Dress for Respect

I have never been a member of a church that had an officially written dress code. This is not to say that over the years of my ministry there have not been times when I had wished on a given Sunday that some men and women would have dressed more appropriately for a church worship service. On our church website (www.whitewaterbaptist.com) we have a frequently asked section. This is how the question “What should I wear?” is answered: “Some who attend our Sunday services will wear their “Sunday best” while others dress more casually. We have no dress code. You are free to wear whatever you believe is comfortable and appropriate for a worship gathering.” Many say it doesn’t matter what a person wears to church as long as they are in church. I agree with this to a point but I do think that when a person comes to church they should dress in a way that is not distracting to others and “appropriate for a worship gathering.” Personally, when it comes to worship on the Lord’s Day, I liked to wear a suit and tie. I like to wear my “Sunday best” on Sundays. I don’t expect anyone else in the church to do this. This is the way I choose to dress for Sunday worship. Why do I dress in this way? Because as a Pastor on Sunday I want my appearance, demeanor, and conduct to show that I am on business for the King. When I stand up to preach I am standing and speaking as an ambassador and representative of almighty God. I will not look like a clown or an entertainer. I will not stand before others on the Lord’s Day dressed in an untucked shirt or a tee shirt, wore out jeans and flip-flops as some preachers do today. On Sunday in church I want to give God the very best I have and that includes in what I wear. I am a herald for the King of Kings. I also want to uphold the honor and dignity of the pulpit. On Wednesday nights and at other times I may be more casual in what I wear but not on Sunday, not on the Lord’s Day. Yea, I know that I am old-fashioned but sometime the old-fashioned way is the best way. 

See you Sunday, Bro. Chris