Why Dress up for Church?

by Lynette Robinson

I have read many comments and heard many make concessions as to why we really don't need to dress up for church.

While I do agree that we should be welcome no matter how we are dressed, I also believe that Sunday Worship is a sacred practice and we should consider why we are going and what God expects of us.

I have been reading from the book by Robert L. Millett, Living in the Eleventh Hour.  I have loved reading brother Millett's work and the chapter entitled "Zion's Beautiful Garments" especially struck a chord.  I have to ask myself:  "Do I approach my Sunday worship as prepared as I could?"  Preparation for worship is more than what I wear but it is a good start.

:Brother Millett states:  "I have noted with sadness an increasing informality of dress in sacred settings.  When I have visited other Christian churches, I have observed how common it is for congregations to wear Levi's, shorts, T-shirts, tank tops and flip-flops.  And, Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see similar trends among Latter-day Saints. Casualness in dress too often reflects a casualness toward spiritual things.  It may not be true for others, but I personally have found that how I dress affects how I feel and how I act.  There's a reason why, for generations, men and women and boys and girls dressed in their Sunday best for church.  It is a sign of reverence, of respect for holy things, an outward manifestation that inwardly we prepared to be taught the gospel, to be inspired, to enter into the realm of divine experience.  It is for this reason that our Church leaders have encouraged priesthood holders who are officiating in the ordinances to wear a white shirt and tie.  While we do not want to obsess over shirt colors, fixate over outward measures of faithfulness, or scold or embarrass those who may not so dress (whether by choice or because they cannot afford to), there is wisdom in looking the part."  Living in the Eleventh Hour by Robert L. Millett

Young Women ready for Sunday Worship

In the Old Testament, Jehovah calls out to his chosen people: "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.  Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.  For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money" Isaiah 52: 1-3

"How we dress not only affects others; it also affects us. This dynamic is often circular: how we feel influences the clothes we put on, and the clothes we put on in turn shape how we feel. Changes of clothes can generate a change of mood; the soldier feels different in his uniform than he does in street clothes. In some settings our choice of attire can make or break us. If we like the way we look for a job interview, for instance, it will tend to strengthen our confidence. We feel better about our chances, as reflected in improved posture, more fluent speech, more dynamic gestures. On the other hand, inappropriate dress can sap our confidence. We have all experienced the uncomfortable effects of feeling under-dressed in a particular social setting." excerpt Clothing Matters

Worship

"What is worship, after all?  It's the act of acknowledging and praising God as God; indeed, as our God. It is the adoring response of grateful creatures to their Maker. In worship we come before God with awe and reverence, focusing on Him in loving contemplation, celebrating Him for who He is and what He has done. We willingly bow before Him in surrender, delighting in the privilege of extolling His worthiness. In worship we join our small voices with the celestial choirs in a grand chorus magnifying the Creator and declaring his excellencies: His purity, His power, His beauty, His grace, His mercy, His love." excerpt  Clothing Matters

Are we in a posture of worship in our dress and grooming at Sunday worship or are we telling God, "You're lucky I made it today."?  

Some Days are More Difficult than Others

There are those days when getting to church is difficult.  I remember a fun song we learned in Primary. Saturday is a Special Day. It's the day we get ready for Sunday.  It seems that lately, Saturday is so packed with activities and work that we fall into bed at night, exhausted, drag ourselves out on Sunday morning, race around to find clothes, scriptures and screech out the door with little or no thought or preparation.  It takes literally minutes to lay out Sunday clothes, shoes and class materials the night before.  Or, if that is too much, you could designate a hanger to hold Sunday clothes to kept there.  A shelf for shoes and books, and a moment during evening before to share with each other why Sunday is such a special day and how it is different from the other days of the week and maybe a prayer before leaving. 

In order to get what God intends for us to have, we should go to Sunday worship in planning and purpose. We take the Sacrament not only because we have been commanded to but because we always "want His Spirit to be with us".  Wouldn't that make your week go better, if you have the Spirit of God always with you?

The Road to Discipleship

The Road to Discipleship

Where are we on that road?  Where are you personally?  Is God, or someone else, simply lucky you decided to show up to church?  Or are you there, prepared in appearance and heart to drink in fully, every morsel of spiritual and temporal advice you can get?  Some weeks are more of a feast than others but how do you know which weeks are going to leave you edified and well fed?  We need to attend every week because sometimes we are fed and sometimes we do the feeding.  We need to be standing in the right place so that when we are in need, Christ will do for us what we can't do for ourselves. 


More Resources
Dress and Appearance
More than Hemlines and Haircuts 
My Sunday Best