Pagan Christianity: Sunday Morning Costumes
By Fred | Thursday, July 22, 2010
This chapter deals with the perceived need to “dress up for church” on a Sunday morning. Again, the authors trace the history of the phenomenon. Not much to say about this chapter. It’s bang-on all the way through.
The strongest statement they make is that “[w]earing our ‘Sunday best’ conceals a basic underlying problem. It fosters the illusion that we are somehow ‘good’ because we are dressing up for God. It is a study in pretense that is dehumanizing and constitutes a false witness to the world” (p. 149).
Because this chapter is so good, I’ll be excessively picky in responding to the “Delving Deeper” section at the end of the chapter, in which the question is asked:
“You imply that people should never be encouraged to dress up for church; however, for me, doing so serves as a reminder that we should give God the respect He deserves. In this sense, isn’t wearing good clothes to church a positive thing?”
The answer is: “If you feel that dressing up for church gatherings is a positive thing and you can do it unto the Lord with pure motives, then by all means do so. But we should be careful not to judge or look down upon those who do not dress up for such gatherings” (p. 155).
I’m not sure it’s as simple as that, for two reasons: First, the only reason we see dressing up equated with respect is because we’ve always been taught that. It’s a traditional and cultural thing. At the very least, that motive needs to be evaluated. Second, if everyone in a church holds to that motivation and practice, then practically speaking it becomes the accepted norm in the church. It would be very difficult to walk in wearing more casual attire. And so a barrier is created between the “in people” (in costume) and the ones who don’t belong.
That’s not much of a criticism of this chapter simply because the message of the chapter is both appropriate and true.
Category: Stuff