Dressing Up for the White House and Dressing Down for God's House

On October 11, the Christian rock group MercyMe visited the White House to participate in President Trump’s signing of the Music Modernization Act. I found it interesting that the members of the group wore traditional suits and ties for the White House, whereas they typically dress casually for God’s House, in t-shirts, untucked shirts, jeans, cargo pants, tennis shoes, and such. I am not saying that proper church clothing is a western suit and tie; I am saying that if there is any occasion on earth for which we should “dress up” according to the standards of our particular culture, it would be the formal assembly of God’s people in the house of the living God, 1 Timothy 3:15. Why dress up in church? To honor God! Though American society has become casual and “sloppy” to the extreme in my lifetime (when I was born, people still wore suits and ties and modest dresses to ball games), Americans still know what it means to “dress up” in an honorable way. They dress up for formal weddings, meals at classy restaurants, and other occasions. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra still forbids pants on female players, and most people consider a formal concert by a major orchestra to be a special event and tend to dress up for the occasion. The West Wing White House tour “has a business casual dress code (no shorts, jeans, t-shirts, open toed shoes, etc.),” and when meeting with the president, “Men should wear a suit with a clean, fresh pressed shirt or khakis and a button down, also clean and pressed; guys, make sure your shoes are shined.” The same goes for an audience with the pope: “modest dress covering the shoulders and the décolleté (cleavage), falling below the knee; men dark suit coat and solid tie.” The contemporary crowd can laugh if they please, but I agree with the following: “Style is the meaning. The music, dress, and trendy look of the contemporary Independent Baptists tell us less about their view of style and so much more about their view of God. The same can be said for most events. The way we dress tells more about the way we view the event than it does about the way we view style” (Dave Mallinak, “Gone Contemporary”).

(Friday Church News Notes, October 19, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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