Do Clothes Matter?

I have been reading in the early chapters of the Old Testament. I've noticed that God was very specific as to the attire of priests. They were to were special clothes and even bath in certain ways.

I started to think about why God gave such directives. Why was He so specific about the surroundings of worship? I think the answer is that these things pointed to God's holiness and splendor.

When we have a meeting with someone we respect or who is in a position over us we tend to dress in our best. Why? We understand that it is a sign of respect. If we had a job interview we would look our best (if we wanted to get the job). If we had a meeting with the President of the United States we would not head to the White House in blue jeans. People who work in the White House or Congress don't wear blue jeans to work. In our heart we do understand why God told the priests to represent Him well.

So I admit that I am troubled with the idea of dressing down for worship. Few Pastors wear suits and ties anymore. The idea is that they will relate better to the congregation if they are more casual.

I think the dress codes in the church should be more relaxed. People should be able to come into God's house and not feel they have to go out and buy a new wardrobe before they can enter. I think it is a good thing that people can come in from chores and be welcomed into the fellowship of the faithful. We can dress comfortable and casual and still show respect in the way we dress.

I'm more concerned about those on the platform. When I see a Pastor in a Hawaiian shirt and blue jeans I tend to think that the message is also casual. It's not. I'm concerned that our attire still sends a message . . . the wrong one. It says worship is consumer driven rather than God-driven. It says worship is about the people rather than about the Lord. It says we can approach God casually rather than reverently. I don't think any of those messages are good messages.

I'm OK with Pastors dressing like everyone else during the week (whether that is jeans or suits). It is good for people to see and know that we are fellow pilgrims. I think it does open doors of communication.

However, when we stand on the platform our role is different. At that time we approach the King. At that time we represent the Lord. In worship God is to be the focus, not man. We should be desiring to connect with Him more than we are each other. We should show respect for the Creator. It seems to me that one of the ways of doing this is in the way we dress. [bruce]

"Green" Religion

I recently read a blog post by Albert Mohler, the president of a seminary in Louisville, KY. In it, he made the case that the phenomenon of "thinking green" is really a religious movement. As I read his post, I think he's right.

I'll be honest, something about the whole "green" movement has rubbed me the wrong way from the start. I am certainly in support of being environmentally conscious (after all, we were created as stewards of Creation), but I've been annoyed by the relative importance that this idea has achieved. Mohler makes the point that the reason the green movement has become so popular is that it serves as a religion for many people.

Think about it. Many people in our country claim that there is no standard of right and wrong. Each person can do whatever it is that they feel is right. This is an attractive position to hold, because it frees people up from having to deal with their own sin. When we deceive ourselves into thinking the Bible isn't true or that God doesn't care how we live, we can then claim that it doesn't matter if we are sexually promiscuous, if we cheat others, or if we are rude. It frees us up to think about ourselves to the exclusion of everything else. The problem is that such a system of belief doesn't work in practical application. We have to have a basis for what is right and wrong--and we also recognize that the universe doesn't revolve around us.

"Green" thought provides a way for people to have a basis for right and wrong without having to worry about what God thinks about it. It allows us to still have a religious element to our lives (which we desire) without God. Mohler quoted a man named Stephen Asma, author of Green Guilt. Asma makes the point clearly,

Instead of religious sins plaguing our conscience, we now have the transgressions of leaving the water running, leaving the lights on, failing to recycle, and using plastic grocery bags instead of paper. In addition, the righteous pleasures of being more orthodox than your neighbor (in this case being more green) can still be had—the new heresies include failure to compost, or refusal to go organic. Vitriol that used to be reserved for Satan can now be discharged against evil corporate chief executives and drivers of gas-guzzling vehicles. Apocalyptic fear-mongering previously took the shape of repent or burn in hell, but now it is recycle or burn in the ozone hole. In fact, it is interesting the way environmentalism takes on the apocalyptic aspects of the traditional religious narrative. The idea that the end is nigh is quite central to traditional Christianity—it is a jolting wake-up call to get on the righteous path. And we find many environmentalists in a similarly earnest panic about climate change and global warming.

This sounds like a religious movement to me. The followers of this religion can point to certain behaviors as evil (or sinful), and can point to the fact that there will be consequences for these sins. But the fact is that they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think it's good for us to be prudent in the way that we care for the environment. But I think there are far more pressing issues that we probably ought to focus on. Our society is dealing with sins that are far more serious than failure to compost. The world is indeed on a path that will lead to self-destruction, but it has very little to do with our failure to recycle...it has everything to do with our failure to glorify God in our lives. We have chosen to rebel against God, and He says that there is a punishment for that arrogance. That punishment is eternal separation from Him. There is only One who can save us--the Lord Jesus Christ. Unless we will yield to God and His will for our lives, there will be an eternal price to pay.

It seems that any time I watch TV I see public service announcements with celebrities serving as evangelists for the religion of "thinking green." As Christians, let me challenge you to buck the trend. Don't allow yourselves to be distracted by this current fad. We, of all people, must understand what is really at stake. Future generations might be destroyed by ozone depletion or global warming, but they will certainly be destroyed by our failure to point people to the Savior. Don't get distracted by the celebrities and news media. Go out and be an evangelist for the one thing that really matters.