For the past many months
I have had the great joy of pastoring Lake Country Bible Church. This local church is best known for two
Christian virtues. 1) A deep and abiding love for one another
(John 13:34-35) and 2) an intense
appetite for the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2-3). These ministry hallmarks make shepherding and
preaching to this congregation a real blessing.
One of the reasons I
moved to Lake Country, Wisconsin is because of how like-minded we are. LCBC and I share the same deep convictions
relating to a biblical philosophy of ministry among many other things. However, that does not mean that there are not
any differences. One such minor
difference revolves around dress. On any
given Sunday I may be one of two or three men in a suit and tie. For many weeks, I had members jokingly remind
me that, “You don’t need to wear that here.”
I generally just smile and say something like “I know.” So why do I choose to “dress up” so formally
and why am I totally fine if the congregation chooses not to?
Let me try and answer
both of these questions for you.
1) The Scripture places a premium on the heart. External religion without genuine passion
and love for God displeases the Lord (see Rev. 2; John 4:23-24). Matthew 23 and the Old Testament book of
Malachi also drive home this timeless truth.
One of the reasons why
I am fine with a more informally dressed flock is because the members at LCBC still
take worship very seriously. Biblical worship needs to convey both holy
fear and exuberant joy. One without the
other misses the mark. David put it this
way in Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Tim Challies notes that “it is a matter of the heart before it is a
matter of dress, and the heart is both tricky and deceitful.”
2) The Bible commands believers to dress modestly. In some inspired instructions related to
worship the Spirit of God calls women (in particular) “to dress modestly, with
decency and propriety” (1 Tim. 2:8-15).
In short, worship is about glorifying God (Psalm 150) and edifying our
brothers and sisters in Christ (Col. 3:16).
In view of this one should strive to not draw undo attention to
themselves. This could take place in
terms of flaunting one’s wealth (look at me) or in showing off one’s body (look at me). Both of these
things are common place in the world today. I mean isn’t that what most red carpet
events are designed for? However, this sort of
practice is unacceptable within the body of Christ. The heart of worship is that it's ultimately about Him (not me). The Triune Lord of creation is the main attraction at LCBC. I thank God for this.
3) The Word of God highlights various principles related to Christian
liberty. The New Testament does not prescribe
a set of absolutes concerning whether a believer should wear a coat and tie or
____ to corporate worship on Sunday morning.
One bible scholar
highlights four guidelines related to the exercise of Christian liberty. I) Christian
liberty must never be flaunted (Rom. 14:22; Mark 7:18-19). II) Christian
liberty does not mean that you welcome fellow Christian only when you have
sorted out their views on X and Y (Rom. 14:1-13; Matt. 7:2). 3) Christian
liberty ought never to be used in such a way that you become a genuine
stumbling block to a genuine weaker brother (Rom. 14:13; 1 Cor. 8:13). 4) Christian
liberty requires grasping the principle that will produce this true biblical
balance: ‘We ought not to please ourselves… For even Christ did not please
himself (Rom. 15:1-3).’
Another theologian wrote, “A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to
none; a Christian man is also the most dutiful servant of all and subject to
everyone.” Christians are thus called to flesh out this liberating paradox.
4) Appropriate attire is often culturally
conditioned. In American culture
people generally “dress up” for things that are special and sacred. Case and point are weddings and funerals. If I showed up to officiate someone’s funeral
(or wedding) in casual attire it would no doubt send the wrong non-verbal message. As a rule of thumb, Americans dress up for
anniversary meals and other special occasions.
On the flip side of this, we wear sporting attire when attending a
Packer game or when shopping at Walmart (some even wear their pajamas but that is besides the point). Americans also wear appropriate work attire at our 9-5 jobs, etc, etc.
I view the Lord’s Day
as a very sacred and special occasion. I also recognize as the Senior
Pastor that I have the greatest privilege and responsibility in the world when
I stand behind the pulpit as a herald of the King (see 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Tim.
4:1-5). If the airplane pilot,
newscaster, and local district attorney wear a formal uniform, I feel like I should do the
same. If I pastored in Africa or India I am sure I would wear different clothes.
Having said that, because
of biblical principles one through three (see above), this does not mean
everyone in the congregation needs to follow suit (pun intended). I need to allow grace for “each person to be
fully convinced in their own mind.” Suffice it to say, this is why I “dress up” on Sunday (and why you don’t necessarily
have to).
