Justin Barnett: Shorts and flip-flops at church

I have something that I want to confess to you. I'm a pastor, and I like to wear shorts and flip-flops to church at times when the weather is nice. I know, shocking isn't it? I mean, right there in the Book of Church Tradition, chapter 1 and verse 3, it says that everyone must dress in their “Sunday best,” especially the pastor. (There's really not a Book of Church Tradition. I'm being sarcastic and maybe even a little facetious.)

Seriously, if someone can show me in the Bible where I'm sinning in doing so, I'll gladly repent and change my ways. However, I've yet to find anything in Scripture that tells me that people should wear a suit and tie or a dress to church, and I've searched diligently. This leads me to believe that God doesn't really care about what we wear to church. He cares that we are there and ready to worship and serve Him. He cares about our hearts. As long as a person is not dressed in something immodest or vulgar, then it doesn't really matter what they have on. It matters that they are there! 

Do you think God is angry that a teenager wore a t-shirt and hat to church, or is He happy that the teen is at church to worship? Maybe I'm a little crazy? That's certainly possible, but I don't think that God is concerned about someone wearing “church clothes.” I believe it's simply a man-made tradition, and I've grown very disgruntled with man-made traditions over the years.

The reason is that I've see man-made traditions hinder the work and the mission of the church time and time again. I've seen a country club mentality amongst church people that pushes the very people that the church should be trying to reach away. Part of this country club mentality is the “dress code.” 

Churches frequently like to major in the minors, and they love their traditions. Instead of focusing on helping people in need and leading people to Christ, church folks often are concerned with unimportant and sometimes hurtful traditions. Should we focus on how people are dressed or on making people feel welcomed, loved, and accepted when they do come to the church? 

I know someone is thinking about the popular argument “If you went to visit the president of the United States or the Queen of England, don’t you think you’d wear a suit and tie?” Maybe so, but not if the POTUS was my dad or the Queen was my mom. When Christians are gathering to worship, we gather to worship our Heavenly Father. We are not meeting with a strange dignitary. We are meeting with someone we have a loving relationship with. He knows our every thought. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and His concern is not your clothing. His concern is with your heart. 

God actually tells us this very thing in the Bible. In 1 Samuel, God tells the prophet Samuel that he will go and anoint one of Jesse's sons as king, so Samuel goes to see Jesse and his sons. One by one Jesse brings his sons before Samuel, and God tells Samuel that none of them are the king. Jesse then brings out his oldest son that the Bible suggests was bigger and stronger than the rest. Outwardly, he looked the part of a king, but God is not fooled or swayed by outward appearances. God tells Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (NIV).”

Many people can talk the talk and look the part, but God knows their hearts. God told Samuel to anoint David as king, because God knew David was a man with a heart for Him. 

For me, it comes down to making people feel welcomed and doing anything short of sin to reach people with the Gospel. Lenoir County is the home of many people living in poverty. Our church does what we call “street ministry.” We go out into our community and hold free concerts with free food, and we share the Gospel and minister to people. Some folks just don't have “Sunday clothes,” and I want them to feel welcome to come in whatever clothes they have. 

Sadly, I've heard a handful of stories of “properly dressed” churchgoers looking down on people that didn't follow the “dress code.” Imagine a high school student that finally gets her friend to attend church with her. Her friend has never been to church and has no idea that there is an unspoken “dress code,” so she wears jeans. People give her “the look.” She won’t be back. She may never attend church again. 

What if we focused on what's important? What if we focused on that she's there at church and that we need to do all that we can to make her feel loved and welcomed? She might just come back! She might just come to know the Lord! 

Churches die for one reason. It's a failure to reach the next generation. If your church has a culture where you MUST wear your “Sunday best,” then your church is probably allowing a man-made tradition to hinder its mission to reach others, especially younger generations. 

Is it wrong to dress up for church? Of course not, but it's also not wrong if you don't dress up. Wearing your Sunday best is not in the Bible. It's a tradition. If you like the tradition, then by all means, follow it. Just don't look down on those who do not, and please don't ever treat people in a way that pushes them away from the church.