If we go too contemporary and bring Him down to our level, we have lost the cause. He is not our neighbor; our parent; our local government official; He is not someone common to us. He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Great I Am! He should be held in highest regards, not as some Joe Blowe in every day life.
He needs to be made attractive by His attributes exemplified in our lives: love, hope, trust, faith, and charity; not commonality. Christians need to build Him up as our Creator, Comforter, Need Supplier, Guide, Problem Solver, and Lord.
Forgive me for being old. Maybe I am like the little girl that asked her Mother why she cut the ends off the ham before baking. Mom said she didn’t know, but Grandma always did. Go ask Grandma. When Grandma was asked, she told the little girl the reason she cut the ends off the ham was because the ham didn’t fit the pan she used. Now, Mom uses a larger pan, but still cuts the ends off the ham by tradition.
I request of you: wear your best and cleanest, whatever that is, when you enter His presence in His house, and sing songs that tell His story of what He did for you, not of what you can do for Him.
Thanks for entertaining the thoughts of an old man. May God bless you in all you do, have, and say.