How should I dress for church services?

Have you noticed an addition to Deacon Bill’s welcome announcement in recent months? After a staff conversation about hospitality, he added something like “…feel free to dress casually. Come as you are. We hope you feel welcome and we are glad you’re here.”

I began reflecting on dressing for worship at St. Matthew after I realized that newer male ushers – who were never instructed to wear a suit coat – seemed to assume it was the norm. After doing a little research on current dressing norms, I discovered a Dec. 2000 article (Chicago Tribune) “Not Even the Suits Are Wearing Suits Anymore” noting that neither the president of General Electric nor his successor wore coats or ties. In more recent years, some companies are rumored to have banned ties at the office (e.g., Apple, Google, Amazon, Ikea). On the other hand, many of SMLC’s retired folks worked in an era where men and women were expected to dress up every day. In short, our faith community is made up of people who have different ideas on dressing norms, including for worship.

Have you considered that what one wears to church can bear witness to one’s faith? I often hear people who dress up for church say that for them it is a sign of honor – especially towards God. Just as we use our best music, polished Communion ware and fresh flowers, people select their best clothes as a way to honor God. This is good and right. On the other hand, I’ve read that some dress for church as they normally would, intentionally trying not to put on a show nor pretend to be other than who they are. Just as we begin worship with confession & forgiveness, encouraged to be honest about who we are, assured that God loves & forgives the real “us,” some people select clothing that is authentic to them. This is also good and right.

Upon reflection, I realized that there may also be negative implications in the way one chooses to dress. For example, dressing up for church can make you feel as though you cannot truly be yourself – before God or community – that you have to “put on” something other than Christ. On the other hand, dressing “as you are” can make you anticipate Sunday as just another mundane experience, instead of a divine one.

Because humans are sinful, we tend to judge one another – “they’re not dressing up enough, which is disrespectful” and “they’re old fashioned and feel like they have to dress up.” My recommendation for Christian communities comprised of people with different dressing norms is to use the Small Catechism’s meaning of the 8th commandment as our guide “…Instead we are to come to [our neighbor’s] defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.” Doing so, we might even find the witness of our neighbor’s clothing to be an aide to our own faith; that is, when others dress up, we can see God being honored, and when others dress casually, we can see that God loves the “real” us.

In any case, I think we can all agree that Deacon Bill is right—all are welcome in worship. —Pastor Ingrid Wengert