A simple reminder of dress

And why are you anxious about clothing?
(Mt 6:28)

I've never been a believer that men must wear a three-piece suit to church, or that women are more holy if they sport ankle-length skirts (subdued in color, of course).  These things come from a past Christian sub-culture, one that wanted to honor God by seeing Sunday morning as a special occasion.  While I appreciate the sentiment, I've also seen how false it is in fundamentalist circles, especially among some women who want to compete for the snazziest-dresser award.

Yet, I also cannot agree with a culture of so-called grace that seems to require folks to dress-down for church.  This too is a demonstration of pride—that fresh out-of-bed look, flip-flops, cut-off shorts, and Starbucks in hand dares people to notice how much this guy doesn't care what the highfalutin Pharisees think.  Right.

I suppose it should not be surprising that this new Christian sub-culture of "you're not supposed to care what people wear" would spawn a disregard of our daughter's dress.  Out may be all pretenses and trappings, but in are open displays that constitute little more than beach wear.  I was struck by how audacious this is today especially, as our church on the hill was beset with a frigid 20 mile an hour wind.

Wait a minute!  Would even a mild concern for children demand at least pants, if not a warm coat?


As Christians, we must protect our daughters.  We must remind them that because of sin, we must cover our bodies, not reveal them.  We must teach them that the Spirit says, "women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control" (1 Tim 2:9).  We must teach them to discern the spirit of the age.  And we should introduce them to older gals who do just that.  While we are not twisting modesty into non-biblical requirements for things like burkas, we disciple our daughters to be thoughtful about how their attire reflects their relationship with Christ.