Jeans

From the picture here of two brothers, one dressed in jeans and the other in pants... which one "appears" to be dressed "nicer"? They kinda both look like they are dressed equally nice to me - casual, but not bad or careless or dirty, wouldn't you say?

Now... let's talk setting. Picture these two in a worship team band on a Sunday morning. Who out there reading this blog is on a worship/praise team... do you find the way these two are dressed offensive for a Sunday morning worship service? Do you find the one wearing jeans to be more offensive for a Sunday morning worship service?

Chances are, that if you go to a traditional denominational church or even a suburbin interdenominational church, you would find at least the jeans irreverent and out of place on the stage/platform for a Sunday morning. And likewise, if you go to a non-denominational church, this is almost (but not quite) upscale for those up front on a Sunday morning. You'd think "dressing up" would be a style preference, or the way some are taught to "wear your Sunday best", but it's more like an imposed code in a lot of places instead. What's the point about the clothes, you ask? Let me tell you.

Today my husband and I went to a Worship Arts meeting at the new church we've been visiting. We've been really praying about this church and we were feeling like this is the place where God would have us stay for a while. Step one is investigating getting involved, so we went to learn more about their vision and method for the worship team. All of it sounded great... until they got to the dress code: No jeans. It seemed to be a new rule they were putting into place because for the past few Sundays we were there, we saw at least 2 or 3 people wearing jeans on the worship team. At this announcement, I looked around the room full of 40 year olds and younger... all wearing jeans, and getting a confused/disappointed look on their faces. The leaders then proceeded to give their reasons: they didn't want to offend anybody (What?!?!?!), and they wanted to make a good impression on the church. I was absolutely stunned...

For one thing, I get a little offended when I go to a church and don't see anyone on the worship team wearing jeans. It looks more like an elitist group than a worship team. Not everyone is a business man or woman in style, not everyone are preppy yuppies who casually lie around in Dockers, and not everyone is at an economic level to go out and buy classier clothes. Most musicians simply look stupid dressed up in a fake style that doesn't reflect who God made them to be. Some people are hard working blue-collar folks who only go to work or school in jeans, and who can only afford the very basics. Are these people not allowed to be on the worship team, even if they dress in a clean shirt and a nice pair of jeans? I'm blessed beyond measure when I see diversity on a worship team: one guy is in a suit, one guy in khakis and a polo shirt, one guy in jeans and a t-shirt, one girl in a skirt and blouse, another girl in jeans and a nice top. This shows that people are who God made them, and they aren't in a social club of clones, but very different people coming together in unity and as one on the worship team, praising God together.

For another thing, the leaders there need to get a wake up call to the fact that if anyone who would be offended by jeans on the stage visited that church, they would be offended by most everything else that is going on in that church too, and they would turn around and walk right back out before they even noticed what the worship team was wearing. For starters, it's a Spirit-led church, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom - freedom from sin, freedom from bondage, freedom to worship and serve God as He desires (II Corinthians 3:17; Isaiah 61:1-3; James 1:25; I Corinthians 12). Any legalism puts a man-made restriction on what Jesus died to liberate us from. The last time I checked, wearing jeans didn't count as a indulgence of the flesh or as being evil (I Peter 2:16; Galatians 5).

And thirdly, I didn't think we human beings were supposed to be impressing other human beings, but only God. God doesn't see as mankind sees, by appearance, but God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). Shouldn't we be a people of God that only looks at the heart?!? To impose such a dress code reinforces us to continue to judge by appearances and to not even attempt to stretch ourselves to look past the outter shell to see the real person inside. This also teaches people to be self conscious rather than God-conscious - looking at themselves to make sure they are dressed right, thinking of themselves as lower somehow because if they aren't dressed as "nicely" as others.

This particular church has wall to wall people wearing jeans in the congregation on Sunday morning worship services. Are we in a position to say somehow that those on the stage are an upper class from the rest of the body? Does one who regularly gives God his very best in the crowd, wearing jeans, have to suddenly "put on airs" to join the ranks of the worship team on the platform? Or is this a subtle way of pushing people who are comfortable wearing jeans out of the church by all of leadership exampling a business wardrobe style? It's not wrong to dress up - but it's not wrong to be casual either.

I believe in excellence in the church. I believe God deserves the very best, every minute of each day, not just on Sunday mornings - the very best of our time, our gifts and talents, our finances... all that God gives us... in action and in our hearts. I don't see what that has to do with what clothes we happen to have on while we are on the stage on Sunday morning worship services opposed to every other day of our lives. Shouldn't we be constantly worshiping, and aren't we always on display to the world, even when we're in ragged sweat pants and stained t-shirts with messy hair in the supermarket on one of those rough mornings. It's our attitude and behavior they are watching. Everyone has the rough mornings that they can relate to, it's our peace in Christ underneath it all that shines out as different. It's our morals and obedience to God's Word and love for Jesus, not our style of dress, that will impress them. I believe excellence is worthless if it is performance (works of the flesh) and not real. People have to be real, open and honest before the Lord and before others. Being the best at who God made you to be in Christ is displaying excellence to both God and people. We must be true to ourselves and to God, we must represent Jesus... not our church, denomination, work, friends or family. If God created you to be a business man or woman in the kingdom of God, then by all means, represent that in your clothing whenever you are out of your house. But if God created you to be an artist, a manual laborer, a full time mom or dad... then wear what you normally wear and be proud to be what God has called you to be, even on the stage on Sunday mornings!

Then comes in the argument: "If we don't put a limit to it, people will end up coming to church sloppy, thinking they can wear anything they want". People, especially Christians, much less those in leadership, are not degenerate animals; we tend to have a level of cleanliness and desire to look nice whenever we leave our house. But it's not like I don't think clothing doesn't matter at all. I know that there is a level where our clothing makes us different from the world. I believe that clothing matters... when it comes to modesty. Anything too tight or too revealing is improper for a Christian no matter where they are outside their home, not just when we gather together. Immodest dress IS a very real (not superficial) hindrance to people and it's the way of the world that we aren't meant to follow after.

Do you follow the traditions of men and require people in your church or the leadership to "dress up" in services, when they will be on the stage, or even behind the scenes in the offices? Under the principle of giving God your best, do you shun or alienate those who's best is jeans and a t-shirt from leading others. The church is not a variation of corporate America, we're not in the business of self-promotion, and we've got nothing to sell. We have a message of a free gift to give away to any who would accept! We are soldiers and children in the Kingdom of God - let's put away being "prim and proper" for appearance sake and get our hands dirty worshipping and serving the Lord as Who He created us to be for His glory!